This is the second of a two-part series on living to 100 years old. In the first article, we discussed dietary factors that influence longevity and pointed out certain positive eating habits that cross national and cultural boundaries.
The same also holds true for physical exercise and lifestyle. For example, past studies of Greeks on the island of Crete revealed how hard manual labour combined with a typical “Mediterranean” diet reduced the risk of heart disease and extended life. Similarly, the Okinawans of Japan – reigning world champions when it comes to reaching one-hundred years old – pursue an active traditional lifestyle largely unaffected by negative Western influences.
Regular exercise has been shown in study after study to extend life by improving cardiovascular endurance, bone density and overall fitness. Make no mistake, a combination of regular movement (e.g. walking, swimming, weight lifting) every week will make you feel great. Even low-intensity work has its benefits, provided you are satisfied with your pace (if possible, pick up the intensity!).
Exercise is also said to be the best medicine and the key to serious disease prevention. Its long-term benefits include eliminating the need for multiple, expensive drugs later in life. Various pills and tablets are effective in narrow roles, but frequently at the expense of causing or compounding problems elsewhere in our bodies.
The perils of osteoporosis, arthritis and chronic pain are keenly felt at any age, but seniors who have been sedentary all their lives are practically defenceless. Don’t let inactivity rob you of your future independence! Find a training partner or group workout instructor who can relate to your need to get fit!
Do luck and environmental factors also play a role in whether you can live to one-hundred? Undoubtedly, yes. Surely, you know of people that flaunted their extravagant lifestyles yet somehow managed to hit the century mark or come very close to it.
However, these folks are the exception to the rule. There are no guarantees in life, but to stack the odds in your favour, start following sensible exercise guidelines we set for you. It is your best hope of reversing the ageing process.