Everyone wants to live long enough to see one’s grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and possibly, great-great-grandchildren but not everyone adopts the lifestyle that permits that. While long life may be considered a divine gift from God, there are things that can contribute to it.
Also, we all want to have a good old age free from debilitating illnesses that usually accompany the normal aging process. Some of these illnesses include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, cancers, prostate enlargement in men, and so on. These illnesses can impact one’s quality of life in old age.
The above conditions often come with aging, and due to these, many people seek ways to prevent these while they are much younger, especially in order to avoid being a nuisance to their children. But again, while our lifestyle alone does not guarantee a longer life or disease-free aging, our lifestyle today can have a great/significant impact on our longevity and healthfulness in old age.
Easy Lifestyle Changes for a Healthier and Longer Life
It has been estimated by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund that 30–40 percent of all cancers can be prevented by appropriate diets, physical activity, and maintenance of appropriate body weight.[1]Nutrition and cancer: A review of the evidence for an anti-cancer diet – PMC
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the following lifestyle tips can improve one’s life, health, and longevity.
1. Eating a healthy diet
Eating healthy has been linked to a healthier life and a lower risk of non-communicable diseases like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. A healthy diet involves eating a balanced diet most of the time, adequate calories, vitamins, and fiber, and reduction of saturated fats.
According to the WHO, limiting the intake of high amounts of food additives (salt, sugar, and saturated fats) in foods, snacks, and pastries, is a healthier dietary lifestyle. Consuming approximately 5g of table salt (1 teaspoon max.) is enough, not more. Free sugar intake should be less than 10% of daily energy intake (i.e., less than 50g or 12 teaspoons per adult per day).
On fats, limit total daily fat consumption to less than 30% of your total energy intake; saturated fats should be less than 10% and trans-fats less than 1%. Consuming unhealthy fat has been linked to diseases like obesity, hypertension, and stroke.
On the other hand, unsaturated fats are healthier and preferred to saturated and trans-fats. Also, increase intake of fruits and veggies. These supply essential vitamins, minerals, and glutathione that maintain your body’s immunity, protect your eye sight, enhance cardiovascular function, etc., as well as offer anti-oxidant properties to protect against oxidative stress, combat the effects of ageing, and protect against cancers.
2. Exercising more regularly
Adequate physical exercise, especially now that you are younger, can improve your life and longevity. Regular physical exercise makes your muscles stronger and more efficient. These include the muscles of your heart.
As aging sets in, wear and tear may affect the joints and bones resulting in painful and stiff joints. This results in some level of physical inactivity, subsequently leading to a reduction in body muscle mass. The loss of muscles also affects the muscles of the heart which in turn affects the contractility of the heart muscles.
Regular physical exercise can prevent hypertension by strengthening your heart muscles before and during aging. It also helps lower your stress level and manage your weight, further preventing risks of developing atherosclerosis which also predisposes to hypertension and stroke.
WHO recommends regular physical activity for its physical and mental health benefits. Adults aged 18-64 years should engage in at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or at least 30 minutes per day; or at least 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.[2]Physical activity – World Health Organization Examples of moderate-intensity physical activity include brisk walking, dancing, cycling, swimming, or even housework or gardening activities. Vigorous-intensity exercises include running/jogging, continuous swimming laps, fast-speed or uphill cycling, soccer, basketball, or rugby.
Regular physical exercise enhances the function of skeletal muscles, the brain, and the heart. A sedentary lifestyle has been linked to several health problems including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Thus, staying physically active can keep you healthier and live longer.
3. Avoid alcoholism
Alcoholism is when you take alcohol for recreation in large quantities because of its euphoric/high effect. These people easily turn to alcohol for solace when faced with any little challenge in real life. But this can have a debilitating effect on one’s health and longevity.
The WHO has noted that there is no safe level for drinking alcohol for recreation because even the lowest level of alcohol that causes drunkenness or feelings of high/low can increase the risk for mental/behavioral disorders, and other diseases like stomach cancer, prostate cancer, and liver cirrhosis. Alcoholism can also lead to injuries and death from alcohol-precipitated violence or road accidents.
The long-term effect of chronic alcoholism can affect your health significantly when you are much older. Also, infrequent alcoholism can progress to alcohol addiction given the required conditions, further impairing one’s health and longevity.
4. Avoid smoking
Smoking alone has been implicated in 20% of all cancers and about 30% of all cancer deaths in the United States. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and about 80% of lung cancers, and 80% of lung cancer deaths are due to smoking.[3]Health Risks of Smoking Tobacco – American Cancer Society Despite the alarming risks of tobacco smoking to health, smoking has become a normal lifestyle for many people.
While there are many reasons to quit smoking, prioritizing your health and longevity is another important reason to do so. In addition to the development of cancers, smoking is also a risk factor for obstructive lung disease, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, psychiatric conditions, etc.
Smoking can cause irreversible damage to parts of your body. Quitting smoking early can therefore reduce smoking-related disability, diseases, and death. Thus, waiting to quit smoking at a much later time may be more dangerous than you think. It can affect your general health, quality of life, and longevity in the long run.
5. Seek medical care promptly
Of the three healthcare delays, the decision to seek medical care is the one we can control the most.[4]The Three Delays Model and our Integrated Approach – Maternity Worldwide It is one of the most prevalent causes of preventable disability and death worldwide, especially in resource-poor countries.
Early recognition of the need to see a doctor can save you a lot of time, and money, and preserve one’s life in the long run. And most cases of a delayed decision to seek medical care often result in cases of ‘Penny wise, Pound foolish’.
Several factors can account for a delayed presentation to the hospital for professional medical care. These include financial capability, lack of insurance, spousal refusal, and fear of stigmatization as was the case during the COVID-19 where some COVID-19 deaths during the lockdown were clearly attributed to delayed presentation.[5]Full article: Deaths due to delayed presentation to the hospital from fear of contracting COVID-19 during lockdown period: a tertiary care center experience – Taylor and Francis Online Journal
If you must attempt self-administered first-aid before seeing a doctor, know when to quickly see the doctor without any delay. Your life is too precious to experiment with it unsafely.
6. Attend routine medical checkups
Even well-established chronic non-communicable medical diseases like diabetes, hypertension, HIV, etc., can be well-controlled by regularly attending medical checkups and strict adherence to routine medications. This means early detection would offer you more health, and quality of life, and prevent progression into advanced diseases.
As a medical doctor working in the hospital, I have seen several cases of undiagnosed or poorly diagnosed chronic hypertension who were presented to the hospital with features of heart failure or stroke. Attending regular medical checkups can help detect these conditions early, and commence treatment early, to protect your health and help you live a longer and healthier life.
Routine medical checkups would include dental checkups, blood pressure monitoring, eye checkups, and general medical checkups. Even when you are apparently healthy, small undetectable signs, e.g., a small painless breast lump, can be pointers to the onset of a more serious condition. Early recognition of these signs during a routine medical checkup can help save you from developing full-blown disease or severe forms of the disease.
Gum diseases, tooth decay, and dental caries can affect other areas of your life, social performance, and mental health. Undetected hypertension can progress to heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, or retinopathy/blindness. Glaucoma, which is the most common cause of painless irreversible blindness worldwide, may be detected on routine eye checkups. Also, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus can show early signs in the mouth long before they affect other parts of the body.
Thus, routine medical checkups can help detect latent medical issues, prevent progression to advanced disease, and prolong your lifespan.
7. Rehydrate adequately and regularly
Adequate hydration is a key ingredient for your overall health and vitality. Water is essential for almost all metabolic processes in the body, serving as a milieu for cellular reactions. It also makes up a good proportion of blood and body fluids. Hence, when dehydrated, you might start feeling stressed and your physical and mental performance may start to decline.
Aside from the immediate effects of dehydration, in the long run, your kidneys, heart, brain, and skeletal muscles may be affected. Adequate and regular daily water intake keeps your kidneys healthy and optimally functioning, preventing acute kidney injury and its sequelae to chronic kidney disease. This often results from injuries related to a reduced blood supply to the kidneys and the formation of concentrated urine which can predispose to kidney stone formation.
An average of 2.5L of water is required by adults per day. This can be more, depending on other factors like climate/weather, physical exercise, and working environment. Adequate hydration and rehydration can keep you healthy and prolong your life because of its effects on all the cells, tissues, and organs of the body.
8. Check your blood pressure regularly
Regular blood pressure check is recommended for adults 40 years and above, especially those who have a family history of hypertension, or who are obese. Routing blood pressure checks is similar to routine medical checkups discussed above but blood pressure checks more specifically detect hypertension at its early stages.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death from non-communicable diseases, of which hypertension is often the most common manifestation. Hypertension or elevated blood pressure is a tell-tale sign of an underlying problem in the cardiovascular system and is also a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
Routine blood pressure checks help detect and monitor blood pressure in those at risk and are recommended for adults up to 40 years of age. Early detection of blood pressure abnormalities will enable prompt treatment and prevention of more serious cardiovascular complications.
9. Practice safe sex
According to the World Health Organization, the global burden of STIs has been estimated to be over 1 million new cases per day. That is more than 694 cases per minute.[6]Global perspectives on the burden of sexually transmitted diseases: A narrative review – PMC More than 500 million people aged 15-49 years have genital infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) and over 311,000 deaths have been associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-caused cervical cancer every year[7]Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – WHO International.
Safe sex ensures protection against unwanted pregnancy and its sequelae, as well as prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Thus, helping to keep you away from these infections and complications to preserve your health and prolong your life.
10. Get vaccinated
People shouldn’t die from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) if they are aware that the vaccines are available. But part of the reasons people still contract such diseases is due to lack of access to these vaccines, or failure to make time to visit the vaccination centers.
Most countries adopt a program of childhood immunization which begins immediately after birth. This immunization can confer a good level of protection against common VPDs like tuberculosis, hepatitis B, polio, and rotavirus. Oftentimes, this protection can last into adult life.
However, as an adult, it is also important to look out for available vaccinations and get vaccinated, irrespective of your immunization status in childhood. And if you have a higher risk, like being a health worker, getting vaccinated should be mandatory.
Available vaccinations today include cervical cancer vaccine, BCG for tuberculosis, Meningococcal vaccine, and Hepatitis B vaccine. Avail yourself when you find any opportunity to get vaccinated for free or at a discounted cost. Getting vaccinated would protect you from illnesses, boost your immunity, and make you live longer and healthier.
11. Prevent mosquito bites
Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in malaria-endemic areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and India. These regions are laden with the female anopheles mosquito which transmit the malaria parasite (Plasmodium). Thus, as simple as preventing mosquito bites can go a long way to prevent malaria and its associated complications.
Several methods of preventing mosquito bites exist. These include the use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLITNs), the removal of stagnant water from home surroundings, and the use of mosquito repellants including aerosolized insecticides.
12. Do environmental sanitation frequently
Living long and healthy boils down to very simple tips like lifestyle, health-seeking behavior, dietary modifications, and exercise. Keeping your environment clean and healthy can impact your overall health and well-being in unimaginable ways.
Environmental diseases like dust-related, water-related, food-borne, and vector-borne diseases, can be largely controlled simply by keeping a hygienic physical environment. These diseases include typhoid, dysentery, malaria, and others.
Regularly clear grasses around your home, clear and dispose of thrashes, fumigate your compound when you notice that certain pests/bugs are building up, and ensure the sewers are not producing offensive odors.
13. Obey traffic rules
According to WHO, approximately 1.3 million people die each year from road traffic accidents. More than half of these people include vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. But to a large extent, these deaths are preventable if drivers and pedestrians adhere to traffic rules and standard driving precautions.
An injury following a road traffic accident can cost one’s life, and lead to severe disability, which can impair one’s quality of life after the accident. This is why you should obey traffic rules and patiently do so if you want to live longer, healthier, and happier throughout your life.
How much alcohol is considered safe?
The WHO has clearly stated that no quantity of recreational alcohol intake is considered safe because any amount of alcohol that can cause intoxication is capable of causing other effects. However, moderate use of alcohol allows two standard drinks or less for men, and one standard drink or less for women per day.
One standard drink is equivalent to 12 ounces of beer with 5% alcohol, or 5 ounces of beer with 12% alcohol. The number of standard drinks in any quantity of alcohol consumed can be estimated based on the percentage of alcohol and the quantity consumed.
Is being involved in a rigorous job considered a form of exercise?
Being involved in a job that requires rigorous energy may be a form of exercise compared to sedentary jobs. However, these kinds of jobs do not, and should not prevent intentional exercises. Exercise is also a way of relaxation aside from its health benefits.
Do I need vitamin and mineral supplements to be healthier?
Yes, vitamin and mineral supplements may be needed in staying healthy, especially for people who do not constantly have access to fruits, and vegetables, or consume diets fortified with these ingredients. In the absence of any underlying illness or medical condition, you can get your required vitamin and mineral needs with an adequate and balanced diet.
What are examples of saturated fats?
Saturated fats are fat sources that solidify at room temperature. Examples include butter, palm oil, coconut oil, cheese, milk cream, ghee, and lard.
Unsaturated fats remain liquid at room temperature, e.g., fish oil, avocado, nuts, sunflower oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and olive oil. Unsaturated fats are considered safer and beneficial to the heart, in contrast to saturated fats which are not.
Trans-fats are the products of the hydrogenation of unsaturated fats to make them more solid at room temperature. Examples include margarine, and fat products in fried foods, baked foods, and processed snacks. These are considered the worst types of fats in the human body.
How can I quit smoking?
Cessation of smoking requires your decision to quit having considered the harmful effects of smoking on the human body. Furthermore, the assistance of addiction recovery centers, a therapist, a physician, and cooperation with other family members may also be required.
Can a home gym suffice as regular exercise?
Of course. You don't always have to hit the public gym before doing exercises. There are a handful of home exercises like rope-skipping, push-ups, planks, dumb-bell weight, and others, you can do at home. You can also install gym equipment/facilities like a swimming pool in your home if you wish. But irrespective of where it is done, exercise is exercise.
What is the aim of doing exercises?
The aim of doing exercises is to keep your body muscles and joints active. Inactivity of the muscles can lead to their wasting or weakness. Exercise also has effects on the heart muscles as they begin to pump with more force to supply more blood to the active muscle groups. This process also makes the heart muscles stronger, preventing cardiac diseases now and in the future.
Final words
Aging comes with its challenges ranging from cardiovascular diseases to bone/joint diseases, and so on. Yet, leading and maintaining a healthy life now can go a long way to preserve your health and prolong your life.
You’ve seen some simple, yet effective ways to live longer and healthier in this post. Do you have a lifestyle that you are unsure if is healthy or not? Let me know in the comment section below. I will let you know if it is something you should uphold or change, and how you can go about it no matter how difficult it might seem.
Thank you very much doctor Ukiri. This is an invaluable piece.🙏🏿
Thank you very much, my man.
I appreciate the kind words.