Did you know that how long your parents lived does not necessarily determine how long you will live. Instead it is how you live your life that determines how old you will get, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg recently published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
When the discussion of longevity comes up many will stop and say I can’t expect much because there is heart disease or diabetes or you name the disease in my family. Unfortunately we have been lead to believe that we are merely a victim of our genetics. With this mentality why should you try to live a healthier lifestyle if you are going to die early regardless of your habits. Most are surprised to learn that genetics plays a small role in longevity in fact according to Scientific American recent studies put the role of genetics at only 20-30%.
There is a new branch of study called epigenetics which is basically studying how genes are turned on and off. This means that even though there is heart disease in your family a healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk or delay when those genes are expressed. An example of this is Jim Fixx who wrote the book of running in the early 1970’s. He died at age 52 while running from a massive heart attack, which led many to question the role of exercise in longevity. But most do not know that his father had his first heart attack at 35 then died at 43 from a heart attack. Jim did not start running until the age of 36 at which time he was a smoker, weighing 220 pounds. So you can see how his really healthy lifestyle extended his life even though his genetics were for a much shorter outcome.
We often see bad lifestyle habits carried on from one generation to the next. It is not uncommon to see an entire family obese. The main point I want you to get from this is that you have far more control over your longevity than you probably thought. Since lifestyle habits are often transferred from one generation to the next, the changes you make now will not only improve the quality and length of your life but of your generations to come. Can you think of a better gift to give your children other than a healthy lifestyle?
What are the essentials of a healthy lifestyle?
1. Exercise, there are numerous studies and most people agree that exercise is essential to a healthy lifestyle. But what are essentials to a good exercise program? There are two types of exercise, aerobic and anaerobic. Basically you want to increase your heart rate to your training zone which can be calculated accurately at http://www.briancalkins.com/HeartRate.htm , and you want to strengthen your muscles. One study showed that the stronger a man was in his 50’s the less likely he was to be disabled in his 80’s. Additionally the more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolic rate, which is the rate that you burn calories at rest. Or to put it another way the more muscle you have the more you can eat without gaining weight.
2. Diet, since inflammation is linked to the top killers in this country, and diet plays a huge role in the level of inflammation in our body, a diet that decreases inflammation is essential. The Mediterranean Diet has been touted recently because of its links to longevity and decreased cardiovascular risk which is most likely due to its anti-inflammatory qualities.
3. Friends and family, it has been shown multiple times that a strong social network is a common theme among lifestyles of those in blue zones. Blue zones are areas in the world with the highest number of 100 year olds.
4. Chiropractic, everyone agrees and understands the importance of regular exercise. So it is easier to understand how Chiropractic which improves the function of your body doesn’t just keep you out of pain but helps you reach optimum function. Chiropractic is usually thought of being just for lower back pain, but regular care has been shown to lower hospitalization rates, medication use, and medical utilization.
So before you think all of the changes are too overwhelming, remember the saying,”what is the best way to eat an elephant…one bite at a time”. Start slow by adopting small changes and do not forget that you have the rest of your life adapt these changes. You can learn more about these lifestyle changes in my free e-book The Five Most Effective Treatments For Chronic Lower Back Pain by clicking here.