Walking for 20 minutes a day, reading a book before bed and six other ways to add 20 YEARS to your life
WALKING for just ten minutes a day could add a year to your lifespan, new research has revealed.
But there are plenty of other hacks and habits to boost your time even more.
From staying cheerful to getting arty or standing on one leg, Tom Bryden looks at how you can pile on the years without spending them all in the gym.
Walk for 20 mins more
TEN minutes of walking can add a year to your life, and you can increase that a few months by adding an extra 20 minutes.
A brisk 30-minute walk daily could add an extra 1.4 years for women and 2.5 years for men, say University of Leicester researchers.
The average age of the people in their study was early sixties – so it’s never too late.
Be happy
IF walking is not your thing, why not try smiling more?
Experts have found that being happy can be just as important as getting exercise when it comes to extending lifespan.
A study involving more than 150,000 women found that being optimistic typically added nearly four and a half years extra to their life.
Take up art
BEING creative could add a decade to your years, according to one American researcher.
In her book Your Brain On Art, Professor Susan Magsamen recommends doing around half an hour of artistic activity every day.
And don’t worry if you’re not the next Picasso – you’ll still get the health benefits whatever your skill level.
Read before bed
STOP scrolling on your phone in bed and pick up a book instead if you want to extend your time.
A 2016 study in the journal of Social Science & Medicine found that keen readers over the age of 50 live an average of two more years than non-readers.
And if it’s a boring book, it will put you straight to sleep. Win win!
Stay on at school
WE all know smoking and boozing can knock a lot of years off your life.
But experts say that not going to school can be just as bad for your health.
One study, published in medical journal The Lancet, showed that for every year spent in school, an adult’s risk of death was reduced by two per cent.
Boost social status
LIVING longer is easy – just win a Nobel Prize!
Researchers at Warwick University found that scientists who scoop the top prize can expect to live nearly two years longer than experts who get nominated but do not win.
But if you don’t work in a lab, don’t worry – the study says it is the boost to social status that counts.
Keep friends close
FRIENDS are great for lots of things – and that includes helping you to live longer.
Research has found that men and women with a good social life but an unhealthy lifestyle lived longer than those with healthy lifestyles who lacked friends.
So get out there and boost your social interactions as much as you can.
Standing on one leg
MAINTAINING your balance is one of the things that gets harder as you age.
But by practising standing on one leg every day, you can quickly improve the co-ordination between your brain and the sensors in your joints.
Being able to maintain your balance on one leg is one of the biggest predictors of living longer.
So embrace that inner flamingo!