I’m Gona Live Forever!
That’s my new health goal for 2006! Now I might not make it to forever – but I’ve decided I won’t settle for anything less than 100 years of good health.
So in my usual book worm fashion – I’ve been doing a little research to help me on my way. And what I’ve come up with just might surprise you…
In the U.S. the number of centurions (people 100 years or older) has doubled every decade since 1980. Right now the total number stands in excess of 70,000 – and there are projected to be as many as 800,000 by the year 2050!
That’s a whole lot of folks that are going to get 30 extra years (over the national average) to have fun with! And just imagine what you could accomplish with 30 extra years at your disposal…
Interesting for sure, but equally important is of course quality of life. I don’t know about you but I’m not just trying to add years to my life -- but also health to my years.
And amazingly enough – at least according to a couple European studies I read today’s centurions are doing just that.
According to their findings one of the biggest rewards of a longer life span is that all and all those extra years tend to be good healthy ones. I guess frailer -- less than healthy individuals just die off sooner.
So what’s their secret – and how can you put it to work for you? The most common theme seems to be exercise…
The longest lived in these studies turned out to be walkers, bikers and golfers. As opposed to die hard talk show fans.
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In Okinawa where the average life expectancy is higher than anywhere else in the world (81.2 years) it’s not uncommon for folks over 100 years of age to do Karate and/or Tai-Chi.
Make complete sense when you think about it!
Another trick is they work their head muscles too – keeping all their tools sharp… reading… painting… doing crossword puzzles...some even played musical instruments. Basically they never stop living and learning.
Which you should never do anyway – so by the looks of it this new goal of mine is going to be easier and more fun to achieve than I thought!
So just to make sure were on the same page here’s a quick list of things we should all be doing to make sure we get to meet our great great grand children:
- Keep your weight in check – just being slightly obese opens the door to a host of life threatening illnesses like heart disease and stroke.
- Eat all the fruits and vegetables you can get your hands on – the Okinawans average about 7 servings a day.
- Continually challenge your mind – if you do it will only get stronger with age. This is the one area where we have a leg up on those whipper snappers.
- Stay positive – enjoy your family and friends to the fullest. And laugh loud and often! Remember the re-occurring theme to a long healthy life is to never stop living.
- Make sure you’re getting plenty of exercise – even if it’s just walking your dog or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you leave your tools in the drawer too long they’re going to rust. So get some exercise every day!
Even if you don’t live to be 100 – you could easily add another decade or so to your life. Quality years at that!
But like everything else you need to start now. Don’t wait…
Just think -- how much would you pay for10-20-even 30 more years of healthy life?
So get out there and start living life to the fullest. Even if we die tomorrow we’ll have no regrets!
Stay Healthy,
Doc Darville
Important Note
