Living  a Longer, Healthier Life

Here’s an interesting Ted Talk about the main indicators for a healthier, longer life. The Talk is given by psychologist Susan Pinker, and it’s based on her book The Village Effect. What may be surprising, especially to those who study this issue, is the order of importance of the activities that will help you live a longer and richer life.

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For instance, while exercise is, in effect, a longevity pill, there are other things that are even more important than exercise. We all know that quitting smoking and curtailing drinking (or “quit boozing”, as the author writes) is important, but how about this one- getting a regular flu vaccination (once we are all back in ‘normal’) is almost as important a marker for having a longer, healthier life.

The most interesting thing may be the top indicators of longevity: close relationships and social integration. According to Pinker, close personal relationships and face-to-face interactions matter: “Tight bonds of friendship and love heal us, help children learn, extend our lives and make us happy. Looser in-person bonds matter, too. Not just any social networks will do: we need the real, in-the-flesh encounters that tie human families, groups of friends and communities together”.

Here’s the list, in descending order of impact on longevity. Use it as an excuse to look up old friends, volunteer, or to pursue that life experience you’ve always wondered about:

  1. Social Integration

  2. Close Relationships

  3. Quit Smoking

  4. Quit Drinking

  5. Flu Vaccine

  6. Cardiac Rehab

  7. Exercise

  8. Lean vs Overweight

  9. Hypertension

  10. Clean air

-Longbottom New