The good news for anyone born after the year
2000 is that studies in Denmark have shown that they will probably live to be 100. But that doesn’t mean that the rest of us
are doomed to an early grave. A clinical professor at Stanford University
says “What’s holding us back are bad habits.” So the secret to longevity is as much to do
with what we don’t do as what we do. Sure, there’s a strong element of luck and
genetics at play in the longevity game, but these are things we can’t control. So let’s concentrate on the things we can
control, In this episode of the Infographics Show, How to live to 100. The office for National Statistics show our
life expectancies just keep on increasing. In 1981 a 65-year-old woman in the UK might
be expected to reach 81.9 years of age. Longevity is something we all strive for. There are vitamin supplements, exercise regimes,
medical procedures, and mind therapy techniques that all claim to make us live longer. There a huge industry built around prolonging
life. But how do we actually reach that wise old
age of 100? In this episode we’ve decided to research
some of the proven methods of living a longer, fuller life, and we’ve noted some of the
comments made by those who have made it over the 100 mark themselves. Today we share their secrets and see how you
too could live to be 100. Exercise Daily. Now this is something that some of us find
difficult to ease ourselves into. The secret is to find a type of exercise that
you enjoy to the extent that it can be practiced as a hobby. Not everyone finds the gym a fun environment
but if you do, visit regularly. Swimming is good if you hit the pool once
a day or every other day. Or why not find a low-impact sport like badminton? Even power-walking through the city beats
driving a car or taking the train or bus everywhere. The more you exercise the more your body and
brain will reward you with those feel-good chemicals – dopamine and endorphins. So find the exercise that you enjoy and stick
with it. New York City man Alexander Imich lived to
be 111 years old and before his death he told NBC news that he stayed in good condition
with a life-time of healthy eating and spent many years swimming and performing gymnastics. 111 year old Duranord Veillard still performed
five to ten push-ups every morning until his death on June 1st 2018. Stress is a killer- literally. One good way to avoid stress is to find a
hobby that you enjoy doing, or even better, find a job that you enjoy doing so much it
feels like a hobby. Not every golf player will turn professional,
but if you find out what your true passion is while still young you may be able to turn
that into a career. Otherwise find a sport or activity that puts
you in a relaxed frame of mind. It could be reading or even watching films. Find something that puts you out of your normal
work routine and do it regularly. Also try to have a vacation at least once
a year and try to incorporate your hobby into that vacation. If you like walking why not book a trekking
trip in Nepal? Gertrude Weaver who lived to be 116 years
old credited being calm and kind as the secret to her longevity. “Treat people right and be nice to other
people the way you want them to be nice to you,” she told TIME magazine in 2014. So relax, be kind, and don’t sweat the small
stuff. Or as novelist Charles Bukowski said “Find
what you love and let it kill you.” Stay connected, but with the right people. Emma Morano who was the world’s oldest person
at 117 when she died in April 2017 explained that ending her abusive marriage in 1938 contributed
most to her longevity. “I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone,”
she said. Brigham Young University found that social
isolation increases risk of death by up to 30% while other studies place the risk as
high as 60%. Psychologically loneliness is linked to depression,
anxiety, substance abuse, schizophrenia and dementia. Not all lonely people are depressed or suicidal
but it is also realistic to observe that of those who are suffering from psychological
problems many list loneliness as part of the problem. Loneliness can have practical and circumstantial
effects that might lead to one’s demise. A lonely person may have a disease that would
ordinarily be recognized if he or she were amongst a group of caring people. Or maybe a sudden health event like a heart
attack or a stroke may go unchecked and nobody is there to rush the patient to hospital. So staying connected is key to a longer life,
but make sure you stay connected to kind and caring people. Eat well. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so
they say. Fruits and Vegetables should be an important
part of our daily diet. Emma Morano ate raw eggs every day and had
fondness for cookies until she checked out at age 117. It is claimed Japan has more than 50,000 people
over the age of 100 and this is often attributed to the country’s low fat fish-heavy diet. Avoid fried fatty food, and fast food should
be a once in a while treat rather than a daily diet. Get screened. A regular medical check-up could catch any
potentially life-threatening diseases in the early stages. However, that said, Adelina Domingues, who
died aged 114 claimed to have never taken any medications and never visited a hospital
in her life. Staying slim, not smoking, and being financially
secure by the age of 50 could be the secret to living longer according to a 50-year study
by researchers in Sweden. Just 10 of the study group of 855, all men
born in 1913, lived until their 100th birthday. All of these 10 were non-smokers who had kept
themselves slim and fit and had low cholesterol and low blood pressure. They drank no more than four cups of coffee
a day and owned their own house by the age of 50. Dr. Lars Wilhelmsen of the Sahlgrenska at
the University of Gothenburg who has been involved in the study for the entire 50 years
said, “Our recommendation for people who aspire to centernarianism is to refrain from
smoking, maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and confine themselves to four cups of coffee
a day.” It was also noted during the research that
those participants who lived to 100 years old had a mother who had also lived to an
advanced old age. Get enough Sleep. The average American gets one hour less sleep
than they need. Sleep is important for neuron development
and general cleansing of toxins. Studies have repeatedly shown that sleep deprivation
can lead to serious health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer,
diabetes, and a general increased risk of mortality. Director of the Sleep to Live Institute Robert
Oxman says, “The majority of research shows that a longer sleep time is associated with
better health.” Don’t overdose on sleep either as research
also shows that those who sleep more than 9 hours a night also have a higher risk of
dying. But this may be that excessive sleep is associated
with other conditions such as cancer and depression. Generally eight hours of sleep every night
is ideal. Drink a little alcohol. Agnes Fenton from New Jersey lived to be 111
years old and credits drinking three bottles of beer and a shot of whiskey a day for over
70 years for her grand old age. Although heavy drinking will probably lead
to an early grave study after study has shown that a small amount of alcohol each day does
increase your chances of making it to 100 years old. Research presented to the American Association
of Science suggested that moderate drinking of about two glasses of wine a day could contribute
to an 18% drop in the risk of an early death. These results came from a 90 plus study group
by the University of California who studied the lifestyle of people who had lived to at
least 90. But this is no reason to reach for the bottle
and the corkscrew. Many of those who reached 100 years never
drank a single drop of alcohol all their lives. To live to 100 years, everything, including
alcohol, should be taken in moderation. However, before you pick up the corkscrew,
an even bigger study published in the Lancet Medical Journal, says five standard glasses
of wine or five pints of beer a week is the upper safe limit and zero alcohol intake is
the healthiest option. But all scientists agree that heavy drinking
is not good for you! So how long do you hope to live for? And is there a secret remedy for longevity? Let us know in the comments! Also, be sure to watch our other video called
What if There Was No Money and Everything Was Free in The World? Thanks for watching, and as always, don't
forget to like, share and subscribe, see you next time!
