Top six longevity habits

Daily habits may be more important than genes for longevity. The latest article on the Popular Health Network lists the “top six longevity habits” summarized by many American experts.

1. More contact with animals

Pets provide friendship and warmth to the elderly, allowing them to have someone to talk to and thus relieve stress. People who have more contact with pets can have stable blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Dr. Alan Baker, director of the Center for the Study of Human-Animal Relationships at Purdue University, said that in addition to cats and dogs, setting up an aquarium at home or raising a small parrot can also help. If you don't want to keep a pet at home, you can go to the zoo or aquarium to interact with small animals, volunteer at an animal shelter, or walk your neighbor's dog regularly, which can also have the same effect.

2. Listen to music every day

Dr. Peter Janata, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Davis, said that listening to music can help relieve anxiety, aid sleep, enhance memory, promote wound healing, and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol related to stress, thereby enhancing immunity. For the elderly, listening to music every day can lower blood pressure, relieve arthritis pain, accelerate recovery after stroke, and even inhibit the progression of cognitive impairment. Professor Kumar of the University of Miami School of Medicine said that music can evoke positive emotions and attitudes, especially in the early morning. Choosing fast-paced, cheerful music can help you maintain a good mood throughout the day.

3. Laugh out loud often

Dr. Michael Miller, a cardiologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said laughter can prompt changes in the human body and improve the function of the immune and endocrine systems. Therefore, Dr. Miller's prescription for longevity is to find something that makes you happy, laugh out loud, and pass on that happiness to others.

4. Get back to nature on the weekend

Dr. Stephen Kellert, a social ecologist at Yale University, said that spending more time outdoors and returning to nature can help improve mood and self-confidence. A study by the University of Essex in the UK found that people who have regular contact with nature are less angry, depressed and nervous. Low-intensity aerobic exercise, such as outdoor walking and cycling, can reduce the risk of heart disease. Brisk walking, fishing, boating and growing flowers and vegetables are all good ways to exercise outdoors. Don’t worry if there are no mountains or oceans near your home; spending your weekends in local parks, botanical gardens and other “green areas” can have the same effect.

5. Spend 2 hours a week helping others

Studies have found that compared with those who never help others, those who often help friends, relatives or neighbors feel significantly happier and healthier. Dr. Stephen Post, a professor of preventive medicine in the United States, said that people over 70 years old who participate in volunteer activities for 100 hours a year (only 2 hours a week) can obtain a variety of health benefits, including relieving depression, reducing weight, reducing insomnia and enhancing immunity.

6. Try Tai Chi

Dr. Wang Chenchen, a rheumatologist at Tufts University Medical Center in the United States, found in his latest research that Tai Chi's movements are gentle and have low impact, making it a suitable exercise for almost everyone, especially the elderly. Regular practice of Tai Chi can relieve anxiety and depression, improve sleep quality, reduce high blood pressure, and relieve chronic pain such as fibromyalgia.