9 Small Changes That Can Add Years to Your Life, According to Longevity Experts

 Pretty much useless; vague generalities. Any person in business would be immediately fired for such meaningless crapola,

9 Small Changes That Can Add Years to Your Life, According to Longevity Experts

Want to live to 100? Start with these easy lifestyle swaps.

Lisa Milbrand

Sun, February 8, 2026 at 11:02 AM EST

5 min read

Deep down, we all know what we need to do to live longer and healthier: sleep more, stress less, eat healthier, and get moving. But maybe we're not ready to make big, drastic changes to our lives—like swapping to a completely plant-based diet or trading your Friday night binge-watching marathon for training for an actual marathon.Fortunately, even taking baby steps toward longevity goals can make a big difference—especially if you commit to making a new, small change every week or month to slowly take you toward a bigger, healthier future. Try these expert-recommended habits to set you on a healthier path, one small step at a time. Meet Our ExpertLanie Deppe, MS, NSCA CSCS & RSCC*D, MSCC, USAW, fitness coach at Future

• Angel Planells, MS, RDN, a Seattle-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

01 of 09

Sub Out Some Sugar

Sugar can be hard to quit cold turkey, but making smaller swaps over time can help you reduce the amount of sugar you consume—and the amount of inflammation it causes. Angel Planells, a Seattle-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests a few kinder, gentler ways to start reducing your sugar intake:

• Swap one item, like replacing sugary sodas with flavored sparkling water or unsweetened tea.

• Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes, or swap in fruit, cinnamon, or vanilla extract to add flavor without refined sugar.

• Choose healthier treats, like dark chocolate or fruit with nuts, when that sugar craving hits.

02 of 09

Add 15 Minutes of Sleep

Most people aren't getting enough sleep at night—but you can take baby steps to get you closer to that ideal range. "Sleep is the foundation of everything and helps reduce chronic inflammation," says Lanie Deppe, fitness coach on personal training app Future. "It could be adding 15 minutes to your sleep every week to get the required 7 to 9 hours a night."

03 of 09

Introduce a New Healthy Food to Your Mix

Rather than focusing on deprivation and saying no to foods you love, make a small, positive change by adding something new, Planells suggests. He recommends a few of the following categories for some new adventurous eating:

• Foods with Omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, sardines, chia seeds, and walnuts, which can benefit your brain and heart health.

• Fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut, which can support your gut biome health.

• High-fiber foods, which support gut health, regulate blood sugar, and reduce inflammation, including berries, leafy greens, and whole grains.

• Plant-based proteins to reduce reliance on red and processed meats, plus it adds variety and texture to your palate—including beans, lentils, tofu, and nuts.

• Beneficial spices, such as turmeric, garlic, ginger, and cinnamon, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, plus the flavors can allow you to stay away from the salt shaker.

04 of 09

Go for a Walk

"Zone 2 cardio—moderate-intensity, steady-state activity like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming—improves heart health and mitochondrial function," Deppe says. "Natural sunlight exposure plus moving your joints equals a healthy mind and healthy body."

Deppe recommends trying to squeeze in 150 to 300 minutes of cardio per week. To help work a little extra walking into your busy life, try parking farther away from your office or a store when you're shopping, use walking time to listen to an audiobook or podcast, or catch up with your partner or a friend while you're walking.

05 of 09

Drink More Water

Getting plenty of water can do more than just help you avoid a headache from dehydration. "Staying hydrated helps to aid with our digestion, metabolism, and overall cellular function," Planells says. Aim to add a glass or two of additional water to your daily routine. One easy way? Drink a glass of water first thing after you wake up.

06 of 09

Take Five Minutes to Meditate

Even the busiest person would be hard-pressed to say that they don't have five minutes to take for some deep breathing and mindful time. "Stress is another factor that causes inflammation, and adding five minutes of a meditation practice right before bed can also help with your sleep quality," Deppe says.

07 of 09

Try Some Squats and Pushups

(Since my doctor COMPLETELY FAILED to address my spasticity, pushups will never occur, can't get the left hand flat due to finger spasticity!)

Strength training is important for healthy aging. "Strength training at least two to three times per week helps maintain muscle mass, bone density, and metabolic health," Deppe says.

But to make the most out of your muscle movement, swap the bicep curls for big-impact exercises. "Prioritize compound movements like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows to engage multiple muscle groups."

08 of 09

Cook More at Home

(I get meals delivered via HomeChef, making meals on my own one handed does not work.)

Takeout or dining out may be delicious—and a whole lot easier—but restaurant food is often loaded with more butter, salt, and other not-so-good-for-you ingredients that make them calorie dense and may mess with your cholesterol and blood pressure. "Cooking more at home reduces processed food intake and increases control over ingredients," Planells says.

09 of 09

Find an Active Hobby

Resist the urge to loaf after a hard day, and find something fun that gets you moving, whether it's a quick game of pickleball, puttering in the garden, or just spending a few minutes tangoing with your partner in the evening. "Find something you enjoy and that fits into your life," Deppe says. "There’s not just one way to be active and gain fitness."

It's even better if it's something you can do with friends. "Social connections and community involvement also improve long-term health, so find active hobbies that you enjoy with others."

Read the original article on Real Simple

“Revitalizing recovery: the impact of acute exercise on stroke survivors through a physical therapy lens”

WOW! Massive generalities that are totally useless in getting survivors guaranteed recovery!

“Revitalizing recovery: the impact of acute exercise on stroke survivors through a physical therapy lens”

Expert Panel: Target These 14 Factors to Cut Dementia Incidence by Nearly Half

Oh god, more useless generalities!  Hopefully your doctor doesn't give this crapola, if your doctor even knows about dementia risk from your stroke!

Your chances of getting dementia. YOUR DOCTOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PREVENTING THIS!

1. A documented 33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study?   May 2012.

2. Then this study came out and seems to have a range from 17-66%. December 2013.`    

3. A 20% chance in this research.   July 2013.

4. Dementia Risk Doubled in Patients Following Stroke September 2018

The latest here:

Expert Panel: Target These 14 Factors to Cut Dementia Incidence by Nearly Half

Update from Lancet Commission adds vision loss, high LDL to previous list

by John Gever, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today, July 31, 2024

PHILADELPHIA -- The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care has raised the number of modifiable risk factors definitively linked to cognitive loss to 14, based on research conducted since its last update in 2020.

Vision loss and high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are now added to the commission's list, which stood at 12 in the previous version. The new 57-page update, from Gill Livingston, MD, of University College London in England, and colleagues, was published Wednesday in The Lancet and presented simultaneously at the Alzheimer Association International Conference here.

The 14 factors include:

• Education
• Hearing loss
• Depression
• Head trauma from sports and bike riding
• Physical activity
• Smoking
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Alcohol drinking
• Social isolation
• Air pollution
• Vision loss
• High LDL

If all of these were fully addressed -- providing higher education to everyone, ending obesity, making helmet use mandatory for youth, eliminating air pollution, etc. -- worldwide risk for dementia would fall by 45%, the commission found in its review of nearly 600 scientific publications.

About 7% of dementia risk can be attributed to high LDL, according to the report, making it one of the most powerful risk factors. Also accounting for 7% is unaddressed hearing loss; social isolation and low education are tied for third on the list, at 5% of the population-attributable risk each. Other factors account for 3% or less (the authors put the effect of untreated vision loss at 2%).

The commission also examined a number of other factors with research linking them to dementia risk, including diet, reduced sleep, and neuropsychiatric conditions such as bipolar and psychotic disorders. Ultimately the authors found that the research was insufficient to establish population-attributable risks for them. Nor is there solid evidence that interventions targeting these factors do indeed reduce dementia risk.

As well, the review took on the difficult question of direct interventions -- including diagnostic screens and scans, symptomatic treatments such as anticholinesterase inhibitors, and anti-amyloid biologic drugs -- though mainly in narrative rather than quantitative terms. The commission looked favorably on current symptomatic treatments, citing "short-term, modest positive effects and that stopping this treatment is associated with worse outcomes in the long term."

But the authors were not especially enthusiastic for anti-amyloid drugs such as donanemab (Kisunla) and lecanemab (Leqembi). "Currently, the effects of all [anti-amyloid] drugs are small. The resources required to support early biomarker-based diagnosis, supervision of administration and safety, and buying the drugs will mean that roll-outs into many health systems will be slow or non-existent in some," they wrote. (Motivated at least partly by these considerations, as well as the potential for adverse effects, the European Medicines Agency recently rejected lecanemab for European approval.)

Several of the same authors, including Livingston, helped author a separate report, published at the same time in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, on a cost-benefit analysis of policies addressing six risk factors as applied to England. These included drinking, dietary salt and sugar, pollution from automobiles, smoking, and youth head trauma. The analysis then examined interventions already tested in various settings: i.e., raising alcohol and cigarette prices, reducing salt and sugar in commercial foods, banning cars from certain areas, and mandating use of bike helmets. The authors then estimated the monetary costs and associated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained if implemented in the English population.

So, for example, raising the price of alcohol by an amount that, in Scotland, cut weekly consumption by 1-2 units on average would lead to some 15,000 fewer Britons age 45 subsequently developing dementia linked to drinking. Overall costs over time would decline by £280 million ($360 million), and 4,767 QALYs would be gained.

The most dramatic effect was seen with reduction in salt intake. The authors modeled a policy that would cut mean daily intake by 1.68 g per person, with an accompanying decrease of 1.59 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure. Given the relationship previously found between hypertension and dementia risk, Livingston's group estimated that more than 43,000 people age 45 would not suffer dementia later on, and the associated cost saving would reach £2.37 billion ($3.04 billion); QALYs gained would top 39,000.

Acknowledging the real-world political landscape, "[i]t is possible that policy makers are hesitant to put these interventions into place given the long lead time before the benefits of cognitive decline could be expected," the investigators wrote.

"However, given the effect of these interventions on vascular or brain health in general, benefits in terms of other non-communicable diseases would be expected sooner. Our analysis further strengthens the argument for implementation of effective population-level policies as soon as practicably possible."

Similarly, Livingston and colleagues on the commission argued that "policy makers should prioritize resources to enable risk reduction to prevent or delay dementia and interventions to improve symptoms and life for people with dementia and their families."

• 

  John Gever was Managing Editor from 2014 to 2021; he is now a regular contributor.

Disclosures

The commission's work was supported by the Alzheimer's Society, the Economic and Social Research Council, and Alzheimer's Research U.K. Authors reported a wide variety of government and foundation grants, as well as extensive relationships with industry.

The England modeling study was funded by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research. Livingston reported receiving U.K. and Norwegian government and noncommercial organization grants. Other authors declared they had no relevant financial interests.

Primary Source

The Lancet

Source Reference: Livingston G, et al "Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission" Lancet 2024; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01296-0.

Secondary Source

The Lancet Healthy Longevity

Source Reference: Mukadam N, et al "Benefits of population-level interventions for dementia risk factors: an economic modelling study for England" Lancet Healthy Longev 2024; DOI: 10.1016/S2666-7568(24)00117-X.

What therapies are most beneficial for stroke rehabilitation?

Pretty much totally useless, just guidelines and generalities. Until we get a

great stroke association out there we have to deal with this lazy crapola. 

What therapies are most beneficial for stroke rehabilitation?

Stroke and Neurodegenerative Disorders: 3. Poststroke Rehabilitation

 A self directed learning module so if you want to go over the generalities once more have at it.  I most certainly will not read this.  We need EXACT STROKE REHAB PROTOCOLS, not this useless guideline crapola.

Stroke and Neurodegenerative Disorders: 3. Poststroke Rehabilitation

 

Understanding gait control in post-stroke: Implications for management

Survivors don't give a shit about 'management'. They want EXACT STROKE PROTOCOLS that deliver 100% recovery. WHEN THE HELL will you get there? Useless generalities. 

Understanding gait control in post-stroke: Implications for management

 Rajesh  Verma, DM (Neurology), DNB (Neurology), Professor, Kamal Narayan Arya, MOT, PhD (Scholar), Sr. Occupational Therapist*,Pawan Sharma, MD (Medicine), Sr. Resident, DM (Neurology)-III,R.K. Garg, DM (Neurology), Professor & HOD
Department of Neurology, CSM Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow 226003, UP, India
Received 7 September 2010; received in revised form 2 December 2010; accepted 3 December 2010
KEYWORDS
Gait; Locomotion; Stroke; Hemiparesis; Rehabilitation
Summary
 The role of the brain in post-stroke gait is not understood properly, although the ability to walk becomes impaired in more than 80% of post-stroke patients. Most, however, re-gain some ability to walk with either limited mobility or inefficient, asymmetrical or unsafe gait. Conventional intervention focuses on support of weak muscles or body part by use of foot orthosis and walking aids. This review provides an overview of available evidence of neuro-kinesiology & neurophysiology of normal and post-stroke gait. The role of the spinal cord has been explored, more in animals than humans. Mammalian locomotion is based on a rhythmic, “
 pacemaker
” activity of the spinal stepping generators. Bipedal human locomotion is different from quadripedal animal locomotion. However, knowledge derived from the spinal cord investigation of animals, is being applied for management of human gait dysfunction. The potential role of the brain is now recognized in the independent activation of muscles during walking. The brain modifies the gait pattern during the complex demands of daily activities. Though the exact role of the motor cortex in control of gait is unclear, available evidence may be applied to gait rehabilitation of post-stroke patients.
ª
 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Introduction
Stroke is the second leading cause of death and one of theleading causes of adult disability in the world today(Gresham et al., 1997). Ability to walk gets impaired inmore than 80% of post-stroke patients (Duncan et al., 2005;
* Corresponding author. Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped, University of Delhi, Ministry of SocialJustice & Empowerment, Govt. of India, New Delhi 110002, India.
E-mail address:
 kamalnarya@yahoo.com (K.N. Arya).
available at www.sciencedirect.comjournal homepage: www.elsevier.com/jbmt
Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2012)
 16
, 14
e
211360-8592/$ - see front matter
 ª
 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2010.12.005

Stroke Care 2 Stroke rehabilitation

I have seen nothing that supports that multidisciplinary units are doing anything other than taking credit for spontaneous recovery and

the Hawthorne effect.

Other than that this is all generalities, so useless. 

Stroke Care 2 Stroke rehabilitation

Series
www.thelancet.com

Vol 377 May 14, 2011
1693
Lancet
 2011; 377: 1693–702
See
Editorial
page 1625See
World Report
 page 1639This is the second in a
Series
 of two papers about stroke care
Academic Section of Geriatric Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK
 (Prof P Langhorne PhD)
; Stroke Division, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
(Prof J Bernhardt PhD)
; La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
 (J Bernhardt)
; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Research Institute MOVE, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands
(G Kwakkel PhD)
; and Rudolf Magnus Institute, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
(G Kwakkel)Correspondence to:Prof Peter Langhorne, Academic Section of Geriatric Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Level 4, Walton Building, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK
peter.langhorne@glasgow.ac.uk
Stroke Care 2Stroke rehabilitation
Peter Langhorne, Julie Bernhardt, Gert Kwakkel
Stroke is a common, serious, and disabling global health-care problem, and rehabilitation is a major part of patient care. There is evidence to support rehabilitation in well coordinated multidisciplinary stroke units or through provision of early supported provision of discharge teams. Potentially beneficial treatment options for motor recovery of the arm include constraint-induced movement therapy and robotics. Promising interventions that could be beneficial to improve aspects of gait include fitness training, high-intensity therapy, and repetitive-task training. Repetitive-task training might also improve transfer functions. Occupational therapy can improve activities of daily living; however, information about the clinical effect of various strategies of cognitive rehabilitation and strategies for aphasia and dysarthria is scarce. Several large trials of rehabilitation practice and of novel therapies (eg, stem-cell therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, virtual reality, robotic therapies, and drug augmentation) are underway to inform future practice.