Loneliness Was Linked To This Overlooked Sign Of Aging by mindbodygreen

 Won't occur for me, I'm incredibly social.

Loneliness Was Linked To This Overlooked Sign Of Aging

5 habits neurologists swear by for long-term brain health

 I'm good at these.

5 habits neurologists swear by for long-term brain health

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer

• Maintaining cognitive health is an important part of healthy aging and preserving your quality of life.
• Simple everyday habits may help support brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline as you age.
• Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and staying socially connected are all strategies experts recommend for keeping your brain healthy.

These days, many people are thinking not just about longevity, but also “healthspan,” or the number of years spent in good health. And an important part of healthy aging is maintaining brain function as you get older. While there’s no silver bullet for protecting long-term brain health, neurologists say there are everyday habits that can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Here are five of them. 

1. Get Enough Sleep

Retirement took care of that problem.

One of the most important habits for brain health is getting an adequate amount of sleep. That means aiming for a minimum of seven hours a night and addressing any issues, such as sleep apnea, that could interfere with quality rest, said Brian S. Appleby, MD, an associate professor of neurology, psychiatry, and pathology at Case Western Reserve University.

During sleep, the brain clears metabolic waste and toxins like beta-amyloid and tau. Consistently getting poor sleep can lead to a buildup of these substances in the brain, which may affect cognitive abilities, behavior, and judgment.

Changes may even occur in as little as two weeks, one 2024 study suggests. In that study, participants who slept at least seven hours a night for six weeks showed improvements in working memory and attention compared with when they slept for five and a half hours for the same period.

 Related video: If you can still do these 7 things after 60, your body is aging better than most (Dr. Borja Bandera)

2. Follow a Mediterranean-Style Diet

For a healthy brain as you age, Jennifer Dearborn-Tomazos, MD, a neurologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital—Milton, recommends following a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern. (The Mediterranean diet has NO specifics, so you don't even know if you are following it correctly!) This eating plan limits added sugars, highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fats, while emphasizing: 

• Fruits and vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Olive oil
• Beans
• Potatoes
• Whole grains
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Fish
• Poultry

Studies have linked the Mediterranean diet with slower cognitive decline and a lower risk of dementia. The diet is also associated with improved vascular risk factors that contribute to brain disease, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, according to Dearborn-Tomazos.

“One reason I like the Mediterranean diet is that it’s not a fad—it’s a way of eating that is sustainable long-term,” Dearborn-Tomazos said.

3. Exercise Regularly

Another strategy for long-term brain health is regular exercise, said Emerlee Timmerman, MD, a neurologist at UC Health in Cincinnati.

“We know exercise—particularly cardiovascular exercise—for at least 30 minutes a day is one of the most important things you can do to keep your brain healthy throughout your lifetime,” she said. 

Research suggests aerobic activity increases blood flow to the brain, reduces inflammation, and promotes neuroplasticity—your brain's ability to adapt, learn, and manage new challenges.

Meanwhile, resistance training, such as lifting weights, may help combat brain atrophy associated with Alzheimer’s disease and slow the progression of dementia in older adults.

Still, Timmerman emphasized that there’s no “one perfect exercise” for maintaining brain health. What matters most, she said, is choosing physical activities you enjoy and are more likely to stick with long-term, whether that’s walking, cycling, hiking, weight lifting, tennis, or Pilates.

4. Stay Social

I'm extremely good at this.

Enjoying time with family and friends does more than boost your mood in the moment. Social interaction may also benefit the brain by promoting neuroplasticity and improving cognitive reserve, which is the brain’s ability to maintain function despite age-related changes and neurodegeneration. 

On the flip side, chronic social isolation is associated with a 50% increased risk of dementia, according to a 2023 review. Research suggests that going too long without meaningful social connection may cause brain shrinkage, reduced cognitive reserve, and increased inflammation.

“Seeing patients and families navigate stroke, dementia, and other neurological illnesses has reinforced how important our relationships are,” Dearborn-Tomazos said, noting that the experience has made her more intentional about spending time with family and friends.

5. Play Brain Games

I do Jiglive, Best Fiends and Bolts Off.

Keeping your brain active as you age is key to keeping it healthy over time. One way to do that is by playing games, according to Appleby. 

Crossword puzzles, in particular, do a good job of activating language networks, long-term memory, and pattern recognition. In fact, a 2022 study found that crosswords outperformed some computerized brain-training games in improving memory and protecting cognitive function over time. 

Jigsaw puzzles may also offer benefits. A 2018 study found that they can help improve memory, reasoning, cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt to changes), and visuospatial processing (the ability to perceive and interact with one’s environment). That’s because they require the brain to engage in multiple complex processes at once, like scanning the puzzle board, recognizing patterns, and determining where each piece belongs.

Experts have said games are most likely to benefit brain health when they are challenging—but not overly frustrating—played consistently, and done for at least 30 minutes at a time.

Read the original article on Health

A longevity researcher doesn't take any supplements. Here are his 3 anti-aging habits instead

 Since my doctor and therapists COMPLETELY FUCKING FAILED at getting me running, I'll stick to walking.

A longevity researcher doesn't take any supplements. Here are his 3 anti-aging habits instead

Workers in their 80s and 90s share 5 tips for staying healthy and active

©Courtesy of Patricia Casey/Marilyn Gettinger/Eileen Hartigan

• Older Americans said that mental stimulation and purpose are keys to healthy aging.
• Most workers over 80 I spoke to value routines, social connections, and staying active.
• Researchers and workers agreed that optimism and engagement support longevity and well-being.

After studying stem cell aging for decades, Dr. Thomas Rando learned that some of the best longevity advice is timeless.

"I often make the joke that the billions of dollars that have been spent on studying healthy aging could come down to the two things your mother told you," Rando, the president of the American Federation for Aging Research and director of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center at UCLA, told Business Insider.

"Eat a good diet and get plenty of exercise."

Rando dedicated his career to studying how tissues repair themselves — and why they eventually lose the ability to do it well. What he learned is that many of the drugs tested in animals that are meant to extend lifespan work as effectively as a balanced diet and exercise do. One example was a 2022 study that found mice that were put on fasting diets were as resilient to stress as those injected with ketone bodies.

He said that many drugs and interventions are "just in a way supplementing the challenges that humans face in dieting and exercising."

that lifestyle habits such as eating whole foods and taking care of his body are the keys to longevity. "From my own studies, if you are eating well, sleeping well, and exercising, it's unlikely that supplements are going to make a difference," he said.

Rando shared the three longevity habits he's stuck to for years, from avid running to lots of socializing.

By his 30s, Rando realized his work schedule made it hard to exercise: organizing basketball or squash games just took too much time. So, he started running solo a few miles a day, a few times a week.

After a colleague convinced him to run a 5K, he fell in love with racing. He worked his way up to a 10K, half-marathon, and eventually, a marathon. He's been a marathon runner for the last few decades.

"Not that people should do marathons, but I really believe in the rejuvenating powers of exercise," Rando said. While he's still researching all the ways that working out benefits longevity, he said there's lots of evidence to support that regular exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

Rando, who's currently dealing with an Achilles tendon injury, said he's running a little less often and focusing a little more on strength training, which is also important for healthy aging as muscle mass declines over time.

Beyond the anti-aging benefits, he said he loves how running makes him feel. "I think clearly, I think I solve problems when I run," he said. "So that was an added icing on the cake."

He fasts one day a week

I usually do one meal a day, around 5pm. No point in the Mediterranean diet, there is nothing specific in it, so you don't even know if you are following it correctly. 

Rando generally follows the Mediterranean diet, considered the healthiest diet in the world. He eats lean protein, fruits, and vegetables while cutting back on red meat, carbohydrates, and processed foods.

"I love a steak dinner, and I'll splurge on that," Rando said. "But my typical dinners are either purely vegetarian or with some light meat or some fish."

For decades, he's practiced a form of intermittent fasting where he doesn't eat breakfast. He usually has a light lunch of edamame and hard-boiled eggs, and eats his biggest meal at dinner. Some studies find that intermittent fasting can help control blood sugar levels and burn fat, while others show mixed evidence that intermittent fasting has sustained benefits.

Over the past few years, Rando also fasts for 24 hours once a week, another form of time-restricted eating. Because dinner is his biggest meal, he usually starts fasting until dinner the next day, rather than starting the fast in the morning.

Still, he isn't super strict about fasting. "My lifestyle is just not conducive to fasting multiple days in a row, partly because of the exercise, partly because I'm going to dinners and lunches with people," he said. "But I do believe in fasting as a means toward healthy aging."

Because intermittent fasting is still being studied, including any potential long-term risks, Rando considers it "a leap of faith."

"I believe from the science that this will have a long-term benefit," he said. But it's not because he feels the same immediate effects as he does from exercising. "I just feel hungry."

Socializing at work

My social connections are extensive.

As president of AFAR, Rando naturally interacts with a lot of people. "Through my work, I lead a very social life," he said, including collaborating with other researchers, sitting on various committees, and attending events. He said he also makes it a point to socialize outside work.

While he said it's harder to quantify the impact of social ties on longevity, there's a lot of compelling anecdotal evidence in favor of it. Some of it comes from Rando's own research: Dr. Ira Eliasoph, a 96-year-old AFAR study participant, said strong relationships helped him live a long life.

"I believe in the evidence that social interactions are really important as people get older," Rando said.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider on MSN.

6 habits people who live to 100 have in common, according to longevity experts

 I'm fairly good at most of these.

6 habits people who live to 100 have in common, according to longevity experts

From daily walks to finding purpose, these expert-backed habits support a longer, healthier, more joyful life.

you’re going to get older. After all, aging is inevitable—and by practicing certain habits, you can make the experience a long and joyous one, possibly living to 100. But how do you do this, exactly? Read on to learn how to extend your overall lifespan and longevity, according to top experts in the field.

01 of 06

They Take Daily Walks

If walking is part of your daily routine, you’ll be glad to know those steps can increase your lifespan. “Daily walks can significantly boost longevity by benefiting the body and brain,” explains Sajad Zalzala, MD, longevity expert and medical director at AgelessRx. For starters, walking improves insulin resistance, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol—this is key because such factors are linked to chronic conditions that shorten lifespan, including type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Additionally, regular walking promotes neurogenesis, or the growth of new nerve cells. This “is essential for memory and cognitive function, [which lowers] the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia,” Dr. Zalzala says.

What’s more, physical movement in general protects telomeres (i.e., the protective caps at the end of our DNA strands) that are linked to aging and cell health. Over time, telomeres shorten with age and become inactive, a process that results in death. Regular exercise, like walking, can slow the shortening of these telomeres, ultimately slowing cellular aging and improving lifespan, Dr. Zalzala says.

Related video: Research reveals the habits scientifically proven to add a decade to your lifespan (Talking With Docs)

How to Do It

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to walk 10,000 steps every day to enjoy the benefits of movement. As Dr. Zalzala points out, research has found that 500 daily steps can reduce your heart disease risk by 7%, while every 1,000 extra steps are tied to a 15% decrease in all-cause mortality. 

Need proof? In Okinawa, Japan, walking is a part of daily life—and a major contributor to the longevity of locals, says longevity expert Christal Burnette, plant specialist at Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Science (ORCLS). (ICYDK, Okinawa is one of the world’s “Blue Zones,” a region where people have a longer life expectancy than average.) To reap the benefits of walking, aim for at least 30 minutes of comfortable, moderate walking, five to seven days a week, Burnette says.

02 of 06

They Prioritize Sleep

When you’ve got places to be and deadlines to meet, it can be easy to let sleep fall to the wayside. However, the habit can mess with your body’s ability to repair and rest, potentially reducing your lifespan. “Lack of sleep increases inflammation, weakens your immune system, and accelerates cellular aging,” explains longevity specialist Dr. Darshan Shah, MD, board-certified surgeon and the founder of Next Health. It also disrupts metabolic processes, which can lead to insulin resistance and metabolic disorders, says Diogo Barardo, PhD, director of research and development at NOVOS. These effects can increase the risk of chronic diseases—which again, can reduce your lifespan.

Getting enough sleep has the opposite effect. Not only does it give your body a chance to repair tissues and cells, but it also helps maintain telomere length, thereby slowing cellular aging, according to Zalzala. “Sleep also supports the removal of neurotoxic waste products, such as beta-amyloid, which are linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s,” he adds.

How to Do It

Start with good sleep hygiene and simple lifestyle changes, “such as avoiding caffeine too late in the day [and] going to bed and waking at a consistent time,” recommends Zalzala. Chamomile tea, melatonin, and L-theanine can also promote better sleep. If you think you have more serious sleep issues, chat with your doctor to rule out any underlying conditions.

03 of 06

They Get Involved With Their Community

Talk to a group of centenarians and you’ll notice a common theme: They’re part of a community. This is no coincidence, as “getting involved with your community can extend your lifespan by reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness, which are risk factors for early mortality,” explains Shah. “Social connections can [also] lower stress levels, boost mental health, and create a sense of belonging, all of which contribute to longer, healthier lives."

How to Do It

If you’re socially anxious or live in a more rural area, it can be difficult to get involved. Start by attending “local events or casual meetups that don’t require long-term commitments, making it easier to engage without pressure,” says Dr. Zalzala. While you’re at it, look for groups that align with your hobbies and interests. Virtual groups, like online book clubs, can also “offer a way to build connections and support networks from the comfort of home,” he adds.

04 of 06

They Have a Sense of Purpose

Another secret to longevity? Figuring out your purpose in life. “While community involvement supports social health, finding a sense of purpose goes deeper,” explains Barardo. This can include career goals, personal missions, or passions that go beyond socialization, he adds. Of course, community involvement can contribute to your sense of purpose (and vice versa), but it’s worth distinguishing between the two.

This sense of purpose is so important for a meaningful life that it has its own term in Japanese: ikigai. “Ikigai gives people, like the Okinawans, a reason to get up in the morning, whether it’s through work, hobbies, caregiving, or personal passions,” Burnette says. “This sense of purpose keeps the mind active, boosts resilience, and fosters a positive outlook, all of which [are] linked to longevity.”

How to Do It

If the idea of finding your purpose feels intimidating, know that it doesn’t need to be set in stone. Your sense of purpose will naturally shift and change over time, especially as you get older. Start by exploring your interests, identifying your values and strengths, and—as mentioned—getting involved with your community. Pay attention to what fills your cup and try your best to direct your energy to this area of life.

05 of 06

They Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods

When it comes to foods that extend your lifespan, you can’t go wrong with anti-inflammatory ingredients. Here’s why: “Chronic, low-grade inflammation is a key driver of many age-related diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers,” says Kristen Lorenz, RD, a registered dietitian and the founder of Kristen Lorenz Nutrition. It can also “damage brain cells, leading to cognitive decline and conditions like Alzheimer’s disease,” she adds.

Enter anti-inflammatory foods. “Anti-inflammatory foods are rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyphenols, which reduce inflammation by neutralizing free radicals,” Lorenz explains. This can protect against the aforementioned conditions, ultimately promoting a longer and healthier life. These foods also “promote DNA repair, helping slow down the aging process,” Dr. Zalzala adds.

How to Do It

In general, a balanced diet is naturally high in anti-inflammatory foods. More specifically, it’s high in whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables and low in processed meats and sugary foods, according to longevity studies. To boost your intake of anti-inflammatory foods, start by eating home-cooked meals whenever possible. Focus on whole, fresh foods and add fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Need some inspo? Check out our favorite anti-inflammatory recipes.

06 of 06

They Avoid or Limit Alcohol Consumption

Although alcohol can help promote social connections, an important factor for longevity, it can negatively affect your overall lifespan. Alcohol “increases inflammation and oxidative stress, which damages cells and tissues throughout the body,” says Lorenz. Over time, this can lead to chronic conditions like liver disease, heart issues, and cancer, increasing the risk of early death. Alcohol also damages nerve cells in the brain, increasing the risk of dementia and poor cognitive function, further contributing to a shorter lifespan.  

Beyond physical and mental health, booze can negatively affect your emotional wellness too. “Heavy alcohol use is linked with depression, anxiety, and disrupted sleep cycles,” Shah points out. This can make it harder to maintain emotional stability and mental clarity, which are both key for long-term well-being.

How to Do It

If you decide to drink alcohol, practice mindful drinking and cut back when possible. The recommended intake is no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “A drink is generally defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces of a distilled spirit,” Lorenz says. “Drinking within these limits minimizes the risk of alcohol-related diseases, though any consumption of alcohol still comes with risks."

Read the original article on Real Simple

What’s best for longevity: Working out or not drinking?

 My longevity is going to be fun and my social connections will get me there.

(Sunday is music at Red Cedar, Tuesday is music at Moriarties, Thursday is trivia at Moriarties; all are bars, so alcohol is involved, there will be no condemnations of that.) All part of my plan to exponentially expand my social connections to prevent dementia. 

What’s best for longevity: Working out or not drinking?

We know that drinking alcohol is probably not the best thing you can do to extend your lifespan. And research has shown that activities like strength training and improving your V02 max can help add years to your life. But if you had to focus your energy on just one of these—in other words, saying goodbye to the bar or getting underneath one a few times a week—which would do the most to extend your longevity?

That’s what a new study aimed to uncover—and the results may surprise you. In a good way! That is, if you’re not ready to give up drinking. No, alcohol is not suddenly healthy. And fitness is still the best investment you can make in your health. But the relationship between the two isn’t as simple as previously thought. And, depending on your current fitness level, hitting the gym might be a better new year’s resolution for improving your longevity than attempting to give up or cut down on your drinking.

What the study found

The Trøndelag Health Study, also known as the HUNT study, is one of the largest ongoing health studies ever conducted. Established to analyze the health and wellbeing of a large population—including the impact of various lifestyle factors like, including diet and exercise—over an extended period of time, the study began in 1984 in the Norwegian county of Trøndelag with a sample size of about 75,000 people.

Related video: Key to longevity? Experts say it’s these 2 factors (Las Vegas Review-Journal)Since then, researchers have reconvened every 10 years to record new data—gathered from a range of inputs, including biological samples, questionnaires, and interviews—and enlist new participants. Four decades in, the study has collected data from well over 100,000 subjects, serving as the basis for hundreds of independent research papers.

This latest study, published last month in the journal Sports Medicine, sought to investigate how changes to a person’s fitness level and alcohol consumption might increase or decrease their risk of dying from various causes. Using data from two rounds of the HUNT study, collected a decade apart, the researchers focused on a sample of about 25,000 healthy adults, which they segmented by fitness level and alcohol usage, allowing them to observe changes to both variables over the 10-year span.

While the analysis produced some expected results (namely, that subjects who increased their alcohol intake, or started drinking, raised their mortality risk, as did those who reported a decrease in fitness level), the most notable insights emerged when these behaviors were viewed together, rather than in isolation. For instance, subjects with a fitness level in the bottom 20 percent had a considerably higher risk of dying—regardless of the amount of alcohol they reported drinking. And among participants who increased or even just maintained their fitness, mortality risk was much lower, even when they increased the amount of alcohol they drank. In other words, fitness noticeably attenuated the risk of mortality associated with drinking alcohol.

Improving fitness is better for longevity than drinking less

The study shows, unequivocally, that, if improving longevity is your goal, then improving your fitness will give you more bang for your buck than reducing your alcohol consumption. “And it's not even close,” says Jordan Weiss, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Precision Medicine and Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

“The HUNT study shows us that being in the bottom 20 percent for fitness is more dangerous than moderate drinking, and a fit person who drinks moderately will likely outlive an unfit non-drinker,” he says. “If the average person can walk 30 minutes a day and cut drinking from five nights to two, then both are achievable. But if I had to pick one to move the mortality needle, I would always pick exercise.”

Of course, on paper, the best thing you could do for your health would be to stay fit and abstain from alcohol altogether. But that’s not realistic for most people—a fact that was not lost on the study’s authors.

“Personally, I think that, as humans, we will keep drinking. I don't see a future where everyone is abstaining from alcohol—I don't think that will ever happen,” says Javaid Nauman, PhD, associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, associate professor at the College of Medicine at United Arab Emirates University, and the study’s lead author. “So how can we counter some of the negative impacts of alcohol? Through improvements in fitness, or the maintenance of fitness.”

Fitness does not completely cancel out the risks of drinking alcohol

An important point to highlight is that, while improving fitness is a more powerful longevity strategy than reducing alcohol consumption, and may even blunt some of alcohol’s negative effects on your health, the walls of the weight room won’t shield you from all of the risks associated with drinking.

"Some people interpret attenuation as permission, but I would interpret it more along the lines of, your fitness gives you some resilience, but you're still better off minimizing alcohol consumption for optimal health,” says Dr. Weiss. "Fitness primarily protects against cardiovascular mortality, while alcohol has a cancer risk,” he says. “They operate through completely different mechanisms, in terms of DNA damage and hormone disruption, so fitness likely can't protect against that.”

"I would say, don't feel like you're offsetting drinking,” says Pablo Prichard, MD, board-certified reconstructive surgeon, longevity expert, and host of NBC’s Forever Young. “You should always consider those two as separate, because there are very, very different risks with alcohol and fitness. Your cardiorespiratory fitness affects a lot of different things, including your heart and your lungs. But when you're talking about your cancer risk mitigation, that's a totally separate area of longevity that you're affecting.”

That said, according to Dr. Nauman, while the two behaviors each come with their own unique risks, there is some common ground at the center of the Venn diagram. “In terms of the mechanisms through which fitness [and drinking less] improve overall health, there are many shared or overlapping mechanisms,” he says. Hence physical activity’s ability to attenuate some of the mortality risk associated with drinking. Just don’t expect the benefits of one behavior to completely eclipse the risks of the other.

Watch Now: GQ Video.

The higher your fitness, the lower your risk—up to a point

If you’d rather not give up drinking, the study’s message is clear: Improve your fitness to dull alcohol’s impact on your health—especially if you’re not already exercising regularly. “If you're in that bottom 20 percent of cardiorespiratory fitness, the best thing you can do—by far—is to get out of that,” says Dr. Prichard. “That's going to be better than not drinking.”

“And even better—although this data doesn't show it, because they didn't look at it—if your fitness level is in the top 20 percent, that's going to be even better for your longevity than being somewhere in the middle,” he says.

However, beyond that point, the protective benefits of hitting the gym start to top out. “Once you're moderately fit, you get diminishing returns as you start pushing towards elite performance,” says Dr. Weiss. “If you're already competing in Hyrox, cutting alcohol is going to be more beneficial than adding an extra six miles to your run every week.”

“I think the main takeaway is it totally depends on your starting point,” Dr. Weiss says. “If you're sedentary and drinking one to two drinks a day or per week, then fix the sedentary part first; being in the bottom 20 percent for fitness carries around a 65 percent higher mortality risk, which overwhelms moderate drinking. But if you're already fit and drinking heavily, then alcohol is probably your primary target.”

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10 everyday habits that are harming your longevity the most

 I'm pretty good at these.

10 everyday habits that are harming your longevity the most

Living a long, healthy life is a popular goal, but it’s not easy to achieve. It’s common for folks to develop conditions like dementia and chronic pain, in addition to mobility issues and cardiovascular problems, as they age.

While certain uncontrollable factors (like genetics) play a major role in many of these issues, everyday habits can also contribute to a less-than-ideal aging process. And some of the habits you probably follow every day or every week are actually getting in the way of healthy aging and a long life.

Health: 6 Seemingly ‘Harmless’ Habits That Are Prematurely Aging Your Brain

Here’s what they are, according to doctors:

1. Skipping preventive care.

According to Dr. Heather Whitson, director of the Duke Aging Center in North Carolina, neglecting to stay up to date on preventive care — including things like mammograms, colonoscopies and vaccines — is not good for your long-term health.

“It’s like not taking your car into the shop,” Whitson said. “It’s probably not going to last as long if you don’t keep up with the routine maintenance.”

You can chat with your primary care doctor about what preventive tests are right for you.

Health: 10 Everyday Habits That Are Harming Your Longevity The Most

2. Not cultivating social relationships.

I'm extremely good at this.

“We know that socialization helps with your brain and with your longevity,” said Dr. Lee Lindquist, chief of geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. The more time you spend interacting with other people, the more it can benefit your life span.

“I always joke... that you need to socialize with happy people, because we all have toxic people in our lives,” she said. Toxic people can bring anxiety and sadness, which won’t help you age well. Related video: The common medications that quietly become dangerous as you get older (Talking With Docs)

“The more socialization you can do with people that bring you joy or bring you happiness, those are things that will definitely help you age healthy and age well and improve your longevity,” Lindquist said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were all stuck indoors, many people’s cognition was damaged because of the isolation, she noted. “So, we do know that social isolation harms aging and harms the longevity process.”

Health: 7 Things Doctors Wish Older Adults Would Do Daily

“A couple of my favorite patients who are in their 90s and 100s, they actually wake up every day and they try to find somebody new to talk to,” she added. As you age, it’s normal for your social circle to dwindle, which means it’s critical to keep going out to meet new people if you want to age well, Lindquist noted.

3. Not adjusting your medications as you age.

“We see it so many times where people will be on medicines that they were started on in their 40s and 50s that they may not need in their 70s or 80s,” Lindquist said. “And some of these medicines are not ideal for older adults.”

Certain medications can make you more susceptible to falls and cause thinking problems, she added. Some anti-anxiety medications can contribute to memory loss, according to AARP, and some prescription sleep medications are known to increase your fall risk, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

“So, definitely talk to your doctor about whether or not you still need some of these medicines,” Lindquist said.

Health: 7 Unconventional Habits Longevity Experts Swear By

4. Not exercising.

This one probably isn’t surprising, but it can’t be said enough: Failing to exercise will harm your longevity.

“Exercise is amazing — being able to put exercise in a pill form would take a lot of health care providers out of business, because it really is good for mood, it’s good for weight control, it’s good for your bones, it’s good for your heart, it’s good for your brain,” Whitson said. “And it really is about the only thing that you can recommend that has all-around good benefit.”

“Exercising is super important, and not exercising or not getting enough daily activity is something that will definitely harm your longevity,” Lindquist said.

When asked how much she recommends people exercise, Lindquist simply said: “More.”

“When you get too comfortable, and doing the same activity three times a week, once a week, or even not at all, it just really hurts your body,” she said.

So, if you’re someone who goes on a daily walk, try adding in a Zumba class a few times a week. If you’re a die-hard Peloton fan, sign up for some personal training classes, too.

“Even if you ask your physician for a physical therapy order to get you started to get you moving around more, that’s very important,” Lindquist said.

If you’re looking for a benchmark to start, you should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, according to the American Heart Association. And, again, more minutes mean more health benefits. 

5. Smoking.

Smoking cigarettes is linked to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, stroke and more. But it’s highly addictive, making it hard to just quit.

According to the American Lung Association, it can be helpful to zero in on the reason you’re quitting smoking, so you can use it as motivation through the tough parts of the process. You can also get resources from your doctor to help you quit.

6. Eating an unhealthy diet.

According to Whitson, prioritizing a healthy diet is another way to better your chances of a healthy life span.

Whitson suggested that “a Mediterranean-style diet that is heavy on fish... and heavy on whole fruits and vegetables and grains, with only the very occasional treat of processed food, is probably the best thing for most people.”

It’s never too late to change your diet ― but you may have an easier time doing so when you’re younger.

“It’s very hard to change your diet when you’re in your 70s, 80s, 90s, so if you can start eating right earlier, it’s going to be easier for you and it’ll affect you better over the long run,” Lindquist explained.

7. Not getting enough sleep.

“There’s a lot of increasing evidence that depriving ourselves of sleep has long-term consequences,” Whitson said. These include a higher risk of dementia and heart disease, in addition to higher levels of daily stress and worse moods overall.

It’s normal to experience age-related changes that affect your sleep, so you shouldn’t be totally alarmed if your sleep patterns are different as you get older. But certain conditions, like obstructive sleep apnea, put you at risk for some of these negative outcomes when left untreated.

“If you’re... noticing really excessive daytime sleepiness, if their partner’s telling them that they’re snoring or having apneic episodes [where you stop breathing] that are waking them up at night,” it’s important to let a doctor know, Whitson noted.

Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you have trouble getting this much sleep, it’s a good idea to cut back on things like caffeine and alcohol, and to have the same sleep and wake times each day.

8. Letting stress go unmanaged.

No stress being retired.

“It’s really hard to not feel stressed about work and family and whatever other things make us stressed out, but just be mindful that we as humans have a very physical stress response to things that are not a physical threat to us,” Whitson said.

Many animals have a stress response that kicks in under conditions of urgency, like when they’re being chased by a predator or looking for water. Generally, once the need is met, the stress goes away.

“We as humans are able to stress about things that... just don’t pose any physical threat to us ― but then by turning on that stress response and having it kind of chronically activated, it does all kinds of things,” Whitson said. “It reduces our immune system’s ability to fight off real pathogens and things that are our real stressors.”

Stress also takes a toll on our metabolism, our sleep, our blood pressure and more. It’s important to do what you can to decrease your stress, whether that’s talking to a mental health professional (if possible) or cutting out things in life that cause you problems.

9. Not planning for your future health.

“We talk a lot about planning for end of life — you know, what are you going to do? Do you want CPR? Do you want advanced-care planning? Who’s my power of attorney? Where’s my will?” Lindquist said. “But many times people don’t think about, ‘What am I going to do in the 10 to 20 years before I die?’”

Lindquist refers to this time frame as the “fourth quarter of life, because that’s the time when you’re going to have more health problems.” She added that people in their 70s, 80s and 90s are more likely to require hospitalization and deal with worsening memory loss. 

Besides deciding who get the lake house, your golf clubs or your engagement ring, you should start thinking about your plan for the last 10 to 20 years of your life, Lindquist explained. Are you going to plan to move in with family? Will you have in-home care? Will you move to a senior community? Do you live near a hospital?

“These are conversations that people should be having, especially when they’re considering longevity and living longer,” she noted.

By having these conversations with loved ones, you can make sure your voice is heard as you age and that there are no unchecked expectations. To help adults plan for all of the aspects of their future, Lindquist and her team built Plan Your Lifespan, a free website funded by the National Institutes of Health.

10. Not planning for your financial future.

I started planning for this at 30, even losing half to the divorce still allows me financial freedom. 2-3 international trips a year are going to occur while still healthy.

“It’s great when people’s goal is to increase their active longevity and health span... [but] they should know that they have to plan for it financially,” said Whitson. “One of the saddest things that I see as a geriatrician is when increasingly, it happens frequently now, that people outlive their savings.”

Many of Whitson’s patients in their 90s tell her they never expected to live so long, and that they didn’t expect to have to support themselves for another 30 years after retirement. “That happens, and it’s real,” she said.

“I worry about some of the people that I see at midlife that are sort of expecting to retire at 65 and haven’t really accounted for the fact that if they live 30 healthy years after that, they better be able to know where their money is going to come from,” Whitson said.

“I think a lot of people have these imaginations of travel and living large in retirement because they will have made all the right health choices and be very healthy, which is great,” she said. “But thinking about the funds flow for that chapter of their lives is important in midlife, too.”

So, as you focus on your physical and mental health as you age, it’s important to remember that future financial health also plays a major role.7 Signs You're Aging Well, According To Geriatricians

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