Many people tend to reach a certain point where they realize they’d like to make an effort to live longer, but aren’t aware that some of their simplest lifestyle habits could prevent them from doing so.
Longevity is a big concern for people these days, and no matter what reason you want to live longer, some things are and aren’t in your control regarding how long you’re on earth. What is in your control are the habits you practice every day that either benefit or negatively impact your health.
Famous podcaster and motivational speaker, Mel Robbins, recently sat down with a cardiologist, renowned author, and ‘longevity doctor,’ Dr. Eric Topol, to speak about longevity on her podcast, The Mel Robbins Podcast. During the episode, Mel asked Dr. Topol to list the “top three things that most people are doing” that could be “aging you faster.” His answers were quite interesting. Read more about them below.
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Eating A 'Poor' Diet
During their conversation, Dr. Topol tells the motivational speaker that the problem with people passing away too soon is because of what they're "not doing." For instance, not eating a healthy diet, but eating a "poor one," is not good for longevity. Dr. Topol says to be wary of eating a "poor diet" that contains too many "ultra-processed foods."
Foods that are prepackaged and processed, like lunch meats, potato chips, salty crackers, hot dogs, packaged sweets, and more, are known to cause various health issues. They also put you at a higher risk of certain cancers, and therefore, can prohibit you from living longer.
While we're living in a world full of processed food, take more time out of your day to cook and craft meals full of wholesome, fiber-rich foods if you want to add more years to your life.
Not Getting Enough Exercise
Dr. Topol says that many people these days are getting "not nearly enough exercise," which is causing them to damage their health and put their longevity at risk.
"That's both aerobic as well as resistance-type exercise," he adds.
Although it can involve pushing your body to work harder, exercise can help you live longer, as it benefits all different aspects of your health, both physical and mental. It reduces your risk of chronic illnesses, promotes better sleep, helps your heart, keeps your weight down, and more.
All you have to aim for is at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, but you may notice better results and health by getting up to 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
Not Getting A Good Night's Sleep
Sleep is so much more important to our bodies than people may realize sometimes. You may notice that your whole day is thrown off when you don't get enough sleep. So, imagine what days on end of cruddy sleep could do to your overall health and life expectancy.
"Sleep is so much bigger than we had thought years ago," says Dr. Topol. "Having sleep health, particularly promoting deep sleep, is really important."
Life can get busy and stressful, but it's only going to get more stressful if you don't get at least six to eight hours of sleep each night. Your body will thank you for it, and you can increase your chances of sticking around longer!
