Want to reach 100? Science shows the way

This text was written by a TecMundo columnist; learn more at the end.

After a recently published study showed that a person can offset 62% of their negative genetic factors for longevity through a healthy lifestyle, new research has assessed the possibility that this controllable factor is involved in making people centenarians. Understand What are the most important lifestyle factors for reaching 100?.

Explore the research

To assess the relationship between lifestyle and longevity, researchers followed more than 5,200 people over the age of 80 in China since 1998. More than 1,400 people reached the age of 100, while 3,800 died before that.

Each participant was given a score based on their lifestyle; there were five components that were part of the score: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical exercise, dietary diversity and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Those with higher scores lived healthier lives. This behavior led to a 61% greater likelihood of becoming a centenarian compared to those who did not have a positive lifestyle.

The most important lifestyle factors

Of the five components, never smoking, eating a diverse diet and exercising were associated with reaching triple-digit age.

Never smoke

It is accepted that smoking, consuming alcohol or other drugs is not solely dependent on our will. It is easier to prevent use than to treat a possible addiction later. It is noteworthy that the risk is useless, since the evils of such behavior are known. Some have compared the risks of sitting (sedentary behavior) to the risks of smoking and said that “sitting is the new smoking.” However, smoking poses more health risks than a chair.

Various foods

Peter Attia, physician and bestselling author Live longerintroduces a strategy for health that he calls nutritional biochemistry, with areas such as exercise, sleep, emotional health, and nutrition. He outlines some basic rules for nutrition: Don’t eat too many or too few calories, consume enough protein and essential fats, get essential vitamins and minerals, and avoid pathogens and toxins.

American doctor Mark Hyman states in his book “Young Forever” that it is impossible to achieve the desired health and longevity with an unbalanced intestinal flora.

Exercise 3

Attia recommends: If you’re going to develop a new habit, it has to be in the exercise area. This could be the beginning of a behavioral change that will affect other habits and make them healthier.

A combination of aerobic and strength activities seems to be the most recommended activity for living longer: General recommendations for adults are 2.5 hours and two sessions per week, respectively.

It is interesting to try to achieve this, or come close to it, but in the beginning any movement is better than no movement at all.

As we age, I think it becomes increasingly important to do strength training to increase and maintain muscle mass. The loss of this – a process called sarcopenia – is a aging accelerator. So try weight training, functional training, Pilates, gymnastics, yoga, crossfit, or something else.

Although the study did not look at the lifestyle of people under the age of 80, researchers understand that individuals with healthy lifestyles benefit from healthy behaviors even in older ages. I also emphasize the importance of healthy social relationships, which are linked to our happiness.

Life expectancy in Brazil is 75.5 years (in 2022), higher for women (79 years) than for men (72 years). One of the factors that clearly determines how long and how we will live is the lifestyle we lead throughout our life.

The good news is that it’s never too late to enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle. It will pay dividends in terms of quality, So the length of our lives – 100 years or more – may be a result of the good life we ​​lead..

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Fabio Dominski He holds a PhD in Human Movement Sciences and a degree in Physical Education from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC). He is a university professor and researcher at the Laboratory of Sport and Exercise Psychology (LAPE/UDESC). He does scientific dissemination on social media there podcast available on SpotifyAuthor of Physical Exercise and Science – Facts and Myths.