Patriot Health Digest
When I picture myself as an elderly person, I imagine a sassy great-great-grandma still full of life. To be able to experience what it is like to see an age in the triple-digits, one thing is for sure: I will definitely have to start using longevity promoting habits.
Thankfully, some of the oldest people in the world shared some wisdom with us. They shared what it takes to live a happy, long life, including their longevity promoting habits, what foods they eat for better sleep, how they celebrate the holidays, and their go-to exercises. Below are three habits that the oldest-living people in the world live by.
1. They maintain strong relationships
Although essential, living a healthy, happy, long life goes beyond just eating well and exercising regularly. Building strong relationships with people is a longevity habit practiced in the Blue Zone regions, which are the locations around the world where the healthiest and longest-living populations live.
Researchers discovered that the longest-living people go by a few important relationship principles, which include having a social life, creating strong bonds, maintaining a sex life, focusing meal time on connecting with others, and staying physically close to loved ones.
2. They commit to a morning routine
After I learned that people who live to see triple-digit ages practice morning habits daily I was motivated to actually stick to my routine. Based on information from journalist Dan Buettner, there are four important morning habits they follow: find your reason to want to jump out of the bed every morning, enjoying a morning coffee, eating breakfast, and saying a nice thing to the first person you see.
3. And a nighttime routine
As you would expect, the longest-living people also have a firm nighttime routine that promotes a long life. Buettner’s research found that they practice some important habits before bed which include keeping a strict sleep schedule and getting 8–10 hours of good quality sleep nightly. This leads to a stronger immune system, better brain function, and more energy.
Blue Zone residents also prioritize managing stress. This might be taking a power nap and relaxing or enjoying happy hour, pre-sleep rituals like drinking a cup of tea or reading a book. These people are also mindful of what they eat and typically don’t eat midnight snacks, and they love to drink a glass of wine after 5 p.m.
Author: Scott Dowdy
