According to recent research, these five unusual methods could help you live to an old age.
We all know the traditional wisdom about how to maximize our chances of a long and healthy life: eat nutritious meals, avoid smoking and excessive drinking, and exercise daily. Yet researchers have discovered some other trends in people who survive to a ripe, old age—and some of them may not be what you’d expect. For instance, did you know playing golf could help you live longer? Read on to learn why that is, along with more unique tips for reaching your 100th birthday and beyond.
Play golf. Does your wife get annoyed when you spend half your Sunday out on the golf course? She shouldn’t—it means you’ll have more years together in the long run. According to a study of 600,000 Swedish people from the Karolinska Institute, people who golf live an average of five years longer than non-golfers of the same age, sex, and economic status. And the better a player you are, the longer you’re likely to live.
“A round of golf means being outside for four or five hours, walking at a fast pace for six to seven kilometres, something which is known to be good for the health,” said the study’s leader, Professor Anders Ahlbom. “People play golf into old age, and there are also positive social and psychological aspects to the game that can be of help.”
Sounds like a great excuse to head out to the club—and maybe invite your wife along, for a change.
Argue with your partner. If you’re in a relationship, it’s bound to have its ups-and-downs. So rather than trying to avoid tension by brushing problems under the rug, let them out and deal with the conflict—it may seem tough at the time, but resolving problems as they come up could help couples live longer. That’s what researchers at the University of Michigan found in a 17-year study of 192 married couples that analyzed their anger-expression skills and their longevity. In the cases where both partners suppressed their anger, 25 percent died during the time of the study, compared to 12 percent in the groups where one or both partners were able to express their anger. The results were the same even after being adjusted for age and health conditions, and the researchers are currently working on collecting 30-year follow up data—in which they say the disparity in death rate between suppressors and arguers is nearly doubled. So if it pisses you off when your partner forgets to call when he’s working late, be sure to talk it out with him. It could add years to both your lives.
Smile wide. Sure, it can be annoying when people tell you to smile. But maybe you should grin and bear it: a new study reports that the wider your smile, the longer you’ll live. In the project, researchers from Wayne State University in Michigan analyzed photographs of 230 baseball players who began playing before 1950, ranking them by their smiles. Many players had no expression; some wore “partial smiles” in which the lines around their eyes didn’t move; and just 23 showed real grins. The results correlate closely to the players’ average lifespans: those who didn’t smile at averaged 72.9 years, the half-smilers averaged 75, and the true-smilers lived to 79.9. The study can’t account for whether the smiling itself accounts for the disparity, or if it’s simply that the smilers are happier people—but given that smiling has been proven to make people happier, it seems like a good idea either way.
Stay in school. You already know that higher education can help you get a better job and earn more money, but a recent study from Harvard University claims that spending some time at college can also help you live longer. Movies like Animal House and Road Trip to the contrary, most people who attend college learn healthier habits than those who have a high school degree or less. Generally, say the researchers, college-educated people are less likely to smoke cigarettes or eat unhealthy foods, both of which can lead to life-shortening diseases. And you don’t need a doctorate to get the health benefits of college: the study found that just one year of college education extended lifespans by nearly a year and a half. So when you think of all the weeks you spent cramming for final exams, take heart: you’ll get some extra years to make up for all that lost time.
Hang out with younger people. True, this study is based on fruit flies—but the researchers believe the results are equally applicable to humans. So even if a potential new friend isn’t old enough to remember your favorite bands, it’s no reason not to get together. Learn more in our previous coverage.