You probably know people who retired in apparent good health and died shortly afterward. You know those who did everything right in terms of diet and exercise, yet died young. You hear stories of 100 year old people who have smoked, eaten red meat, and been sedentary all their lives. What is the best way to increase your odds of living longer after retirement? Can you really lengthen your life?
Studies indicate that you can live longer by getting medical help when needed, eating and living healthy, and adopting certain mindsets, but no matter what you do, you can't predict the time of your death or prevent it from happening. Yet, people ask, "How can I be sure I won't die right after retirement?" The simple answer to the question people often ask themselves when planning when to retire, when to start taking retirement benefits, or whether to put off a trip is "You can't be sure." The old adage "When it's your time, it's your time" is true regardless of your religious beliefs on life and death and regardless of your attempts to postpone death. You can be as fit as an Olympic athlete and get hit by a bus when you're crossing the street.
Fatalism aside, you may be able to live longer if you keep certain things in mind.
Life expectancy figures. According to actuarial tables used by insurance companies, your life expectancy at age 65 averages 17.9 more years, 16.3 for men and 19.2 for women. The numbers vary for groups such as smokers and non-smoker and obese and non obese, which gives credibly to the next point - that you may live longer if you pay attention to lifestyle. However, statistics only predict the future by what happened in the past to a group and come with no guarantees about your lifespan. How long you live is also affected by your genes.
Lifestyle issues. Following a proper diet and getting regular exercise may spare you from complications that could increase the likelihood of an early demise - as well as improve your quality of life. Beyond that, opinions vary widely about the specifics. Drink wine, don't drink. Be a vegetarian or at least reduce the amount of red meat in your diet or not. Eat fish, eat corn, eat tofu, eat yogurt. Drink green tea. Which is the best advice? You can find an interesting twist on living healthy while aging in "Keys to Living Healthier, Longer Lives" by Charles Stuart Platkin. He is a nutrition and public health advocate, and the founder and editor ofDietDetective.com, the online source for nutrition, fitness, food, diet and wellness information
Sense of purpose. The concept of "having a reason to live" may not be scientific but living life with purpose tends to make people live longer. People who have goals for their retirement are more likely to find a reason to get up in the morning and stay involved in their lives than those watch who TV or sit around all day. When you are planning to retirement, it is important to think of what you want to do rather than focusing on the end of work. Even if you don't want the structure of a full time job, having a schedule that includes specific things to do will keep you connected and mentally alert, and may prevent you from being a statistic.
A study at Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Rush Medical Center at the University Medical Center in Chicago by neuropsychologist Dr. Patricia Boyle found correlations between living longer and having goals of any magnitude. "It can be anything -- from wanting to accomplish a goal in life, to achieving something in a volunteer organization, to as little as reading a series of books.... We found that people who reported a greater level of purpose in life were substantially less likely to die over the follow-up period -- only about half as likely to die over the follow-up period -- as compared to people with a lower level of purpose." The average age of the people in the study was 78 and the follow-up period averaged nearly three years.
Even though you can't guarantee that staying thin or volunteering will help you live longer in your retirement, the indications are that your lifestyle and your attitude can add years to your life and keep yourself in a position to enjoy it.
Studies indicate that you can live longer by getting medical help when needed, eating and living healthy, and adopting certain mindsets, but no matter what you do, you can't predict the time of your death or prevent it from happening. Yet, people ask, "How can I be sure I won't die right after retirement?" The simple answer to the question people often ask themselves when planning when to retire, when to start taking retirement benefits, or whether to put off a trip is "You can't be sure." The old adage "When it's your time, it's your time" is true regardless of your religious beliefs on life and death and regardless of your attempts to postpone death. You can be as fit as an Olympic athlete and get hit by a bus when you're crossing the street.
Fatalism aside, you may be able to live longer if you keep certain things in mind.
Life expectancy figures. According to actuarial tables used by insurance companies, your life expectancy at age 65 averages 17.9 more years, 16.3 for men and 19.2 for women. The numbers vary for groups such as smokers and non-smoker and obese and non obese, which gives credibly to the next point - that you may live longer if you pay attention to lifestyle. However, statistics only predict the future by what happened in the past to a group and come with no guarantees about your lifespan. How long you live is also affected by your genes.
Lifestyle issues. Following a proper diet and getting regular exercise may spare you from complications that could increase the likelihood of an early demise - as well as improve your quality of life. Beyond that, opinions vary widely about the specifics. Drink wine, don't drink. Be a vegetarian or at least reduce the amount of red meat in your diet or not. Eat fish, eat corn, eat tofu, eat yogurt. Drink green tea. Which is the best advice? You can find an interesting twist on living healthy while aging in "Keys to Living Healthier, Longer Lives" by Charles Stuart Platkin. He is a nutrition and public health advocate, and the founder and editor ofDietDetective.com, the online source for nutrition, fitness, food, diet and wellness information
Sense of purpose. The concept of "having a reason to live" may not be scientific but living life with purpose tends to make people live longer. People who have goals for their retirement are more likely to find a reason to get up in the morning and stay involved in their lives than those watch who TV or sit around all day. When you are planning to retirement, it is important to think of what you want to do rather than focusing on the end of work. Even if you don't want the structure of a full time job, having a schedule that includes specific things to do will keep you connected and mentally alert, and may prevent you from being a statistic.
A study at Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Rush Medical Center at the University Medical Center in Chicago by neuropsychologist Dr. Patricia Boyle found correlations between living longer and having goals of any magnitude. "It can be anything -- from wanting to accomplish a goal in life, to achieving something in a volunteer organization, to as little as reading a series of books.... We found that people who reported a greater level of purpose in life were substantially less likely to die over the follow-up period -- only about half as likely to die over the follow-up period -- as compared to people with a lower level of purpose." The average age of the people in the study was 78 and the follow-up period averaged nearly three years.
Even though you can't guarantee that staying thin or volunteering will help you live longer in your retirement, the indications are that your lifestyle and your attitude can add years to your life and keep yourself in a position to enjoy it.
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