Few people talk about frailty as a major disease. But it’s what destroys the quality of life for millions of seniors.
Those affected can no longer live independently or be physically active. Simple tasks like opening a jar or walking up stairs become impossible. They may became painfully thin. Their energy evaporates.
And frailty does not just mean losing your quality of life.
There was a time when walking was a standard medical treatment.
In her book Your Brain on Nature, Dr. Eva Selhub of Harvard Medical School notes that health resorts and “sanitariums” sprang up in newly urbanized America during the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s.[1]
There, doctors would treat patients with long nature walks. They saw walking as an antidote to sedentary city living.
But walking suddenly fell out of favor in the in the early 20th century.
A major new Harvard study found that you can gain up to 10 years of lifespan, free of cancer, heart problems, and diabetes if you practice five healthy habits.[i]
Researchers released their findings after tracking 111,000 people for up to 34 years.
The scientists found that women can add 10 years of healthy life and men seven.
The life-extending healthy habits are:
Here comes the New Year, with hordes of folks looking for ways to become healthier.
Some of us will resolve to exercise more. Others will go on diets. Or we’ll cut out guilty pleasures like fast food.
Most of us will fail miserably.
One study found that 80% of New Year’s resolutions die by mid-February.[1]
New research shows there’s a better way.
On the Greek island of Ikaria, a bigger percentage of the residents live past 90 than anywhere else in the world.
Many live well past 100.
That’s why it’s known as the “Island where people forget to die.”
The old folks on Ikaria aren’t frail and feeble. If you visit the island, you’ll see centenarians riding bikes, hiking, and bragging about their love lives.
What single factor determines how much longer you have to live?
The obvious one is age. After all, if you’re 80, it’s likely you have less time left than someone who is 60.
Genetics are big factor, too. If your parents and grandparents lived long lives, chances are you will, too.
Whether you smoke makes a big difference as well.
But it turns out that there is another longevity factor that is more powerful than any of these.
Physical activity is the number one predictor of lifespan, a new study shows.