Envious of all those toned midlife celebrities, such as Davina McCall and Jo Whiley, with their flat stomachs, precision eating and curated wellness regimes? Good for them, but back in the real world, finding the time to fit in multiple weekly workouts or cook every day from scratch can be tricky. Which is why the latest scientific news regarding how to live a longer and healthier life makes for happy reading.
From going to bed ten minutes earlier to swapping your bacon sandwich for a turkey wrap, experts say these and other small changes to your daily routine can make a big difference.
And as for workouts, there’s no need for a hardcore regime to bolster your chances of a longer, healthier existence. Research found that just 140 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity – so, a brisk 20-minute daily walk, for example – reduced women’s risk of death by 18 per cent. And women who did a single strength training session per week lowered their risk of death by 14 per cent or more.
Presenter Davina McCall has previously opened up about her love of fitness to keep in shape
If it takes so little effort to stay alive and kicking, why stop there? There are plenty of quick snappy ways to boost longevity. Quitting smoking is an easy win – the charity Action on Smoking and Health cites a study that concludes giving up smoking aged 30, 40, 50, or 60 gains you respectively ten, nine, six or three years of life expectancy.
But this is almost too obvious. Make these six easy and surprising changes to help you live longer and well…
Go to bed ten minutes earlier
Research published in August this year showed people who slept for over an hour extra on Saturdays and Sundays were 19 per cent less likely to develop heart disease than those who didn’t sleep in at all.
The study, which looked at data from more than 90,000 UK adults over nearly 14 years, also found that people who rose early at weekends – getting even less sleep than on weekdays – were the most likely to develop heart disease. It also revealed that health benefits of lie-ins were greatest in those who were sleep deprived – defined as less than seven hours of sleep a night on average.
Meanwhile, other studies suggest people who consistently get five hours or less of sleep per night are at higher risk of dying from all causes (15 per cent higher, found one large study).
So why wait till the weekend to boost your sleep quotient? Dr Guy Meadows, sleep specialist and founder of The Sleep School, says: ‘Sleep is the single most powerful health-providing behaviour known to humankind.’
‘Sleep is the most important foundational behaviour for our long-term health,’ says Dr Guy Meadows. ‘So any extra sleep you can get will have a profound impact’
‘Because sleep is the most important foundational behaviour for our long-term health, any extra sleep you can get – that could be as little as ten minutes’ extra sleep a day – will have a profound impact on everything, from your blood pressure to the health of your heart, to your risk of diabetes, to your risk of poorer mental health.’
Some of us, he adds, could improve our rest simply by revising unhelpful night-time habits such as bingeing on Netflix or scrolling through social media: ‘Whatever you are engaging with that’s stopping you getting the sleep you need.’
For others, anxiety around sleep itself keeps them awake. This can be addressed using a new behavioural therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). For further expert guidance, try the science-based app, Sleep School: Insomnia Help, or Sleepio, an evidence-based sleep improvement app co-founded by sleep scientist Professor Colin Espie.
Tell yourself ‘I’m older – and wiser’
Yes, you can think yourself young, with studies revealing that a positive attitude can add almost eight years to your life by slowing down the rate of biological ageing.
‘Positive thinking can add years to your life,’ says Dr Lucy Pollock, consultant geriatrician and author of The Golden Rule – Lessons In Living From A Doctor Of Ageing. ‘Having a positive attitude to ageing may add about seven and a half years to your life.’
It slows the rate of biological ageing by reducing stress – which raises cortisol, blood pressure, and provokes heart disease.
Dr Pollock adds that studies by Rose Anne Kenny, a Professor of medical gerontology at Trinity College Dublin, ‘show that if you think “as I get older I get wiser” or “I’ve weathered storms” or “I’ve learnt from experience” or “I can improve my strength” – you improve your physical ageing.’
Put turkey in your sandwich instead of bacon
Dropping that bacon sandwich addiction may save your life. A report in US journal Nature Food claims sustained changes from unhealthy to healthy dietary patterns are associated with 10.8 and 10.4 years gain in life expectancy in 40-year-old men and women, respectively.
‘One significant change to make is to swap processed meat – bacon, ham, sausages, pastrami, salami – for a lean meat like turkey,’ says Dr Federica Amati, author of Every Body Should Know This: The Science Of Eating For A Lifetime Of Health, and head nutritionist at science and nutrition company Zoe. ‘Or have pan-fried mushrooms on toast,’ she suggests.
‘Processed meat is classed as a Class 1 carcinogen to humans by the World Health Organisation. Reduce those from your diet and you’re automatically reducing your risk of cancer and therefore of shortening your lifespan.’
Rise from your chair hands-free
Strength training is a must for healthy longevity, says elite personal trainer Matt Roberts, founder of Evolution Healthspan Clubs. ‘A study from Harvard Medical School showed that strength training was associated with a 46 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality,’ he says.
Notably, a 2014 trial found people aged 51-80 who could rise from sitting on the floor without using their hands were less likely to die in six years. Why? Researchers found that musculoskeletal fitness was a significant predictor of mortality in this age group. So, another option… squats! Matt suggests a daily set or two (whether plain old squats, weighted squats, or single leg squats.) Or try sitting down on a chair, using the strength of one leg – and standing up again. And don’t use your hands for leverage.
Trot up the stairs
A review of 13 studies, published in The Journal of Ageing Research, suggests that ‘regular physical activity is associated with an increase of life expectancy by 0.4 to 6.9 years.’
If you’re inactive, don’t be disheartened. ‘There is no such thing as too small an amount of exercise,’ says Dr Pollock. ‘The thing that makes the most difference is the people who do the least, doing a little bit more. It’s just doing one extra bit of going up and down stairs, or some extra standing up while you’re watching television.’
Eat five grams more fibre (that’s just half an avocado!)
Did you know 95 per cent of the UK population are deficient in fibre, with the recommended daily amount at 30g? Experts say even if your intake is 15g a day, you will see a significant reduction in health risks if you eat an extra 5g of fibre.
‘Evidence shows that if you increase your fibre intake by five grams per day, you can decrease your risk of dying by 14 per cent,’ says Dr Amati. ‘This is because fibre is important for gut microbiome health, which impacts inflammation and immune system function and helps to reduce heart disease risk.
‘This is exactly the science I used to design Zoe’s Daily30+ – a plant-based whole food supplement containing 5g of fibre per portion,’ Dr Amati says.
But, she adds, there are other options. Sprinkling two teaspoons of mixed seeds on your yoghurt or oats or having half an avocado alongside your scrambled eggs would also add five grams fibre to your daily intake. The more we can add, the better!
