How to Live a Longer, Healthier Life

This summer, I’ll turn 56 years old. I’ve never thought of myself as old, and still don’t. I have, however, had the thought recently about being the age at which, when my parents were this age, I definitely thought they were “old”.

The older I get, the more intentional I am about a healthy lifestyle. So much of medicine today is focused on the treatment of disease, but I’ve always felt it was better to focus on preventing disease from occurring in the first place. While it seems easier in today’s fast-paced world to be unhealthy than it is to be healthy, I believe we ought to do everything in our control to live a healthy lifestyle. This is true whether you’re in your 20s, your 50s, or your 80s and beyond.

For me, the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle has involved intense study around longevity, and also adopting rigid habits in the areas of health and fitness. Medical science has proven that many of the most common illnesses can be prevented through healthy living. I even read a statement recently by a biomedical gerontologist that the first person to live to 150 is probably alive today! That makes my goal to live to the age of 135 totally doable!

In my study of success over the last 30 years, I’ve realized that success in each area of life comes down to about a half dozen things. There aren’t 100 things you have to do to be successful. Rather, there are just a handful. They’re usually simple, too – easy to understand, and easy to apply. But we have to decide to do them, and then take action to develop the habits required to achieve long-term success.

In the area of health, research has shown that adopting a few simple habits can help you significantly increase your life expectancy. And you’ll feel better, too!

So, what are these key habits to living a longer, healthier life? 

– A healthy diet

– Regular physical activity

– Maintaining a healthy weight

– Never smoking

– Limiting alcohol consumption

Fortunately, there are hundreds of articles, books and other resources that go into great length about the science behind the habits listed above – how they contribute to long-term health and vitality, and the specifics of how to apply those habits. 

None of those habits above are rocket science, though. We know intuitively that the factors above, to the extent we apply them, will help us to not only feel better in the short run, but will cause us to live a longer, healthier life.

LifeExcellence, my personal philosophy for living, is about constant and never ending improvement in every area of life. I’ll be writing more about the areas of health and fitness, and will encourage you to adopt these important habits into your lifestyle.

For today, look back at the habits listed above. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 meaning you have that habit fully integrated into your life), where are you currently with each habit?

Next, write down what would have to happen for you to get to a 10? Write down everything required for you to get from where you are currently to a level 10.

Next, explore the obstacles that stand in your way of getting from where you are to a level 10. What’s stopping you?

Finally, what is the one action you can take today, to move you toward living a longer, healthier life?

Health is so vitally important. We often take it for granted, until we become ill. Make the decision today to do what it takes to live healthy. You’ll feel better, and will also become a model of healthy living for those around you. 

I look forward to supporting you in your journey. Please contact me, or comment below, and share your thoughts, questions, successes and challenges in this area.