CONNECTIONS to HEALTH

Seven Factors Proven to Lengthen Your Life Walking and Stretching More than your actual health status, maintaining physical activity as you age-whether taking a stroll, dancing, or working in the garden-adds years to your life, even if you were previously sedentary. Physical activity benefits mood and promotes a sense of self-efficacy, spurring you to keep on trucking. Six months of regular aerobic exercise also reverses loss of brain tissue that occurs with age. Speaking in Tongues Lifelong use of two languages promotes longevity by delaying the onset of dementia by four years. Bilingualism enhances brain vasculature and neural plasticity. Earlier studies by the same team showed that speaking two languages increases attention and cognitive control in kids and older adults. Grape Expectations The phytonutrient resveratrol in red grapes and red wine counters aging the same way calorie restriction does. Both activate a family of enzymes, sirtuins, that slow the body's metabolic machinery and offset the damage of a high-calorie diet. The High Life Moving to the mountains, rather than living in lowlands, can keep you going longer, even if you have high blood lipids and high blood pressure. Adaptation to altitude helps the body cope with lower levels of oxygen, and walking uphill regularly aids the heart. Winning a Nobel Prize Winning the big one-as opposed to just being nominated or toiling in the trenches like everyone else-adds nearly two years to the life span. It's not the cash that does it; it's the sheer boost to status that works "a kind of health-giving magic." A Supportive Spouse A good marriage counteracts the wear and tear of life on multiple body systems. Good Friends Close family ties are nice, but having a network of good friends boosts life span in old age. Friends keep us from doing unhealthy things like smoking, and nudge us to get medical help for troubling symptoms. Feeling connected has positive physiological effects on many systems, counteracting stress.

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