How to extend your life

I don’t like to talk about it, but I am firmly in middle age (meaning I am somewhere between 40 and 60 years of age). However, I can­not ignore the fact that my days on Earth are finite, and I would like as many as possible.

In The New York Times article “9 Things Experts Wish You’d Do in Midlife to Increase Longevity,” Dana G. Smith shares the following ways we can all buy a little more time:

1. Performing cardio-respiratory fitness through interval training, such as alternating sprinting for 30 seconds and resting for 30 seconds for 10 minutes
2. Prioritizing social relationships by asking a friend to join you while running an errand, going for a walk or doing a workout together
3. Eating fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi or kombucha
4. Lifting weights
5. Eating at least 0.8 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight and including some protein in every meal
6. Taking the stairs rather than elevators, walking instead of driving or parking farther away from a building’s entrance
7. Getting the shingles vaccine
8. Making a list of your parents’ chronic health conditions so you can watch for signs and symptoms in yourself
9. Going to bed at the same time every night

Smith writes: “The seeds for many age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia, are sown in middle age, so it’s important to start thinking about prevention early. And it takes a lifetime of healthy habits, not just a few weeks, to move the needle on your longevity.”