4 changes made by longevity experts based on advice from centenarians

• LongeviQuest researchers talk to the world’s oldest people to check their age.
• They received advice and tips from over 1,000 centenarians.
• Here are the changes they made in their own lives.

Three researchers who meet centenarians from around the world shared the advice superagers gave them, which they incorporated into their own lives.

Centenarians in different countries have different customs, diets and lifestyles, and longevity of course depends in part on genetics. But there are few lifestyle habits and attitudes potentially likely to extend longevity that researchers at LongeviQuest, an organization that validates the ages of the world’s oldest people, have noticed and that most people share. centenarians.

LongeviQuest CEO Ben Meyers; Yumi Yamamoto, president of research in Japan; and Latin America Research President Fabrizio Villatoro spoke with more than 1,000 centenarians and supercentenarians of these countries and of the United States among them.

They shared with Business Insider four century-old habits they’ve adopted into their own lives.

Integrate an activity into your routine

In Japan, Yamamoto said, they do “radio gymnastics“, which are gymnastics exercises (bodyweight exercises) broadcast by a radio show. So she tries to include radio gymnastics and other short bursts of gymnastics. exercise in his daily routine.

Research suggests that bursts of high-intensity activity can benefit our health, with one study published earlier this year suggesting that doing as little as 4.5 minutes of physical activity vigorous activity throughout the day could reduce cancer risk, while another 2021 study suggested that practice for just four seconds could improve fitness.

Have treats from time to time

Villatoro met centenarians and supercentenarians who smoke and drank alcohol throughout their lives, while others ate very healthily.

Experts agree that there are no safe levels of tobacco or alcohol consumption. But Villatoro realized that while excess is bad for longevity, being too strict can also backfire, and so let himself be “a little off the hook” when it comes to treats like chocolate and chocolate. wine.

Likewise, Yamamoto tries to exercise moderation, which many centenarians she spoke to consider important. She said many 100-year-olds and older still eat and drink things considered unhealthy, like Coca Cola and chocolate bars, but they only have them occasionally.

Stay away from “toxic people”

As María Branyas Morera — the oldest living person in Spain validated by LongeviQuest — advises, Villatoro tries to stay away from “toxic people” He said: “I’ve been careful about who I associate with and make sure I don’t let others have too much influence on my decisions. “

Research suggests that having healthy relationships could have as big an impact on longevity as does a good diet or exercise, according to Professor Rose Anne Kenny, principal investigator of the Irish Longitudinal Study of Aging at Trinity College Dublin.

Don’t stress about things beyond their control

Meyers, Yamamoto and Villatoro have all said they try not to stress too much, because many centenarians say they don’t care about things beyond their control.

Yamamoto said she tries not to let “the little things” worry her, because the centenarians she has spoken to “tend to be very laid back and relaxed, despite everything going on around them.”

Meyes said he especially tried not to worry about his own longevitydespite his work revolving around that.

“I’ve only met or heard of one person who had a goal of living this long. They’re all pretty surprised. They’ve enjoyed their lives and they’re happy to still be here, but none.” “Most of them were trying to achieve longevity, so it’s not something I worry about a lot either,” Meyes said.