Can A Few Seconds Of Change Add Years To Your Life?
They say life begins at 40. But really you’re halfway through it. Here’s are some magic numbers that take only seconds to action, and add years as a result.
Living longer is just a few lifestyle changes away.
THE BRIEF
Time to read: 3 minutes 21 seconds
Time to action: 30 seconds to 15 minutes
Mantra: Little and often changes that mean more time for longer
Main message: Pick 1 tip to make your life longer. Pick 2 if you’re feeling crazy
Stat: The current U.K. life expectancy is up 0.15%. Want to make it 0.30%?
How’s your week? ‘Long’, is the standard answer. We all know the family-work-commitment-enjoyment dance after 40. There is a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it - so wouldn’t it be great if you could give yourself more time? Better yet, more time doing things you enjoy. We gathered our team of experts (fitness to wellness, sociology to psychology) to find easy tips to boost longeveity, all achievable in less than 15 minutes. Pick just one and do it as often as you can. If you pick all 11, meet you back here in 2083.
1. 30 seconds to heart health
Eating a handful of walnuts daily lowers fats in your blood. Even better, when combined with a diet high in unsaturated fat, research found they created lasting weight loss.
2. 4 minutes to 40+ weight loss
When guys squatted with 5 kgs for 4 minutes, they burnt 29.3% more calories than lifters squatting with 20 kgs, according to research. If you’re after a fat-shredding calorie burn - go lighter.
3. 2 minutes to stronger immunity
Dandelion root has been used as a weight loss aid, but it may have another, more critical use. Dandelion root extract helps fight carcinogenic cells. It’s worth sipping on a cup of tea or supplementing to add another layer of personal protection to your immune system’s defences.
4. 30 Seconds to skin health
Count the moles on your right arm. If it’s more than 11, you have a higher risk of developing skin cancer. This is one of the biggest killers, but checking it early will help you enjoy more years in the sun.
5. 30 Seconds to Hydrate Properly
Drinking 500ml of water an hour before every meal helped obese folk lose 9.48lbs in just 12 weeks. Don’t drink all that water with your meal, as that messes with your stomach acid and digestion. In fact, don’t drink anything with your meals.
6. 5 Minutes to eat less
There’s a secret to tapas. Multiple pieces of food are more rewarding than a single lump equal in calories. Having different flavours on one plate is more satisfying than a single food source - and represents a more Mediterranean approach to your body system’s longevity.
7. 3 Minutes to nutrient nirvana
Combine eggs with raw vegetables like tomato or spinach to help you absorb more healthy carotenoids, according to the Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology. Carotenoids stop free radical damage and have been associated with fighting diseases like cancer.
8. 10 Minutes offsets desk injuries
Take 10 minutes to offset sitting at your desk. Just 10 minutes of walking will help to reverse the detrimental consequences. Or use the sit-stand desk with a raised platform at your feet and bank a few calf raises while working. Never too old to start those lower leg gains.
9. 5 Minutes to mosh musical mood
Listening to a little heavy metal occasionally has been shown to alleviate depression. A cheerier outlook on life yields more years to life and life to your next 40-year-old self.
10. 10 Minutes to be more balanced
Many of us suffer from anxiety, and many also have problems with physical balance. There’s a close link between poor balance and nervousness, which means you can physically train your muscles to strengthen your mind. Use moves like single-leg deadlifts, single-leg squats, and Turkish Get-ups to improve your balance and feel more relaxed.
11. 15 minutes to stronger bones
Energising yourself in the Bath salts (not what you’re thinking, saucy) can improve your health. People who soaked in magnesium-enriched baths had more of this bone-strengthening mineral in their bloodstream afterwards. Almost 30% of Americans are deficient in this mineral. It’s worth shoring up the frame that will help you get to 100 birthday candles.
PT WOLF
Wolf is a personal trainer who tries and tests every programme we put together. A celebrity trainer, Wolf has been a fitness journalist as well as practising what he preaches for over twenty years. Now into his 40s, Wolf has added muscle to his frame in every decade of his life.
ANTHROPOLOGY ANTELOPE
Sociology might have been ‘that degree’ in the way back when, but can you honestly think of a time when we needed to understand our society more than we do today? Antelope is the author of numerous thesis of the human condition and the nature of human interactions.
DR DRAGON
A GP for an eclectic community, Dragon is a prolific author in the world of health. Award winning for his content creation and ability to answer the ‘actual’ questions asked of him, his theories are always worth listening to in looking for those little things that can actually make a real difference in our lives.
WELLNESS RABBIT
Not simply a life coach, but an award winner in the wellness sector with over a decade of experience. Rabbit specialises in the accessibility of information. If there is a theory worth exploring, Rabbit will also work out how easily it can be integrated into the way we actually live our lives.
DR DOG
A cognitive psychologist specialising in those most 21st Century of issues, anxiety and depression. Dog is especially good at delivering actionable answers. Removing the rhetoric and hyperbole and focussing simply and directly on practical information that can be used to help mental health on a daily basis.
HOROLOGY FOX
Fox is a woman in love with time. A busy work-life balance of a city job and a wellness practice, Fox has developed thousands of techniques for getting more from less, and getting a bit of everything into everyday life. Key to the idea behind FORM, Fox is a firm believer in taking even the smallest amount of time to do what you need to keep yourself going.
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