Research on centenarians suggests that you live longer if you...
1. Have good genes, like a parent or sibling who lived beyond 90+. Tough read there. Dad and granddads lived less than 70 years. Mom's 70, grandma lived to 90. Got a shot!
2. Can walk faster than 3 miles an hour (for those over 65). I'll have to wait a couple decades to test it out, but will continue my training! These days my exercise routine is a 3 mile run at 7 mph, six days a week.
3. Are connected with other people through family or organizations. With Dena in Kiwanis and me volunteering with Normal Community High School, it looks like good tonic!
4. Are female. Shoot. They do note that the male-female gap is closing as females enter the work force and otherwise have more traditionally male roles. Maybe it's time to sharpen my cooking skills to get an edge.
5. Had a child after age 35 (for women). Analysts suggest it's because birth after that age indicates a slowly aging reproductive system, and in turn bodes well for all the other systems.
6. Are young. Baby boys born today have a 1 in 4 chance of living to 100; for 50 year olds, it's 1 in 10.
7. Worry, but not too much. Moderate worriers take fewer risks and plan alternatives. Pessimists, woe-is-me types and I-suck types die sooner.
8. Are normal weight. A study of several 95 to 112 year olds found their health habits to be comparable to those who died younger, but had a noticeably lower rate of obesity. Keep that BMI below 25 in order to see more tomorrows!
9. Have long telemeres. Beats me. Something to do with DNA strands.
10. Are a positive person. Are your emotions more positive than negative? Do you read Hidden Blog on a regular basis? You're on your way to keep the pearly gates at bay!
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