Add Years to Your Life

Caroline Schaefer,SELF magazine

Easy little tweaks will get you started, say's SELF's medical advisor, Henry Lodge, M.D. Sweet!

Peel off extra pudge.
Being even a bit overweight can shorten your life, according to research in Lancet.Figure out your BMI...is it more than 25? Start a weight loss plan. Add 1-2 years.

Related: Yoga Moves for Flat Abs

Sleep seven hours.People who live longest say they snooze about that much nightly, says Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., emeritus professor of psychiatry at the University of California Davis. Add 1-2 years.

Related: Shed Pounds Without Starving

Push harder in Spin.
Cycling workouts with intense bursts torch more fat and can extend your years more than longer, slower biking, researchers at Bispebjerg University Hospital find. Add 4 years.


Eat tastier meals.
Foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids (dark chocolate, veggies, fish) prettify skin and, research in BMJ indicates, could lower heart disease risk. Add 5 years.


Related: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

Go for a jog.Running-even slowly-three times a week is great for your bones, heart and mood, says Peter Schnohr, M.D., chief cardiologist for the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Add 5-6 years.


Quit smoking.
Women who snuff their cigarette habit by age 35 enjoy a much longer life than their tobacco-puffing peers, the American Journal of Public Health notes. Add 7 years.



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