With the average life expectancy sitting between 76 and 81 years old, Americans today are living long, healthy lives today. This is in part due to good available healthcare, but also because people are adopting healthy habits that help to improve the quality of life and stave off illness.
Avoid Smoking
It wasn’t that long ago that everyone, including movie stars, smoked because it was the cool thing to do. Nowadays with the warnings and proven link to illnesses such as COPD and cancer, more people are making the effort to eliminate smoking from their lives. It’s never too late to quit, even if you’ve smoked for decades. Stopping today can help improve your lung capacity, no matter how old you are. When you do quit, you’ll begin to see changes almost immediately. Your sense of smell improves and once the nicotine withdrawals wear off, you’ll often find it difficult to see what the attraction was to begin with.
Steer Clear of Drugs
With the drug epidemic spiraling out of control, we’re hearing about accidental overdoses from opioids, particularly heroin. For example, rates of addiction in Orange County, California have increased since the early 2000s. Even prescription drugs, especially narcotics, prove to be highly addictive. Teens are stealing their parents prescriptions, and adults are even abusing them after becoming addicted following an injury. While it may be impossible to steer clear of drugs completely, avoiding them for recreational use and seeking help when you notice a problem, can help nip a budding addiction.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
It’s not uncommon to wind down after a long day with a beer or glass of wine, or perhaps you like to hit the bar with your friends on the weekend and live it up. All of this is fine, but it’s when you begin to crave the alcohol and seek it out as a coping mechanism that it becomes an issue. Avoid binge drinking, especially daily, because it can lead to liver issues and unsightly bloating along with other health issues such as cirrhosis of the liver, that can prove to be life-threatening without treatment.
Establish Good Routines
Good routines start from the moment you wake up. Improve your routine, starting with good morning practices, to get you all set for the day ahead. Make exercise a daily part of your life. It not only helps burn calories and keep the pesky weight gains away, it also keeps your blood pumping and improves your cardiovascular health. One routine you should adhere to is visiting your physician regularly. There are some illnesses that linger quietly and early detection is the key to getting the proper treatment. Even if you’re healthy as a horse, getting a yearly checkup is beneficial.
For some good health and living a long life is a result of good genes and let’s be honest, good luck. However, it never hurts to live as healthy as possible. This doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in a drink or two here and there, but keep them to a minimum. The reward is a long life that affords you the luxury of watching your children and grandchildren growing up.
