What Does Longevity Mean? Staying Healthy at Old Age

Longevity Meaning

Simply put, longevity means having a longer life span than average. However, this isn’t just about the numbers. It is more of a culmination of different factors that include quality of life as well. It doesn’t make sense to live a life where you feel sick and stay at the hospital for the most part.

Today, our life expectancy is better due to modern technology and medications but being healthy is something else. Preventative care and a healthy lifestyle are what we need to focus on to add to those healthy years.

Does genetics play a part in longevity? Well, the answer here is both yes and no. While genetics does play a part, mortality risks can always be mitigated by opting for a healthy lifestyle.

Decoding longevity meaning and understanding its true essence is what would help mitigate the risk factors. Strictly speaking, it is more about understanding your health span as opposed to your life span.

What is the Difference Between Life Expectancy and Longevity?

Before we delve into the essence of staying healthy in old age, it’s crucial to clarify the difference between life expectancy and longevity. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. Life expectancy refers to the average number of years a person is expected to live, based on statistical averages. This figure can be influenced by factors like geographic location, lifestyle, and medical advancements.

On the other hand, longevity is about more than just years lived; it encompasses the quality of those years. It’s about living a longer life while maintaining good health, vitality, and happiness. Longevity is not just surviving, but thriving in one’s later years.

Linking Life Expectancy to Health Span

As absolute lifespan becomes more meaningless, science need a fresh view on longevity. In this context, a new term has emerged: the health span.

Longevity and healthspan are sometimes used interchangeably, however the term “healthspan” refers to the number of years a person is able to live in good health, free of illness. Life expectancy has steadily increased worldwide in the last several decades, but health spans have not kept up.

According to studies, the difference between life expectancy and health expectancy is around 9 years. That’s not all, however. According to WHO estimates, a German person born today will spend just 71 of the 82 years of his or her life in healthy condition. 11 years of diminishment in quality of life.

The Longevity Pathway

Social, clinical, and scientific elements all have a role in extending health span. Slowing down the aging and illness process is essential if we want to better our lives. It is essential to commit time and money to study, which will allow us to gather information that will help us pursue treatment and prolonged health.

When it comes to a specific illness or aging in overall, it doesn’t really matter. Helping you enhance your quality of life is Purovitalis’ main goal. The essence of Longevity may be found in all of our products. Nicotinamide Mononucleotide or NMN, Quercetin, Resveratrol, Hyaluronic Acid and Spermidine are some of our cutting-edge supplements for a healthy life span, as is the Biological Age Test. However, long-term health does not begin or stop with a single test or a handful of supplements taken on an impulse. Sustaining your wellbeing begins with you!

If you want to learn more about your body age, epigenetic testing offers a revolutionary approach to understanding your genetic profile and its impact on aging and health. By analysing DNA markers, the Epigenetic Test Kit provides insights into your body and memory age, recommends personalised wellness strategies, and monitors inflammation levels. This empowers you to make informed lifestyle decisions, enhancing longevity and well-being by tailoring habits to your unique genetic profile.

Tips for a Healthy Life in Old Age

As we age, it’s essential to prioritize our health and well-being to ensure a fulfilling and enjoyable life. Staying healthy in old age requires a multifaceted approach that includes physical, mental, and social aspects. Below we will explore six key tips for maintaining good health and enhancing longevity as you grow older. These tips will help you develop a holistic approach to staying healthy in old age, providing a foundation for a vibrant and fulfilling life well into your golden years.

1. Regular Exercise

Unless your doctor has strictly advised you not to, there is no excuse to sit ideally by. As per research, regular moderate exercise can help reduce the aging process. Exercises help improve the body’s core strength and help reduce issues such as back pain or muscle ache. It also helps improve your body balance and prevents accidents. Our bones lose their density with age and might break even from a light fall. So, having a good balance is essential.

Moreover, there is much more to the benefits that come from regular exercising as you age. It can delay or even prevent diseases like diabetes, osteoporosis, or heart diseases. Light and regular exercise can also boost your adrenalin. This, in turn, helps improve your general mood & alleviates any symptoms of depression.

Old age is also known to induce cognitive diseases, which can be prevented with an active lifestyle.

2. Balanced Diet is Good for Longevity

Staying healthy and enjoying a long life doesn’t mean you have to starve. Frankly speaking, it is more about establishing a balance on your plate. From carbohydrates to fats and omega fatty acids, each meal you have should be rich in basic nutrients. Moreover, studies also suggest that eating a good amount of vegetables helps keep you young and healthy for an optimized longevity.

3. Sleep but Don’t Overdo it

We all know how important sleep is. Don’t sleep for more than 48 hours, and your body starts showing signs of distress. On average, 7 to 8 hours of sleep is recommended for an average human. However, as we age, we might get tired pretty fast. This could cause you to feel sleepy too often.

This doesn’t mean you should chug mugs of coffee to avoid sleeping. Besides your 8 hours of sleep, you can take a few power naps when your body really needs it. For example, 20 to 30 minutes of power nap once or twice in the day can help you stay active.

4. Have a Social Life

As we age, our social connections depreciate with time. You might not party all night long like you used to, but having a social life is important. You can hang out with your friends, talk over the phone, or even cook together. Being with people you love can boost your oxytocin and help you feel happy. This feel-good hormone also helps induce relaxation and calmness. Plus, it also reduces inflammation in the body.

You can also cultivate meaningful relationships with friends by sharing hobbies and passion for something.

5. Avoid Smoking or Drinking Alcohol

Drinking when done in moderation can actually benefit you, but smoking doesn’t benefit you at all. However, even with drinking, one can easily go beyond the recommended limit. In addition, drinking or smoking heavily for years can age you faster.

However, the signs on the surface aren’t superficial. They are a representative of what is going on inside. The healthier you are, the younger you look, and the longer you live. Premature aging tends to contribute to poor health and increase risks such as heart problems.

So, it is ideal to abstain from drinking for your better health and future.

6. Get Regular Medical Check-Ups

Even if you are leading a healthy lifestyle, you cannot be 100% sure. So, it is important to get regular body check-ups from your doctor. Instead of visiting several doctors, try to stick to one. This will help your doctor establish medical history and help treat you better.

There is no harm in getting another medical advice if you aren’t satisfied. But, the key is to follow the advice of one to avoid confusion.

Conclusion

Now that you have your checklist for staying healthy in old age, the time is now to get started. Don’t rush into things. It’s okay to make mistakes and lose control at times. However, the key is to bring in discipline and bounce back once you fall off track. Remember, longevity isn’t simply living for long; it is more about your happiness, health, and being content for as long as you live. Embracing these tips for staying healthy in old age will help you make the most of your later years, fostering a sense of fulfillment and well-being.

References: 

1. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35599175/