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THURSDAY, Jan. 1 (HealthDayNews) -- While good genes can help you live a long, healthy life, they're not a guarantee that you'll be an active centenarian.
Your life span is determined by a complex mix of heredity, lifestyle and environment. And the way you manage your body, mind and spirit affects how you feel as you age.
To help you along, the December issue of the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers these healthy aging tips:
- Have a positive attitude. Research suggests that a positive view of aging can result in living a longer, healthier life.
- Eat well. A healthy diet is a key factor in longevity and health.
- Limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol's effects are magnified with age.
- Stop smoking.
- Stay physically active. Try to get 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity a day.
- Reduce stress by controlling how you react to stressful situations. Stress, over time, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Keep your brain in shape. Use it to keep it healthy. Lifelong learning is important.
- Keep your social bonds strong. Having a dependable group of friends and family is one of the most reliable predictors of longevity.
- Nurture your spirit.
- Plan ahead financially. You don't need to be rich to be happy but you should look ahead to budget for activities and a lifestyle that you value.
More information
Here's where you can learn more about aging.
(SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, news release, December 2003)
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