Healthy ageing
How to be a superager
With the help of these simple, science-backed habits you could live a longer, healthier and happier life.
WORDS by SARAH MARINOS
The average life expectancy in Australia is around 83 years – a marked improvement on 50 years ago when most Australians could expect to live until about 73 years of age. Innovations in medical technology, high healthcare standards, good nutrition and falling smoking rates are just a few of the reasons why many of us are reaching our eighties and beyond.
But what else can we do to give ourselves the best chance of living a little longer and stronger? We asked some of Australia’s leading medical experts for their top advice.
Be happy
Whoever said laughter is the best medicine was right. A Norwegian study of more than 50,000 people found a link between having a sense of humour and living well beyond retirement.
For women, being able to laugh at life was associated with a 73 per cent lower risk of dying from heart disease. Laughter boosts oxygen in the blood, triggers the release of feel-good endorphins and decreases stress hormones. It’s also involved with releasing T-cells that strengthen our immune system.