What’s the point if I…
Even if you have smoked for years, have never practiced sports, enjoy fine dining and are under stress, it makes sense to improve your life. A healthier lifestyle always yields immediate benefits. And in the long run it makes a lot of difference.
…stop smoking
• more taste, smell and better blood circulation
• only half as much risk of a heart attack after a year
• after five years, the risk of lung cancer has also fallen by half
Those who stop smoking will notice the beneficial effects immediately: it is suddenly a pleasure, of an improved smell and taste. Within a few months blood circulation also improves (less cold hands and feet), within one to nine months coughing, mucus and shortness of breath decrease, and after a year the risk of a heart attack is only half as high.
After five years, the risk of lung cancer has halved (and continues to decrease), as well as the risk of esophageal or throat cancer. And: anyone who stops before the age of 40 can count on nine extra years of life. Whoever stops before his 60th, wins three years.
Quitting smoking also lowers the activity of the immune system. That may sound unfavorable, but it isn’t. This is not about the immune response to acute infections, but rather about the immune system at rest, if nothing special is going on. A less active immune system then appears to have a protective effect on the brain. People who have not smoked for ten years have just as small a risk of dementia as people who have never smoked. In some cases, many people think, giving up the cigarette really doesn’t make sense anymore. For example, for people with COPD, a lung disease caused by smoking in which the lungs are so damaged that patients can no longer climb the stairs without feeling short of breath. But stopping makes sense for them too. The damage to lungs (and heart or blood vessels) is often permanent, but those who put out the last cigarette now have a much better chance of being able to go for a walk with their grandchildren in five years’ time.
Non-smoker also benefits
Since smoking is banned in Italian cafes and restaurants, the number of people under the age of 60 who ended up in hospital with a heart attack has fallen by 11 percent. Non-smokers in particular benefited from the measure. It underlines once again that smokers who quit are not just doing themselves a favor. In 2003, the Health Council already showed that ‘passive smoking’ in the Netherlands causes thousands of deaths each year from heart disease and 200 deaths from lung cancer.
…go move more
• greater endurance and muscle strength
• stronger bones and a stronger heart
• less risk of diabetes and depression
More exercise ensures more stamina and muscle strength. You will get up the stairs more easily, be fitter, and stay upright more easily if you trip. You can benefit from that quick profit all day long. In America, research has been done into the effect of more exercise on people over 60 who are overweight and who suffer from painful knees due to arthritis. If you exercise for half an hour three times a week, you can walk 13 percent further after six months. After a few years, the benefit of exercise becomes even more apparent. Over the next three years, the risk of decline in everyday activities (such as getting out of a chair and walking pace) over the next three years is half as high for over-55s who start exercising as for over-55s who remain passive.
In the longer term, your bones will also benefit. They get stronger from running, jumping and walking. Exercise is also good for the heart. Men averaging 63 who have always been passive (walking less than 20 minutes a day) and who walk for 45 minutes a day later in life are 30 percent less likely to die during the next four years; especially the risk of heart problems decreases. Loading the heart is not harmless for people with a weak heart, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. You feel stronger, have more stamina and at rest your blood pressure and pulse are lower.
Exercise also improves sugar metabolism. People with a slightly elevated sugar level, who according to statistics have a 70 percent chance of developing diabetes within six years, can reduce this risk by half by exercising more and eating better. Regular exercise is also good for the mind. Walking briskly for 45 minutes three times a week turns out to help just as well against depression
as medication. Movement also inhibits the activity of the immune system at rest (if nothing special is going on). This is beneficial for the brain: the chance of memory problems or slower thinking decreases by about a third.
…go lose weight
• half the risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke
• more stamina
• a more flexible body
Everyone knows that being overweight is unhealthy. But how healthy is it to lose weight? The Heart Foundation calculated it and concluded that the average age in the Netherlands would increase by ten months if every kilo of excess weight had disappeared. What’s in it? Especially in the reduced risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
Anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30 is considered to be unhealthy overweight (you can check your BMI via www.plusonline.nl). By losing about 10 percent, the risk of developing diabetes is halved in the coming years. The risk of a heart attack or stroke also decreases in a similar order of magnitude.
In addition, it is nice to have to carry fewer kilos: the body becomes more flexible and fewer kilos means more stamina. For the over-50s, losing weight is precision work. An older body uses fewer calories, but still needs the same amount of nutrients. Losing weight can therefore more easily lead to deficiencies, which can even be more harmful than being overweight.
In addition, dieters not only lose fat when they go on a diet, but also muscle mass and bone minerals. This can, for example, increase the chance of a fall. It is therefore important to keep the muscles and bones strong. By the way, did you know that being overweight seems to be less harmful after about 70 years? Unintentional weight loss is often a precursor to physical complaints at this age. If you lose more than three kilos per month or six kilos per six months at this age without being on a diet, it would be a good idea to visit your doctor to see what could be the cause. … do something for stress
• less rapid aging
• many extra years of life
• a fuller and more exciting life
It is becoming increasingly clear from aging studies: it is not the calendar age that indicates how ‘old’ the body is, but the absence of diseases and the control of stress. As tensions increase, the level of the hormones that build up the body decreases, while at the same time the level of the hormones that break down tissues remains the same or even increases. In other words, stress drastically speeds up the aging process. That’s why researchers regularly find spectacular results when looking at the relationship between psychological factors and longevity.
Being happy is about as healthy as not smoking. Optimism is good for seven extra years of life. And a good marriage or a close social network can even halve the chance of premature death. It is of course extra nice that less stress not only leads to extra years of life, but also to nicer years. De-stressing is not easy for those who do not naturally have peace of mind. It takes a positive outlook on life, finding meaning in what happens to you and connecting positively with others.
But no one is really powerless against stress. You increase your resistance to stress by exercising regularly (take the stairs more often, work in the garden, go shopping on foot or by bike) and with a varied, healthy diet. Also, for example, every three months you can discuss with someone you trust what is going well and bad in your life (and how you can work on the bad points).
Are you doing enough things that you enjoy? Are you doing enough things that are important to you? Are you using your strengths enough?
Those who continue to actively work on finding an interpretation for these three central life questions, have a fuller and more interesting life, and suffer less from stress complaints.
Live Eleven Years Longer
People who sleep eight hours a night, exercise regularly, have a good breakfast, do not eat sweets, monitor their body weight, do not smoke or drink, have the highest life expectancy. Men aged 45 who do not or hardly follow these guidelines (varying from none to three of them) live on average 67 years. Men who adhere to at least six of the seven points have a life expectancy of 78 years. Count out your winnings!
Thanks to Marjolein Visser (specialist lifestyle and health of the elderly, VU University Amsterdam).