Fitness Friday - How long do you want to live?

Is it really possible for anyone to live happily to 100? Quality of life is just as important as quantity. Here are five things you can do to increase your life span potential and quality of life.


Top 5 Daily Habits for Your Longevity


1. Eat five small meals a day or at least go easy on your three meals and make sure you include good snacks. When you eat smaller portions five times a day, you deliver a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day. Additionally, eating this way is less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems and also reduces your risk of heart disease.

2. Climb the stairs instead of using elevators. Regular exercise can help promote physiological well-being, strengthen the immune system, maintain joint mobility, increase energy - and the list goes on. Look for opportunities all through your day to work in physical activity. Power-walk, run, or ride your bike instead of driving. There are so many things you can do it you just look for the opportunities.

3. Laugh it up! We know from research that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help protect the body from illness and cancer. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, compounds that give you a sense of well-being, in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water every day. Water is essential for all healthy body functions. Centenarians (people who have lived to a 100 or more) from around the globe cite their native water as the source of their health and longevity - and the scientists agree with them. What they all have in common is pure water sources located far from any city, free from chemicals and toxins. So choose good purified water and enjoy.

5. Unwind with meditation or relaxation. Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. And the bad thing about stress is that it only gets worse unless you find some way to manage it. Meditation is the best way to release tension and revitalize your being. It teaches you to breath properly, which is critical for eliminating up to 70% of your body's toxins and wastes. It also quiets your mind, lowers your stress hormones, and teaches self-discipline. So find a good Yoga class or sit back and let your mind go.

And just for fun you can calculate your life expectancy here. It's kind of fun to watch the numbers go up and down.