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Step 3. Engage the Body
Physical activity promotes a lean physique, of course, but studies have now identified that regular exercise also has a direct causal role in how long we can live.

Physical Activity in Midlife Helps Retain Overall Health Later in Life

In that physical activity is associated with reduced risks of chronic diseases and premature death, Qi Sun, from Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues explored whether physical activity is also associated with improved overall health among those who survive to older ages. Analyzing data from 13,535 participants in the Nurses' Health Study, whereby the women reported their physical activity levels in 1986 (average age then: 60 years), the team found that women who survived to age 70 or older (10-plus years after the study began) were engaged in higher levels of physical activity at the beginning of the study and were less likely to have chronic diseases, heart surgery or any physical, cognitive or mental impairments.

"These data provide evidence that higher levels of midlife physical activity are associated with exceptional health status among women who survive to older ages and corroborate the potential role of physical activity in improving overall health," stated the researchers.

Source: "Physical Activity at Midlife in Relation to Successful Survival in Women at Age 70 Years or Older." Arch Intern Med, 2010.

Step 4. Excite the Brain
Like your biceps, triceps, etc., the brain is a muscle and must be positively stimulated in order to maintain at optimum performance.

Challenging the Brain Improves Cognitive Function

A large nationwide study by Brandeis University (Massachusetts) suggests that mental exercises aid cognitive skills. Margie Lachman and colleagues conducted the Midlife in the United States study, which assessed 3,343 men and women, ages 32 to 84 years, 40 percent of whom had at least a four-year college degree. Evaluating how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal memory and executive function, the team found that those with higher education engaged in cognitive activities more often and performed better on the memory tests.

However, some subjects with lower education performed just as well; the researchers found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. Specifically, among individuals with low education, those who engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, and doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education. "For those with lower education, engaging frequently in cognitive activities showed significant compensatory benefits for episodic memory, which has promise for reducing social disparities in cognitive aging," noted the researchers.

Source: "Frequent Cognitive Activity Compensates for Education Differences in Episodic Memory." Amer Jrnl of Geriatric Psych, January 2010.

Step 5. Maintain Healthy Relationships
As social creatures, humans respond positively to interactions with others, and this engagement is now confirmed to boost health and well-being as we age.

Strong, Functioning Relationships Benefit Overall Health

In a survey of more than 3,000 men and women, ages 57 to 85 years, Linda J. Waite, from the University of Chicago, and colleagues discovered that seniors who maintain strong and functioning sexual and intimate relationships generally have better health and well-being. Data collected from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), designed to examine the relationship between sexual behavior, sexual problems, and health among older women and men, also found that older men are more likely than women to have a partner, more likely to be sexually active with that partner, and tend to have more positive attitudes toward sex. By exploring the link between sexuality, health, well-being, and other dimensions of the lives of older adults, NSHAP researchers aim to present an optimistic view of sex and aging and how it translates into improved health as we age.

Source: "Sexuality: Measures of Partnerships, Practices, Attitudes, and Problems in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Study." J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci, November 2009.