“Begin with the end in mind.” Stephen R. Covey

Our birth certificates do not have an expiration date so we actually have a saying in to how well and how long we live. Of course outside forces may affect this but what we do today will have an impact on our tomorrow.

What is the key to longevity? There is not one perfect answer but many things that you can do to give yourself a better quality and quantity of life. See what is the Primed Lifestyle.

From the facebook page of Overfed and Undernourished.

Top 6 Ways to Live Longer and Better

(1) Be guided by inspirational people who live the healthy life. I am inspired by Willy Yao. He is my friend who at 64 years of age still competes in Ironman events and has run 65 marathons.

The Iron Nun is a wonderful example too.  Sister Madonna is still competing in Ironman events at the age of 84!  Read about her fantastic exploits here from the Huffington Post.  She is truly inspiring.

(2) You must have a purpose. This gives you your reason to wake up every day. It is what will make living longer worthwhile as you are doing something you enjoy and are passionate about. It can be volunteering, looking after your vegetable and/or herb garden, jogging, playing golf and even working part-time.

(3) Be engaged in your community. Keep your independence and enjoy the company of others. One of the clearest health benefits of social relationships comes from being involved with and helping others. When you do this you feel better, laugh more and are more grateful for the blessings in your life.

Picture is taken at Smokey Mountain when my friend Ellen Brenoe and I helped out.  We prepared a delicious Tomato and Meat Sauce with lots of the nutritious Malunggay added in.

(4) Move a lot and exercise. Whether it be walking or running, get off your bum more and sit less. Here is how to get fit and not fat at work. You don’t have to do triathlons, just do something you love. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates said, “Walking is man’s BEST medicine.” Cultures of longevity have their exercise as part of their lifestyle. The Japanese island of Okinawa and the mountainous Greek island of Icaria are well known for producing people who reach over 100 years of age who are healthy, happy and move a lot.

(5) Lift weights or using your own body weight exercises like push ups and squats. You need to use and engage your muscles. By doing your exercise, lifting weights and eating nutritiously you will not be overweight/obese. A 27 year study from Australia showed that if you were obese in middle age you had a 75% more chance of getting dementia/cognitive decline.

(6) Love your age as it is just a number. Embrace the joy of ageing well and do not be someone who cringes as another birthday ticks along. You must have a positive mind with respect to your age.

Yale University conducted a ‘Belief of Ageing Study’ that asked 500 middle aged people if they feel that as you age you are less useful and valuable. Those people who thought negatively of aging had a life expectancy of more than 7 years less compared to those who had a positive and empowering perception of their age.

Triathletes like David Richmond love their birthdays as it often means they go up an age category!

I want to run marathons and qualify for Kona Ironman at 90.

What do you want to do when you turn 90?

Please comment and share with us.