5 tips to a longer and happier life
University of Sydney experts discuss how to best look after our minds and bodies as we age and discuss helpful insights that are changing people's lives for the better.
We asked one of Australia鈥檚 leading ageing experts for five ways to live a longer, happier life - it turns out that love could be the most important thing of all.
鈥淟ove - it鈥檚 the best predictor for old age. Loving relationships of all kinds appear to have a protective view of the brain," says聽, geriatrician聽from the聽Faculty of Health Sciences and Sydney Medical School.
鈥淭his includes any relationship that is psychologically supportive.
鈥淎 sense of purpose 鈥� get involved with something bigger than you, something altruistic.
鈥淏e physically active, for a healthy body and mind. Resistance weight training has even been shown to improve cognitive impairment in older people.
鈥淎 healthy diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and olive oil.
鈥淒on鈥檛 smoke, enough said.鈥�
University of Sydney experts will lead a panel discussion tonight at the Charles Perkins Centre on the subject of 鈥渉ealth hacks鈥�. In this Sydney Health forum, they will highlight helpful insights that are changing people鈥檚 lives for the better, and teach us all how to best look after our minds and bodies as we age.
鈥淭here is tremendous interest in how to live a healthy lifestyle but very often the discussion is about quick fixes, shortcuts, and silver bullets,鈥� said panellist聽聽from the University鈥檚 School of Public Health and Charles Perkins Centre.
鈥淲e need to bring the discussion back to long-term, realistic, and feasible lifestyle changes. 聽聽
鈥淧opular media are always keen on the 鈥渘ext big thing鈥� for health improvements and there is a lot of gross misinterpretation of research out there. 聽As a result, the public is very confused, vulnerable, and less likely to take the right actions to live healthily.
鈥淚ndividual actions and lifestyle choices play a role but we should not discount the huge importance of the environment for healthy living.
鈥淚n an environment that makes the healthy option inaccessible and difficult poor health is inevitable, you cannot expect that many聽people will be able to bypass the restrictions poor environments pose.鈥� 聽
,聽epidemiologist and population behavioral scientist聽says that there are lots of small things we can do every day which are an investment in a longer, healthier and happier life.
鈥淟ive everyday with mindfulness, healthy habits, a positive attitude and stay connected (and not just on social media) with your loved ones.
鈥淲e need to redefine what it means to lead an 鈥榓ctive life鈥�. We keep hearing we need to exercise more, but most of us are too busy to find the time. We need to learn how to build more exercise into our daily routines 鈥� incidental exercise.
University of Sydney panellists:
- ,聽MD, John Sutton Chair of Exercise and Sport Science, and Professor,
- , NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, and
- ,聽Senior Research Fellow,聽Prevention Research Collaboration, and
Event details:
20 September 2017,聽6:00 pm 鈥� 7:30 pm
, Johns Hopkins Drive, University of Sydney
About Sydney Ideas Health Forums
Each year, the University of Sydney鈥檚 health and medicine disciplines host a series of public health forums that bring together experts and interested people to discuss key healthcare issues affecting millions of Australians. Follow via聽
