Tactics That Have Been Shown to Improve Lives

ALMOST EVERYBODY WOULD like to live longer, but only a few tactics actually have been shown to substantially stretch and improve lives. Here are the factors that make a difference:

Exercise Portion Control

In a whole host of species, including humans' close cousin the rhesus monkey, animals forced to eat a calorie-restricted diet outlived their piggier counterparts, sometimes by as much as 50 percent. While it's hardly easy, consuming 30 percent fewer calories than the norm can do the trick. Say goodbye those giant-sized portions at The Cheesecake Factory.

Use Your Head

More than income or race, education has been linked to longer lives in almost every country in which it's been studied. One Columbia University paper, for instance, found that just one extra year of school could increases an American's life expectancy by a year and a half. The education itself may not be as important as how you use it: Doing brain puzzles or pursuing challenges like learning a new language are thought to ward off Alzheimer's Disease.

Get Off the Couch

Dan Perry with the Alliance for Aging Research says that "just doing moderate exercise makes a big difference" in longevity. A 2005 study, for instance, showed that adults who walked just 30 minutes a day added more than a year to their lives. Those who jogged instead tacked on four years. A separate study of elderly men found that those who reported they exercised regularly decreased their risk of dying before age 90 by 20 to 30 percent.

Find a Way to Relax

Stress is tied to amped-up blood pressure, and that's a no-no for good health. One study of 3,000 subjects over several years found that those with normal blood pressure in their fifties lived on average five years longer. Having a roll-with-the-punches attitude helps too. "A lot of aging," Perry says, "has to do with what's going on from the neck up."