Did You Shorten Your Life Today? Discover 3 Surprising Habits to Avoid!

Did you know that every hour you spend watching TV can potentially shorten your life by a shocking 21.8 minutes? Watching 2.8 hours of television every day, which is the average for most Americans, reduces your life expectancy by about 61.8 minutes. So, what are other common ways you might be unknowingly cutting your life short and how can you counteract them?

Sitting for Less Life

Researchers believe that a sedentary lifestyle contributes to the strong correlation between increased TV viewing and reduced life expectancy. As David Dunstan, Ph.D., of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Victoria, Australia, puts it: “A lot of the normal activities of daily living that involved standing up and moving the muscles in the body have been converted to sitting.”

The adverse effects on life expectancy are due to the detrimental consequences of sitting on our overall health and well-being. Additionally, an Australian study found that every hour you spend in front of the TV results in an 11 percent increased risk of death from all causes, a 9 percent increased risk of cancer death, and an 18 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death.

The Many Dangers of Cigarettes

Although we are well aware of the harm cigarettes cause, many people still choose to indulge in smoking. According to Australian researchers, each cigarette smoked can shorten your life expectancy by 11 minutes—equivalent to roughly half an hour of TV watching!

The University of Buffalo found that during the past century, approximately 100 million people worldwide had shorter lives due to tobacco use. This century, as smoking becomes increasingly popular around the world, over 1 billion people are expected to perish prematurely due to tobacco.

Lack of Exercise and a Poor Diet

Neglecting to eat fruits and vegetables, as well as failing to exercise, can significantly reduce your lifespan. A Danish study found that men who consistently exercise, such as daily jogging, can increase their life expectancy by 6.2 years, while women can increase theirs by 5.6 years.

Peter Schnohr, the chief cardiologist of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, firmly believes in the power of regular jogging to improve longevity. Just 20 minutes of exercise a day can offer a multitude of health benefits, including improved oxygen uptake, insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles (raised HDL and lowered triglycerides), blood pressure, bone density, immune function, and psychological function.

Other research emphasizes the combined advantages of exercise and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables for promoting a longer, healthy life. For women between the ages of 70 and 79, a study conducted by the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University found that those who were the most physically active and consumed the most fruits and vegetables had the lowest risk of death during the five-year study period.

Take Action for a Longer Life

To boost your life expectancy, consider adopting the following habits:

• Limit your TV viewing time
• Stand up and move around more throughout the day
• Swap sitting for activities that engage your muscles
• Quit smoking
• Exercise for at least 20 minutes daily
• Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet

You might also want to try jogging on a treadmill while watching TV, instead of sitting on the couch, and snacking on healthy alternatives like carrot sticks rather than chips. By making a few simple changes, you can increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life.