How to be a super-ager

With the help of these simple, science-backed habits you could live a longer, healthier and happier life.

- WORDS by SARAH MARINOS

The average life expectancy in Australia and New Zealand is around 83 years – a marked improvement on 50 years ago when most of us could expect to live until about 73 years of age. Innovations in medical technology, high healthcare standards, good nutrition and falling smoking rates are just a few of the reasons why many of us are reaching our eighties and beyond.

But what else can we do to give ourselves the best chance of living a little longer and stronger? We asked some leading medical experts for their top advice.

Be happy

Whoever said laughter is the best medicine was right. A Norwegian study of more than 50,000 people found a link between having a sense of humour and living well beyond retirement.

For women, being able to laugh at life was associated with a 73 per cent lower risk of dying from heart disease. Laughter boosts oxygen in the blood, triggers the release of feelgood endorphins and decreases stress hormones. It’s also involved with releasing T-cells that strengthen our immune system.

“If you wake up feeling happy, you’re more likely to engage in positive behaviours – you might go for a walk, eat well, be kind to loved ones and be more productive. Happiness flows to every other area of our life,” says Dr Tim Sharp, founder of The Happiness Institute.

Check your eyes and ears

It’s perhaps a lesser-known fact that poor hearing and vision are risk factors for dementia. People with mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia compared to people with normal hearing, while severe hearing loss increases the risk fivefold.

"Hearing and vision loss are both risk factors for dementia, maybe because people don't get as much environmental stimulation. We don't know the exact mechanisms yet, but optimising your hearing and vision is important," says Associate Professor Michael Woodward, Director Aged Care Research, Austin Health.