"Live Longer, Live Better: 4 Essential Health Tips"

 4 Tips to Live a Longer, Healthier Life

 

 At this week's Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, women's health leaders were in attendance with no shortage of advice for those looking to improve their life expectancy and health. 

During a panel discussion on how women can reclaim  midlife, Debra Whitman, executive vice president and chief public policy officer at AARP and author of The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond, shared four things: This is for anyone, not just women, who wants to live a longer, healthier life. 

1 ,Maintain healthy habits 

Whitman told Fortune during the MPW Summit that the foundation for a long, healthy life always comes from the basics: not drinking too much, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising. These habits alone can help you live 10 years longer while  improving your overall health, she said. 

2, Strong relationships are essential 

Whitman pointed to one of the largest  studies on healthy aging by Harvard University, which found that participants with the best health outcomes had "really strong relationships and friendships" throughout their lives. 

3, Have a goal

Having a goal "can cut your risk of dying in half," Whitman said.

 Studies have shown that having a  purpose improves sleep,  immune systems and stress levels, according to the Mayo Clinic. Each of these three factors plays a key role in your overall health and longevity. It  also leads to a greater overall sense of fulfillment and purpose in your daily life. 

4, Think positively about aging 

One of the most important things Whitman says people should do is change their attitude towards aging. He says people who think positively about  aging are healthier, have a  lower risk of heart attack and dementia, and have larger brain volume.  

A Harvard study of more than 14,000 adults supports Whitman's statement. Participants who were most satisfied with aging had a 43% lower risk of dying from any cause within four years compared to those who were  least satisfied.    best  you can do for your health is to change the way you think about your future.

More information on "good aging": 

• Middle-aged women can thrive in the second half of life if they do these three things 
• The best places to retire in America are based on these four key factors 
• Why Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran "should have seen a psychologist" while caring for her mother with Alzheimer's