Want to live longer? Check out these ten unusual ways to extend your longevity.
1. Wait Longer to Retire
While an early retirement sounds appealing, it may wind up leading to an early demise. Greek researchers found that waiting an additional 5 years to retire resulted in a 10% decrease in mortality in that time period.
2. Floss
In addition to keeping your pearly whites looking good into old age, flossing on a daily basis can actually help prevent heart disease. While the causal relationship isn’t entirely clear, people with gum disease are twice as likely to have heart problems as those with a healthy mouth.
3. Have More Sex
Sounds fun, right? Researchers found that men who had high orgasmic frequency had a 50% lower mortality rate within ten years of the study than men who had a lower orgasmic frequency.
4. Surround Yourself with Plants
Keeping ornamental plants around your home or office may be a very healthy decision. In addition to giving your mood a boost, certain indoor plants may actually help pull pollutants out of the air, meaning that you’ll be exposed to fewer carcinogens and will be at less risk for respiratory issues.
5. Move to the Country
Leaving the city may do very good things for your longevity. A study of life expectancy in rural and urban areas of England between 2001 and 2007 found that those who lived in rural areas tended to live longer than their city counterparts.
6. Eat a Mediterranean Diet
A study published earlier this year found that individuals who followed a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil or nuts were less likely to experience a cardiovascular event than individuals who followed a low-fat diet.
7. Have More Kids
A 2011 study found that women in California who had at least four children were less likely to experience death due to stroke or cardiovascular disease than women who had fewer children.