We all want to live longer and do so with a good quality of life. However, not all of us are able to understand that to achieve this deep and sustained changes must be made over time. Bragging about longevity is the result of having done things well for a long time. Small gestures here and there are not enough. You have to be constant.
And it is not easy because many times our world is set in such a way that it drags us down and makes us lose perspective. We receive confusing messages about what to do and what not to do, and we make conflicting decisions.
We are encouraged to exercise and incorporate healthy foods, but we can go to the gym two or three times a week and still be sedentary who train. And we can eat fruits and vegetables and abuse sugary drinks and alcohol. Be careful, we do not want to say that it is bad, simply that it may not be enough.
It is clear that if we did not do any physical activity and ate ultra-processed foods we would be worse off, but to live longer we must try to seek excellence more frequently. There may be those who think that it is exhausting, but that is the key: we must try to make sure that it is not forced, that flow naturally.
There is no miracle cure
In this sense, Dan Buettner, journalist, writer, National Geographic explorer and creator of the so-called blue zones, regions of the planet with a longer life expectancy and a higher than average proportion of centenarians, ensures that it is necessary to understand that there are no shortcuts.
“The mistake we make when we talk about longevity is thinking that there is a magic pill or an elixir of eternal youth. That there are some anti-aging products, supplements or superfoods that help us. But they don’t exist,” he says.
“The only way to live longer is to make small improvements in your lifestyle every day and maintain them over time. The only way to achieve this is to create an environment conducive to success: daily habits, nutritious foods, a supportive community and moving naturally,” he adds.
And one of the world’s leading longevity experts explains that it is about “shaping our environment so that our unconscious decisions are better.” “Trying to intentionally maintain a habit for years or decades thinking that we are masters of the discipline is not going to work. Mentalizing ourselves to do the right exercise and eat the right food is not going to work,” he says.
“What you should do,” he concludes, “is create an environment that helps you thrive, small and constant changes make a big difference over timebut they should not be forced. They should be changes that invite you to move more, eat better and have better mental health. Yes“It’s about shaping your environment and having a purpose so you can live a hundred years.”
And that is precisely what happens in that map of longevity of which Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Icaria (Greece), Loma Linda (California, USA) and the Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica) are part. Its inhabitants do not join the gym, do yoga or CrossFit or take creatine, collagen or multivitamin complexes.
It’s all much simpler. Everything flows naturally and It is the adaptation to the environment and how they relate to it that determines their existence. They walk, cultivate their gardens, take care of their gardens, rely on their family and friends, do not stress and eat local and seasonal foods. Everything very normal. It makes a lot of sense.
Álvaro Piqueras is a sports expert and in the last five years he has specialized in fitness, nutrition and other health topics. Try to stay up to date with new research and trends in the fields you master to be able to rigorously share the training routine that can inspire a change in your habits, the properties of the foods that should be part of your diet or scientific findings that can improve the physical and mental well-being of people like you.
He began his career in local and regional media in the land of Don Quixote, specifically in Albacete. From there he made the leap to national media after an enriching stint at a wonderful independent advertising agency named after a Beatles song (GettingBetter), although he always kept his journalistic vocation intact.
Hence, he pursued his dream of working for one of the main publishing groups in the country such as Prisa, Vocento and now also Hearst. Perhaps you have read him in the digital version of Diario As, addressing countless topics, or in ABC and other newspapers and magazines of the group, preparing branded content reports for large brands, multinationals and institutions. And if you haven’t had the chance, now is the time to do it at Men’s Health and Runner’s World.
As it could not be otherwise, he confesses to being a lover of sports and from a very young age he has tried disciplines as diverse as athletics, football, basketball, tennis, cycling or swimming. Sometimes feeling the adrenaline of the competition, and other times simply enjoying the benefits of physical activity. Now he has taken up functional exercises and boxing because he is certain that the bag is incapable of hitting him back.
Graduated in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Alicante, he also has specific training in social media management and direction, strategic planning and graphic design. Lately he has delved into the universe of generative artificial intelligence applied to journalism, but he swears and perjures that he does not use it professionally because, among other considerations, he continues to enjoy every word he writes after 20 years of experience in the communication sector.