Friday, April 10, 2009

4 Ways to Live Longer

I read a fantastic article in Good House Keeping (March 09) last night; "4 Ways to Live Longer". It goes right along with the happiness blogs that I’ve been writing. It seems that these happiness habits will help you live longer as well! According to Gary Small (M.D., director of the Center on Aging at UCLA), “There’s good evidence that emotional, spiritual, and social factors are all important for longevity”. The article provides evidence that people live longer if they maintain positive attitudes, volunteer, attend church and have strong social connections. What caught my attention was the fact that volunteering is compared to working out 4 times a week. Helping others, like working out, boosts the bodies antibodies positively effecting our immune system, brain and hormones. So let's get out there, people, and live long and happy lives!