What Is It That Makes The Japanese Live Longer?

Japan’s population as a whole is rapidly becoming one of the oldest in the world. By 2025, 3.1 million residents in Tokyo alone will be age 65 or older.

The people of the Nagano area enjoy one of the longest life spans in Japan. For women it’s 87.2 years and for men it’s 80.9 years.

When compared to Hawaii, which has the highest average lifespan age in the United States at 84.7 for women and 78 for men, you have to wonder why the Japanese live longer and what is their secret to longevity?

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What Is It That Makes The Japanese Live Longer?

The area of Nagano in Japan was the home of the 1998 Olympics. The unusual fact about this district is that its local inhabitants are living longer despite some differences from other areas of Japan.

Tucked high in the Alps of Japan, Nagano has long and harsh winters. Land suited for farming is limited and being far away from the coast, they don’t have the access to fresh salt-water fish as often as do other Japanse who live in coastal areas.

With the environment they live in, you wouldn’t expect that kind of longevity, but as it turns out they have certain keys to living longer.

Diet

The people of Nagano weren’t always as healthy as they are now. In 1981, they had the highest rate of strokes in all of Japan. It turns out the cause was from eating a diet high in salt… from pickled vegetables. Once they reduced the amount of sodium they were eating by changing their diet, life expectancy rose by 3.5 years for women and 3 years for men in just 10 years. Now they eat very little salt.

Eating a healthier diet is usually the number one factor that will help you to feel healthier and live longer. You should avoid eating sugary and fatty foods, although it’s okay to enjoy treats every once in a while. If you’re trying to lose weight, a better diet is the key to shedding pounds, which will lead to you feeling healthier and happier.

Preventative Care

The city found various incentives worked as far as getting people in Nagano to get regular medical checkups. Where they shopped started distributing health information as a way of educating people on their health. What they found is that by spending money on the front end, much could be saved in medical costs later. It ended up being a “know your numbers” campaign that improved overall health and longevity.

We often think if there’s no indication of high blood pressure or high blood sugar, then we must be pretty healthy. But, we need to take some other numbers into account for an overall picture of our health. Knowing all of your numbers can give you and your doctor a better picture of your overall health.

Staying Active

The town of Nagano created over 100 walking routes and even regularly sponsors communal walks. They also encourage people to continue working once they reach retirement age or to find a second career to keep them active. Those that have a purpose in life end up being healthier and living longer.

You don’t have to hit the gym every day in order to live longer and be healthier. Your exercise regime can be mixed up in order to make it more interesting and help you to stick to it longer. You can play sports such as tennis or soccer, go swimming with friends and family or even go to a local bar and play ping-pong for an hour or two. Gardening, tidying the house and going for a jog in the evening are all great way to increase your fitness levels, decrease the risk of heart diseases and high blood pressure and live a better life.

Keep Your Mind Active Too

It’s not just about being physically active – you can stay healthier and live longer by giving your brain a workout too. This is particularly important if you aren’t studying or working. You can take part in brain-training exercises or do puzzles such as Sudoku or crosswords which will help your brain to stay active.

Build Healthy Habits And Live Longer (Free Report)

The keys that enable Japanese live longer can work anywhere. It’s just getting people to live by their three rules of longevity: eating a healthy diet, getting regular medical checkups and keeping active. Download my free report, 9 Healthy Things To Help You Live Longer and discover how the choices you make about your lifestyle, diet and exercise will help you live well into your 80s and beyond.