If you want to live longer, you must develop these two habits

Everyone wants to live a long and healthy life, but it’s not always easy. Joseph Antoun, a renowned doctor who also owns a company focused on longevity, explains what it takes to achieve this.

Dr. Antoine said exercise is essential for healthy aging. While drawing attention to muscle loss, slowing metabolism and weight gain after age 40, he said these are two important habits that must be developed.

Dr. Antoun believes what needs to be done for a long and healthy life:

1. 10,000 steps a day

Walking is an exercise often recommended by experts and studies and is one of the recommendations of Dr. Antoun for healthy longevity. Antoun walks 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. The famous doctor considers exercise as one of the foundations of healthy aging.

As we age, our muscles become organs of longevity, Antoine says: “Once you hit 40, you naturally start to lose muscle, your pace slows down, and your body burns fewer calories. This can lead to weight gain and put a person at risk for health problems like type 2 diabetes.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle, strength and function) is a significant factor in the increase in falls, frailty and fractures in older adults, which can lead to difficulty performing daily tasks and a loss of independence.

That’s why Dr. Antoun believes taking action is extremely important. Antoun’s goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day: “I’ve been in Los Angeles for six and a half years and never owned a car. He walks to work every day and attends many meetings while out and about with headphones on.”

A 2023 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology examined data up to 20,000 steps per day and found that walking 4,000 steps a day was associated with a lower risk of premature death from any cause, and the more a person walked, the lower the risk.

One of the study’s authors told The New York Times that switching from a sedentary lifestyle to an exercise program is like the difference between smoking and not smoking.

2. Strength training

Antoine works out three to four times a week and always incorporates strength training into his regimen. A 2022 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, based on data from more than 400,000 American adults, found that participants who combined aerobic exercise with strength training were less likely to die prematurely than those who only did the same type of exercise.

Antoun also lifts weights for 45 minutes three to four times a week to maintain muscle strength.

He challenges himself by running briskly on the treadmill. Other times he plays basketball or tennis for about 30 minutes. He notes that it’s a good way to combine exercise with social connection, another pillar of longevity.

In fact, a study conducted in Ireland found that Dr. Antoun’s socializing effect is borne out. The researchers found that friendships may be as important as exercise for longevity.