Surprising Results From One of The World’s Longest Longevity Studies

Surprising Results From One of The World’s Longest Longevity Studies

We’ve got surprising results from one of the world’s longest longevity studies. For the past 80 years a group of 1,500 people have had their lives, and their children’s lives combed through by researchers. The journey started when they were children in 1922, when a Stanford professor, named Lewis Terman, pulled them out of their classes and recruited them for his groundbreaking study. Terman followed his group, who became known as the “Termites,” until his death in the 1950’s but other scientists picked up right where he left off. Two of them are psychology professors Howard Freidman and Leslie Martin and they’ve just finished a book breaking down the most important findings in the study. They say their goal wasn’t just to find out how to live longer, it was how to live healthier too. Some of what they found is turning conventional wisdom on its head! Here are the top three surprising things Terman’s termites tell us about living a longer, healthier life:

* Stressed out worrywarts don’t always die young. Why? Because neurotic or conscientious people are less likely to get themselves into dangerous situations. They’re more likely to seek help when they have health issues and remember to take prescriptions. There’s more! Worriers may actually have different brain chemistry that makes them less susceptible to diseases!

* Job stress is also not going to force you into an early grave. The longevity researchers found that even when people don’t LOVE their jobs, the fact that they worked hard at them was a predictor of long life. That's because being productive and engaged indicates health and happiness.

* The final surprising finding: strenuous exercise doesn’t lead to a long life. The authors found that over the long term, doing things you really enjoy, like walking with friends or gardening, will help you stay healthier longer than running marathons.