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There just never seem to be enough hours in the day, but scientists are working on the ultimate solution – helping us to live longer.
Work for longer
It may be tempting to count down the days to retirement, but Kings College London found working into later life keeps the brain active and helps to keep dementia at bay.
A study by the Department of Work and Pensions also found more than 75% of working men aged 55 to 75 thought they enjoyed “excellent health” compared to half of those who stopped working before 65.
Get a blood transfusion
Perhaps vampires are on to something, because scientists at the University of California believe chemicals found in young blood can delay or even reverse the ageing process.
Experiments on mice showed the transfusions could reverse the decline of memory and brain function, with tests on humans expected within five years.
Have a laugh
It seems laughter really is the best medicine as experts at the University of Leeds found a chuckle stimulates the diaphragm, which in turn helps move blood around the body.
Watching just 15 minutes of funny footage can improve blood flow to your heart by 50% by reducing the growth of blood clots and cholesterol deposits, according to researchers at the University of Maryland.
Puzzle it out
Tackling brain teasers for just two hours each week can slow “mental decay”.
New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine say doing two crosswords a day could delay dementia by a year.
Buy some aspirin
A pill a day for 10 years can cut the risk of bowel cancer by 30% and throat and stomach cancer by 25%, according to a study published in the Annals of Oncology.
Eat chocolate
Cocoa and dark chocolate are rich in antioxidants that can help prevent the reactions in the
body that cause heart disease and cancer.
Nap at noon
A 30-minute daytime snooze, three times a week, can reduce your risk of heart disease by 37%.
Greek researchers who monitored more than 23,000 men and women found an afternoon siesta helped to reduce stress that can damage your heart, allowed the body time to repair damaged muscle and aided weight loss.
Floss daily
People suffering gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer heart disease, possibly caused by harmful bacteria in the blood.
Other studies have linked it to strokes, diabetes, lung disease and Alzheimer’s.
Go sick
Staff who soldier on while sick are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack as those who stay home to recover, a 10-year study by University College London found.
Stand up
Stop sitting down: It could be bad for you!
The average Brit now spends 8.9 hours sitting down every day, plus another seven hours sleeping.
This inactivity raises the risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, brittle bones, depression and dementia.
Scientists at Louisiana University, US, found adults who sit for less than three hours per day typically live an extra two years.
Keep calm
Anger: Definitely not good for you!
Men who regularly get angry are twice as likely to have a stroke as those who control their temper, according to the journal Stroke.
Eat breakfast
Breakfast: Don't skip it
Eat breakfast within 90 minutes of waking.
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts found men who waited longer than that were 50% more likely to become obese.
Vacuum every day
Hate housework: Do it anyway
Half an hour of rigorous chores like vacuuming can burn 150 calories and lower blood pressure by 13 points.
Pop a pill
There's a pill for that: A tablet to help you live a longer life
Scientists at leading US research facility, National Institutes of Health, believe they’re closing in on a way to make pills to increase life expectancy by activating a natural protein called sirtuin 1. It has already helped mice live 9% longer.
Take a hike
A study by the University of Athens found that residents in a village at 3,100ft suffered fewer heart attacks and lived longer than their neighbours in low lying areas, because of lower levels of oxygen in the air.
Eat less
Eat less: Simple but effective
Scientists at the Institute of Healthy Ageing at University College London believe eating 40% less prolonged the life of rats by up to 30%, which means we could live 20 years longer.
Cell buster
Wrinkles: They could soon be a thing of the past
Researchers at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic have stopped the signs of ageing, such as wrinkles, cataracts and muscle wasting, by developing a drug to purge the body of “retired” cells that no longer reproduce.
It's in your genes
Focusing on genetic engineering as a way to slow down the body clock, scientists in California have already increased the lifespan of worms fivefold.
This futuristic method is likely to only benefit future generations – however the same research will also be used in evolving gene therapy to tackle killer diseases.
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