Whether or not you’re a New Hampshire business owner, you no doubt want to live for as many years as possible as long as you’ve got a decent quality of life and enough income to support yourself. On January 4, 2024, the New York Times published as article entitled “The 7 Keys to Longevity.” It’s a good article, based on extensive consultations by its authors with leading gerontologists. In the paragraphs below, I’ll try capture its key points (and add some thoughts of my own).

1. Get plenty of exercise. The biggest single way to add years to your life is to exercise. I’m lucky: I live in a hilly neighborhood. If I just walk up and down Rum Hill Road a few times a week, that’s plenty of exercise. And there are the planks, the push-ups, the weightlifting, if I can force myself to do them.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Blueberries, strawberries, bananas. Asparagus, carrots, and yes, broccoli. Note to former president George W. Bush (who famously voiced his disdain for broccoli): Eat your broccoli.

3. Get enough sleep. For many people, this means seven to nine hours of sleep every night. For many people, it means not watching TV or using a tablet or smartphone after you hit the sack. And if you’re trying to get to sleep, don’t think about politics. If you do, you might never get to sleep.

4. Don’t smoke, and don’t drink too much. If you smoke, think about stopping, no matter what your age. Smoking kills. As for drinking: A good beer or a good glass of wine every night will be fine. But as your mother always told you: Sip. Don’t guzzle.

5. Manage your chronic health conditions. According to the Times, nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure; about 40 percent have high cholesterol; and more than one-third have higher than normal blood sugar — i.e., they are pre-diabetic. Talk with your primary care physician about your medical conditions and do what they tell you in order to deal with them. If you don’t have a PCP, use Google search to check out good health advice websites about your health — for example, the Mayo Clinic or Harvard Medical School websites.

6. Prioritize your friendships. Next to health, the best thing in life is friendship. Gerontologists want you to have friends in order to extend your life. But friendships take work. You have to regularly set up meetings with your friends in person or via Zoom. You have to always be figuring out how to help them.

7. Think positively. Optimism can add years to your life.