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Lifepedia - Health insurance - Longevity

Scoring a victory for longevity

How smarter lifestyle choices can influence your genes and enable you to live longer

09 Sep 2025
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Scoring a victory for longevity

You might have heard this compliment before. It’s common to attribute a person’s youthful appearance or physical fitness to genetics. In fact, we often assumethat older people who remain physically fit and active are simply lucky by virtue of their genes.

The good news? Our genetics do not determine our destiny. Our genes respond to our lifestyle choices, and every choice we make can put us closer to a longand healthy life.1

  1. If life is a video game and longevity is the goal, then our genetic makeup is the starting point of the game.
  2. Our genes can put us at an advantage or a disadvantage at the beginning, but victory is up to us.
  3. The everyday choices we make as we grow older can influence our genes and put us ahead in the game.
  4. "Bio-hacking" is a simple and popular strategy to help you live longer and better. By making good lifestyle choices early in life, you can"switch on" good genes in your body. This gives your body a better chance to ward off chronic diseases, maintain your cognitive function, and achieve a longer lifespan

    5.  

    Ready to live a longer, better life? Let’s dive in.

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Simply put, habits compound. Settingup a foundation to a long and healthy life is a long game. It's not just about the good things you do today or tomorrow, but your commitment to sustain these positive choices for days, months, and years to come. 

As you go about your day, think about these key lifestyle activities, and use these questions to measure how well you've been doing them. 

 

  1. Are you getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day?3
  2. Do you feel alert and well-rested in the morning?
  3. Have you been limiting your digital screentime to 1 hour before bedtime?4
  4. Have you been maintaining a cool and uncluttered sleeping environment?

 
  1. Have you been eating a balanced meal that includes whole grains, vegetables, fruit, fish, and white meat?5
  2. Have you been limiting your sugar intake to a maximum of 10 teaspoons daily?6
  3. Have you been limiting your salt intake to a maximum of 2000 mg daily?6
  4. Have you been moderating your usage of sauces, oils, and condiments?7
  1. Have you been doing 30 minutes of light exercises 6 days a week? For older individuals, this can increase life expectancy by more than 40%!8
  2. Are you getting 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity like brisk walking or 75 minutes of aerobic activity like jogging?8
  3. Are you maintaining your "softer skills" like balance and flexibility?9
  1. Are you getting constant mental stimulation through puzzles, word games, and problem solving?10
  2. Are you socialising you're your family and friends regularly?10
  3. Are you an active part of the community (through voluteering, game nights or community classes)?10
  4. Are you learning new skills or languages?10
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Living a good life isnt just about making it to old age. It's about staying healthy, happy, independent, and connected to your loved ones.

To maintain this quality of life, you will need to pay more attention to what your body is saying. Make annual check-ups part of your health journey and commit to healthier habits by eating, sleeping, and exercising well. Remember, it's al about the long game. 

Make financial health part of your wellness journey too. With a robust health insurance policy that protects againts critical illnesses, you will enjoy greater peace of mind as you age, knowing that you have the means to support your healthcare needs should you need it. 

Great Supreme Health, a Medisave-approved Integrated Shield Plan, lets you manage life's milestones with the assurance that you'll have access to affordable, quality healthcare. Combines with GREAT TotalCare, this range of plans provides coverage for up to 95% of your total hospitalisation bills for life. 

For more tips, insights and recommendations on achieving longevity in life, check out our latest articles on Lifepedia!

Sources:

  1. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/want-to-live-longer-influence-your-genes
  2. https://www.nccs.com.sg/your-care/about-cancer/cancer-statistics
  3. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/23/health/sleep-longevity-study-wellness/index.html
  4. https://www.calm.com/blog/screen-time-before-bed
  5. https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/nutrition-hub/eat-more
  6. https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/nutrition-hub/eat-less
  7. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/nutrigrade-label-salt-sauces-sodium-saturated-fat-4560471
  8. https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/never-too-late-to-start-seniors-exercise
  9. https://www.gq.com/story/flexibility-longevity
  10. https://www.healthhub.sg/well-being-and-lifestyle/mental-wellness/embracing-the-golden-age
  11. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20241002-singapore-the-worlds-sixth-blue-zone
  12. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/residents-turn-community-farmers-in-jurong-s-first-rooftop-allotment-garden-at-hdb-carpark
  13. https://www.hpb.gov.sg/newsroom/article/eating-for-healthy-ageing
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