Bear with me… 🐻

Ever heard of Tom Brady?

If not, he’s the all-star American football player. A master of his sport.

The G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time for those of us not down with the kids).

Aged 43, with his class peers all long since retired, he won the Super Bowl (think the Champions League or Wimbledon of American Football) with a brand new team.

It would be convenient to think Brady came preloaded with some unattainable, far-fetched genetic gift not accessible to me or you. It makes me feel better about not making it off the couch for a run for the last six months, anyway.

The simple truth may be more banal. His longevity may just be the product of better habits than yours and mine.

But what can we learn from Brady when it comes to our longevity, whether at home or work or life in general? A lot of it comes down to self discipline.

As Brady said: “If I don’t really work at it … and if I don’t play to my strengths, I’m a very average football player”.

That’s all well and good for the sports superstars, but how does this translate to day-to-day life for the rest of us? Well, discipline in life’s most basic habits is where we can find longevity.

Read on for our list of areas where care and attention can really pay off in the long-term:

1. Get regular health checkups – whether that’s checking in with your mental health with loved ones, or acting early on any physical signs of concern.
2. Let food be thy medicine. Getting in your five a day is still one of the best ways of reducing the risk of serious health problems.
3. …and on that note, try and stick to an eating routine: eat early, and less often throughout the day.
4. Get moving. Yes, walking counts – try and hit that step count every day if nothing else).
5. Constantly work on quitting bad habits. What can you drop today that you’ll thank yourself for in six months?
6. Make sleep your superpower. 7-9 hours a night is ideal – any less than this and you may begin to notice a change in your mental and physical condition.

“If I don’t really work at it … and if I don’t play to my strengths, I’m a very average football player”