This essay reviews Claire Steve’s presentation on TED Talks which discusses healthy living. Claire is a Geriatrician consultant and senior lecturer at Kings College London. In this video, Claire talks about healthy aging and factors that determine an individual’s lifespan and rate of aging. According to Claire, the most significant factor determining the aging rate, mental and physical health is an individual lifestyle consisting of healthy diets and physical exercise. She focuses on mental illnesses as one gets old and approaches to avoid or reduce the chances of having mental illnesses. Claire states the importance of aerobic exercise to one’s mental health, particularly in older people. Aerobic improves cognitive scores, psychological and physical fitness, reduces empty spaces in the brain, and reduces risks of mental illnesses such as dementia.
The speaker demonstrates how different lifestyles affect aging by comparing identical twins who age differently. The twin who exercises regularly looks younger, with more white and grey matter in the brain, and shows physical fitness than the other twin. Claire also gives the audience ideas on how to start exercising regardless of age and busy schedules limiting one’s time. She recommends short walks and using stairs and insists that the key to achieving fitness is consistency in exercising. All in all, Claire encourages everyone to exercise for better health and physical fitness.
I agree with Claire that individual lifestyle significantly influences a person’s mental health, physical fitness, and longevity. Lifestyle factors affect individuals’ mental health directly or indirectly by affecting brain development. Eating a healthy diet improves brain structure and enhances cognitive functions. Eating habits also influence individual moods, anger management, controls stress levels, and social anxiety. Consistent Exercising enhances both physical and mental health by regulating and balancing hormones in the body. Generally, individuals who exercise more and have healthy eating habits look younger than their physiological ages and have a fewer risk of acquiring mental illnesses.