Longevity requires making good choices about your physical, mental and financial health

Do you want to enjoy life more and for longer? I was recently struck by a couple of high-profile examples of super successful people in their 70s and 80s working hard and loving it!

This summer, my wife, two of my teenage kids and I went to Foxborough, Mass., for a Rolling Stones concert. The band, led by 80-year-old Mick Jagger, opened with the classic “Start Me Up” and played nearly three hours to a sold-out arena.

Last year we attended a Bruce Springsteen show, and the energy displayed by Bruce made it hard to believe he is in his mid-70s. We can’t all be rock stars like Mick or Bruce, tirelessly performing into our 70s and 80s, but their high energy level serves as an inspiration for what is possible in our own careers.

What the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and many other aging performers have in common is that there is still demand for their music both online and in live performances. Why stop live shows if you love it and your fans want more?

It takes a lot of stamina to perform for two to three hours without a break, and these stars are in tip-top shape. They invest in trainers, nutritionists, etc., and those are wise investments toward extending longevity.

For a long time, the conventional wisdom was that genetics were the biggest factor affecting longevity, but as data is being collected and analyzed, it is now believed that genetics account for only about 25% of life span, meaning that about 75% is influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors. Some studies even claim that the choices we make account for more than 90% of our life span.

Once our financial planning clients’ finances are in good order, the best advice we can give is to encourage them to invest in themselves, and there’s always room for improvement.

The improvement can be in nutrition and exercise, but also in mental health as chronic stress and poor mental health can take a serious toll. The health investment can also be in the form of adventure such as traveling or taking on a new activity or hobby. Plenty of social activities can be crucial as those with strong relationships in their lives also see an increase in longevity.

Many of our clients love the work they do and have no desire to completely retire or disengage. For these people, it’s imperative that they make investments in their health. Eating nutrient-rich food and reducing or eliminating sugars and chemical preservatives can add up to 10 quality years to one’s life, and adding in an active lifestyle can further increase those quality years.

It is not enough just to show up to the office and punch in and collect a paycheck. The highest achievers and those that get the most satisfaction from their work develop expertise in something, and as they age, they hone those skills. If managed properly, they lead to higher income for an employed executive or business profit for an entrepreneur.

When challenged, these leaders can solve problems and present solutions using their years of experience and thus earn their pay. It is more the level of engagement in work that leads to improvements in the quality of life than just the work itself.

There is a strong correlation between meaningful work and longevity, and for many, retirement is the beginning of mental and physical decline. Some industries have mandatory retirement ages, and some work is difficult to continue beyond normal retirement age. Especially for those people, planning needs to begin many years and possibly decades prior to retirement age. Meaningful work is personally and socially rewarding. Remaining in the workforce can aid longevity as those working beyond normal retirement age have been found to have lower incidents of dementia, depression and obesity, according to a Boston College study.

Hopefully, your current occupation or business is contributing to your well-being beyond just financially. If not, it might serve you well to explore alternatives. With improvement in treatment for all sorts of health ailments being developed, we must be prepared for longer and healthier life spans, and 50- or 60-year careers may replace the current 40-year career.

The work I do as a certified financial planner is rewarding, and I love the meaningful engagements I have with clients. Currently in my mid-50s, I am planning an extended career in this field possibly well into my 70s and beyond.

While I’ll never reach the kind of audiences of the Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen, our firm does manage the finances for hundreds of clients. The important thing is that I’ll do my best to be a “rock star” at making a positive difference in our clients’ lives.

Daniel Cohen, a certified financial planner, is CEO and chief investment officer at Cohen Investment Advisors, a registered investment advisory firm in Bedford.