1 . When I was a child, I always wanted to be a superhero. I wanted to save the world and make everyone happy. But I knew that I’d need superpowers to make my dreams come true. So I used to embark on these imaginary journeys to find intergalactic (星系之间的) objects from planet Krypton, but didn’t yield much result. When I grew up and realized that science fiction was not a good source for superpowers, I decided instead to embark on a journey of real science, to find a more useful truth.

I started my journey in California, with a UC Berkeley 30-year longitudinal study that examined the photos of students in an old yearbook, and tried to measure their success and well-being throughout their life.By measuring the students’ smiles, researchers were able to predict how fulfilling and long-lasting a subject’s marriage would be, how well they would score on standardized tests of well-being, and how inspiring they would be to others.

Another aha moment came from a 2010 Wayne State University span research project that looked into pre-1950s baseball cards of Major League players. The researchers found that the span of a player’s smile could actually assist to predict the span of his life. Players who didn’t smile in their pictures lived an average of only 72.9 years, while players with beaming smiles lived an average of almost 80 years.

British researchers found that one smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate. Wait — The same study found that smiling is as stimulating as receiving up to £16,000 in cash. That’s like $25,000 a smile. It’s not bad. And think about it this way: 25,000 times 400 — children smile as many as 400 times per day — quite a few kids out there feel like Mark Zuckerberg every day.

So whenever you want to tap into a superpower that will help you and everyone around you live a longer, healthier, happier life, smile.

2 . Household chores (家务活) may contribute to healthy aging, according to a study published in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers from Singapore found that regular physical activity, including tasks like dusting, scrubbing floors, and washing windows, can improve physical and mental health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and decrease falls, immobility, dependency, and mortality among older adults.

The study involved 249 participants aged 21 to 64 and 240 participants aged 65 to 90. Participants completed cognitive (认知) function tests and physical capability assessments. They were asked about their levels of physical activity, including light housework (such as dusting) and heavy housework (such as floor-scrubbing). The researchers found that older adults who engaged in high amounts of heavy housework had higher cognitive and attention scores compared to those who did low levels or no heavy housework at all. These participants also had lower sit-to-stand times and were at a lower risk of falling. Similarly, older adults who reported high levels of light housework had higher cognitive and memory scores compared to those who did low levels of such tasks.

Dr. Shiou-Liang Wee, co-author of the research, emphasized that health messaging on staying active should not only focus on recreational physical activities. He highlighted that housework is a purposeful activity performed by many older adults and is linked to sharper memory and better fall protection.

However, experts urge caution when interpreting the study’s findings. Professor Gill Livingston from University College London noted that people who are not well may be expected to do less housework, and the study did not establish a causal relationship between housework and health outcomes. Professor Charlie Foster from the University of Bristol highlighted that the study relied on self-reported levels of household chores, which may be inaccurate, and did not fully consider other factors that could influence the results. While the study suggests that household chore may have benefits for older adults’ health, further research is needed to better understand the relationship between housework and healthy aging.

4 . Parkinson’s is a progressive brain disease which leads to shaky hands and slow movement, and there is no cure. Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art that combines (结合) slow, gentle movements with deep breathing and relaxation, may be an effective means of reducing the suffering. Recently, the researchers say that those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications (并发症) and better quality of life than those who didn’t. Experts say the findings back up previous studies on the benefits of exercise for those with Parkinson’s.

The study, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, monitored the health of hundreds of Parkinson’s patients for up to five years. One group of 147 people practised regular Tai Chi while another group of 187 did not. The researchers found that the disease progressed more slowly in the Tai Chi group on measurements of symptoms (症状), movement and balance. This group also saw fewer falls, less back pain and dizziness, with memory and concentration problems also lower than in the other group. At the same time, sleep and quality of life continuously improved.

Prof. Alastair Noyce, professor in neurology and neuroepidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, called it “an important study”—the positive effects on aspects of motor (运动的) and non-motor functions are impressive — but said there were limitations in its design, and more tests were needed.

“We already recommend Tai Chi, as well as other forms of exercise, but understanding which forms of exercise are most beneficial is an important goal to improve the long-term management of patients,” he said.

5 . How to enhance your immunity during the winter months?

As the temperatures drop and flu and cold season approaches, we need to start thinking about looking after our immune (免疫) health.    1    .

There is strong evidence that sleep enhances immune defence. Try to aim for between seven and nine hours of good quality, restorative sleep every night.     2     . Develop a relaxing bedtime routine and avoid screen time around 90 minutes before you sleep.

    3     . It doesn’t matter whether it is volunteering in the community, picking up the shopping for an elderly neighbour, maintaining your friendships or making quality time for your friends and family.

    4    .

Regular exercise improves heart health, lowers blood pressure, helps maintain healthy body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases including viral and bacterial infections.

The relationship between smoking and/or extra alcohol consumption and bad immune-related health effects such as inability to pneumonia is well documented.     5    . Try to avoid or reduce risky substances such as alcohol as these have a negative impact on immune health.

8 . It’s December and there’s a definite chill in the air. The last thing you probably feel like doing in winter is opening a window, turning down the central heating and shifting workouts from a warm, cosy gym to the outdoors.       1     Here’s how experts say we can embrace it.   

Hop off the treadmill (跑步机) and head outdoors for a greater fitness effect. Cold as it seems outdoors, running, cycling or walking in winter not only are good for you, but also make you feel easier once you get moving. Provided conditions are not freezing, our bodies tend to respond positively to colder weather workouts. Compared with exercising in the heat, there is less stress on the heart.     2    

Cool your bedroom to burn extra calories and sleep well. Underfloor heating and a quilt might make your bedroom feel cosy but they won’t help you sleep.    3    By gradually cooling the temperature in your bedroom you could drop off more easily and burn more calories even as you sleep.   

Turn down the central heating to improve your blood sugar control. Studies have shown how repeated exposure to colder temperatures removes sugar from the blood quickly, a risk factor for diabetes (糖尿病).     4     That would just make the household cold and uncomfortable, so we should reduce it slowly so that nobody notices.   

    5     One of the simplest ways to inject the benefits of colder temperatures into your lifestyle is cold water in the shower, which could potentially have a profound effect on mood. Additionally, the cold-water shower can stimulate leukocytes, blood cells that fight against infection.