A study published in the October 2007 Journal of Gerontology revealed that people aged 65 to 85 with exceptional health shared these traits:

• They’re married and have at least a high school edcation
• They’re physically active and have a positive outlook
• They’ve never smoked and they drink moderately

Canadian and U.S. researchers followed a randomly selected group of 2,400 Canadians for 10 years to discover clues as to what makes older people thrive. The study’s author, Mark S. Kaplan, professor of community health at Portland State University, stated that even though it’s best to start good habits early, there’s significant evidence indicating that quitting bad habits (like smoking) at any age reduces risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease.