Read the passage.

excerpt from "can you lengthen your life? researchers explore how to stay healthy longer" from nih news in health, june 2016

want the secret to living a longer and healthier life? scientists have found ways to prolong the healthy lifespans of worms, mice, and even monkeys. their work has revealed exciting new clues about the biology of aging. but solid evidence still shows that the best way to boost the chance of living a long and active life is to follow the advice you likely heard from your parents: eat well, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and stay away from bad habits.

people born in the u. s. today can expect to live to an average age of about 79. a century ago, life expectancy was closer to 54. “we’ve had a significant increase in lifespan over the last century,” says dr. marie bernard, deputy director of nih’s national institute on aging. “now if you make it to age 65, the likelihood that you’ll make it to 85 is very high. and if you make it to 85, the likelihood that you’ll make it to 92 is very high. so people are living longer, and it’s happening across the globe.”

older people tend to be healthier nowadays, too. research has shown that healthful behaviors can you stay active and healthy into your 60s, 70s, and beyond. in fact, a long-term study of seventh-day adventists—a religious group with a generally healthy lifestyle—shows that they tend to remain healthier into old age. their life expectancy is nearly 10 years longer on average than most americans. the adventists’ age-enhancing behaviors include regular exercise, a vegetarian diet, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight.

“if i had to rank behaviors in terms of priority, i’d say that exercise is the most important thing associated with living longer and healthier,” says dr. luigi ferrucci, an nih geriatrician who oversees research on aging and health. “exercise is especially important for lengthening active life expectancy, which is life without disease and without physical and mental/thinking disability.”

natural changes to the body as we age can lead to a gradual loss of muscle, reduced energy, and achy joints. these changes may make it tempting to move less and sit more. but doing that can raise your risk for disease, disability, and even death. it’s important to work with a doctor to find the types of physical activity that can you maintain your health and mobility.

wise choices
stay healthy at 50+
get moving. exercise can reduce the risk for age-related diseases and disability. get inspiration from nih’s
eat a healthy diet. get tips at
pay attention to weight and shape. extra weight, especially at the waist or with muscle loss, can raise health risks. talk to your doctor about weight concerns.
don’t smoke or use tobacco.
keep your brain active. get tips for a healthy brain at
be good to yourself. get enough sleep. stay in touch with family and friends. and surround yourself with people you enjoy.
get regular medical checkups.

how does the sidebar reinforce the idea that people can increase the length of their lives?

it encourages readers to learn more about this topic by providing potential research topics.

it simplifies the main idea of the article into a list of suggestions for living a longer, fuller life.

it defines difficult terms to ensure that readers comprehend the main idea of the article.

it organizes the main ideas of the text chronologically so readers don’t have to read the article to understand it.