All over the internet and other forms of publications today, there are a thousand and one pieces of advice about what it takes to live a long, healthy and fulfilling life.

Many of them say eating well, managing your stress level and exercising regularly is the key to the longevity of life. However, recent research seems to prove that it takes much more than these to live long and well.

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Myths about living long

Among other things, it is important to note that research data has proven that to a large extent, what it will take for anyone to live long really does lie in their hands.

Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin did a study on why certain people lived much longer than others in their "The Longevity Project." They gathered their information from over 1500 individuals who were over the age of 80.

They discovered that those who lived longer weren’t just concerned about what they ate and how they exercised regularly. Most of them were people who were actively involved in some form of community service that was greater than themselves.

He told "TODAY" that he discovered those who lived longer always lived a life that was dedicated to people and things beyond themselves.

Lifestyle changes to help you live long

Based on the results of Friedman’s research, here are three key lifestyle changes you can make to increase your chances of living as long as Kirk Douglas.

1. Stay physically active

Before you get all into the regular exercise mode, let us clarify that this isn’t exactly what this meant by staying physically active.

It just means that you should regularly get involved with things that get you up and out of your chair.

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2. Take challenges

Whereas many people are of the opinion that staying away from working too hard and taking a lot of holidays is the key to living long, researchers have found that the opposite is more likely to make someone live longer.

Friedman said:

Kirk Douglas’s lifestyle tips

A careful look at the life of Kirk Douglas reveals that he seems to have had access to this research data in some way! Kirk seems to have known that living long and healthy isn’t all about the greens like we may have all been taught.

Instead, he maintains a really healthy lifestyle, being passionate about his job, being a big-time dreamer and a very sociable person too.

So while it is okay and great to eat right and exercise and all that, we should also bear in mind that these alone may not give the result we all seek. We should also put into practice the lifestyle changes suggested by Friedman and his research result.

Do you know of any lifestyle changes that can help people live longer? Why not share them with us in the comments below?