Emotional well-being can be just as important as physical health for longevity, new study finds

CNN —

When it comes to aging and healthy living, we're often given the same advice: Eat better, exercise every day and sleep more. But solely focusing on your physical health isn't enough to achieve longevity, a new study has found.

Researchers looked at older adults' optimal well-being, which they define as having social support; positive perceptions of aging, physical and mental health, happiness, and life satisfaction; and the ability to carry out daily activities without severe limitations. Advertisement

"Our study of over 8,000 older adults found that many who were not in optimal well-being at the start of the study were able to regain it within just three years," said Dr. Mabel Ho, the study's first author, in an email, referring to the 1 in 4 older adults whose health significan