I’ll be honest – I’d love to live to the wonderful age of 100 but ONLY if I’m strong and healthy. Now, I know that’s not guaranteed to anyone, but I’m going to do my best to make sure that I will age healthy and strong.
At only 63 years old, I often wonder how much longer I have simply because there is still SO much I want to do with my life! I hope I have at least another good, strong 20 years ahead of me. Anyway, enough about me.
I’ve been doing some research and found 17 habits for longevity that I’m going to share with you now; most, I already do. And remember, it’s never too late to start taking care of your health!!
I’d love for you to come join me on my YouTube channel, where I discuss all things aging!
17 habits for longevity
After much Googling and reading, here are the top 17 habits for longevity recommended by doctors and longevity experts. I wonder about the latter, though. Would I qualify to be an expert if I lived to 100?
While some of these are fairly simple to implement in your daily schedule, others might be a little harder, especially giving up some bad habits.
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Walk Every Day
Even just 20 to 30 minutes can improve circulation, strengthen your heart, and keep your joints moving. Doctors often recommend walking as one of the easiest ways to stay active and mobile well into your 70s and 80s.
Research shows that people who walk regularly tend to live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease.
Some helpful tips: Skip the elevator, park further away, or take an evening stroll after dinner.
Eat More Plants
Fruits, veggies, beans, and nuts are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that fight aging. Longevity experts point out that the longest-living communities in the world eat mostly plant-based diets.
It’s not about turning into a vegetarian and giving up meat, but adding more plants to your meals can lower inflammation and improve gut health.
Helpful tip: Spend more time in the produce section at the grocery store and buy more colours! Add a plant-based food item to each meal.
Stay Hydrated
This is such a hard one for me. I’m not a fan of water, and I have a hard time drinking it. But water is SO crucial and good for you! It keeps your skin plump, your joints lubricated, and your brain sharp. Doctors say even mild dehydration can affect mood, memory, and energy levels.
Staying hydrated also helps your kidneys flush out toxins more effectively, which supports healthy aging.
Helpful tip: Keep a pitcher of water filled nearby and drink from it throughout the day. Add in a squeeze of lemon or some cucumber slices for more flavour and added benefits!
Get Enough Sleep
Your body needs sleep. Period!!
This is the time for your body to rest, repair and recover. You need to aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Researchers have found that poor sleep shortens life expectancy and increases your risk of dementia, heart problems, and even weight gain.
Quality rest is one of the best anti-aging tools you have.
Helpful sleep tip: Try to keep a consistent routine. Avoid eating at least 3 hours before bed. You can try all-natural sleep aids (like Melatonin) if you have a hard time falling and staying asleep.
Fasting
Whether it be full day, 36, 48 or 72 hours or even Intermittent Fasting, doctors all agree that this is one the best ways to repair and renew your cells.
Fasting triggers a process called autophagy, which is like your body’s natural “clean-up crew.” During this time, old or damaged cells are broken down and replaced with healthier ones.
Fasting tip: Start with a small fasting window, 14:10 and work up to 16:8 or more. Check with your doctor first to see if it’s safe for you. You can do a full day fast once a month. Do what feels good for you and watch how your health improves!
Strength Train Twice a Week
Experts say that after age 50, we lose muscle quickly if we don’t use it. Lifting weights or even simple bodyweight exercises can reduce your risk of falls and keep you feeling strong well into later life.
Helpful tip: Bodyweight exercises like squats, pushups, planks, etc, are enough! If you don’t want to go to the gym, you can work out at home with resistance bands, free weights or even bottles/cans of equal volume!
You can check out this video for more tips on working out at home with no weights.
Laugh More
Laughter really is the best medicine and one of the easiest habits for longevity!. It lowers stress hormones and boosts immunity. Studies show that people who laugh often have better heart health and lower blood pressure.
While it may not add decades, it definitely makes the years you have more enjoyable. And besides, it’s better to laugh at aging than cry about it!
Fun tip: Watch a comedy, swap funny stories, or call that friend who cracks you up.
Practice Gratitude
A positive mindset reduces stress, lowers inflammation, and improves heart health. Researchers have found that people who regularly practice gratitude sleep better, have stronger immune systems, and even show lower rates of depression.
A grateful heart really does keep you younger.
Gratitude tip: Write down 3 things you’re grateful for every morning or evening. Better yet – start a gratitude journal and write in it daily!
Avoid Processed Foods
Sugar, refined carbs, and processed snacks speed up aging and inflammation. Doctors often link diets high in processed foods to diabetes, heart disease, cognitive decline and obesity.
Swapping them out for whole, natural foods will help you age and live stronger and healthier with a lot less inflammation and a drastically reduced risk of heart disease.
Shopping tip: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store where the fresh stuff lives. If you often crave salty, crunchy snacks (or even sweet snacks), do a quick Google or Pinterest search to find healthier alternatives.
Protect Your Skin
The sun is the number one cause of visible aging and skin cancer. Dermatologists say daily use of sunscreen not only keeps wrinkles and spots away but also lowers your risk of skin cancer.
It’s important to apply it even on cloudy days! The sun doesn’t know it’s cloudy, and its harmful rays can still get through!
Sun tip: Daily SPF 30, at the very least, is mandatory. Sunglasses help protect eyes, and a nice, big rimmed hat also helps!
Stay Connected
Loneliness causes more harm than you realize. Research shows that people who maintain strong social ties with friends or family live longer, healthier lives and recover faster from illness.
Social isolation or loneliness is the cause of mental health decline, which, in turn, contributes to physical health decline.
Helpful tip: Reach out to someone at least once a week. Try to stay connected either socially (in person) or online (FaceTime with family and friends). Make an effort to stay social and engaged.
Breathe Deeply
Stress ages you faster than anything. Mindful breathing signals your body to relax, lowering blood pressure and reducing stress hormones.
Doctors often suggest slow, deep breathing as a simple but powerful way to improve both mental and physical health, reduce anxiety and help you stay calm.
Breathing tip: Next time you feel anxious or stressed, stop and breathe – nice and easy, in and out. Breathing will instantly help you calm down. You may also want to include daily meditations if your life is stressful or you suffer from anxiety.
Get Outside in Nature
Get your shoes on and get outside, or better yet, go barefeet and stand in your yard on the grass for 15 minutes! Breathe in that fresh air, feel mother nature on the soles of your feet. And can we talk about that sun? It gives you a natural dose of vitamin D, which supports bone strength and overall health. Longevity experts believe connecting with nature can add quality years to your life.
Nature tip: Aim for at least 20 minutes outdoors a day, whether it’s a walk in the park, gardening, or just sitting in the sun.
Keep Learning
Challenging your brain keeps dementia away and keeps your brain busy and strong!. Studies suggest that lifelong learners have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Whether it’s a new hobby, puzzle, or language, keeping your brain active helps keep you sharp.
Learning tip: You can read an educational book, join a class, use free language learning apps or even brain game apps.
Ditch the Smoking and Excess Alcohol
Well, we already know this, but I can’t have an article on habits for longevity if I don’t talk about quitting smoking or drinking. Doctors warn that even “moderate” smoking and heavy drinking can take years off your life.
Cutting back or quitting altogether can dramatically improve your health at any age. I recently quit smoking after 50 years, and it feels good to be free of that dirty habit.
Quit tip: Quitting smoking is not easy, but it’s not impossible either. Look into hypnosis, Nicotine gum, or other quit methods. I used hypnosis this time, and it worked!
Prioritize Regular Checkups
Early detection saves lives. I mean, you don’t know what you don’t know, and we’re not doctors (and neither is ChatGPT, by the way). Many serious conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers don’t show symptoms until it’s too late.
Longevity experts stress that preventive care is one of the smartest investments you can make in your future health.
Health tip: Make a date on your calendar to call your doctor for a check-up and stick to it. Book your next check-up before you leave his/her office.
Keep Moving!
Beyond exercise, keep your body active by doing things such as gardening, dancing, stretching, and even cleaning. Research shows that people who keep moving throughout the day, not just during workouts, have better mobility and lower risks of chronic disease.
It’s also good for your mental health to keep moving and stay active! You can even try doing some Qi Gong or Tai Chi to help you stay strong and centred.
Fun tip: When was the last time you danced in the kitchen because you wanted to? Put on some music and dance away!
final thoughts on habits for longevity
Aging and growing old are inevitable, but how they unfold is up to you. You can choose to live out your days alone and unhealthy, waiting for death to swoop in and take you away, which, to be honest, sounds icky to me, or you can choose to live out your days happy, strong and healthy and full of life!
Choose wisely!
You don’t need to overhaul your entire lifestyle overnight. Pick a few of these habits, practice them daily, and add more each day. Over time, these habits for longevity will simply become part of your daily routine.
