Traditionally, life span has been at the forefront of aging research for what feels like a millennium. Although substantial improvements in this area of research have found evidence of a variety of factors that can extend life, the quality of that life should be just as significant.
In order to explore how life span and health span differ, it’s also important to understand the substantial differences in each person’s individual biochemistry. General factors can improve health in some ways, but each person may find their own unique needs require a more personalized approach.
Many scientists have sought out answers to these individual variations in our DNA, looking for hereditary trends to predict better results. But your genes are not your destiny.
Instead, the answers to longevity are found in the everyday environmental changes our body experiences each moment. To find a resolution toward optimal health, scientists are now exploring epigenetic factors to examine how your everyday decisions can make a bigger impact on your life ten, twenty, or more years from now.
By considering daily habits, diet, and even mindset in your health journey, you may likely find a more profound recentering of heath that can sustain your life – with quality – in ways that are unique and personalized to you.
Here we’ll unpack the 6 research-backed pillars of longevity for a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life. Let’s dig in.
Moving your body is essential to your physical and mental health as you age. Over time our hormone levels begin to shift, increasing the risk of bone density and muscle mass loss. This loss doesn’t have to be inevitable – it can be counteracted by staying active.
A combination of regular cardio and strength training exercises is best, but the most important thing is you keep moving and engage in exercise that you enjoy. If you love what you’re doing, you’ll want to keep coming back for more, and it will improve your mental health as well.
Strong evidence has shown regular physical activity has beneficial effects on well-being, health, and longevity. If you’re not currently active, starting with even 2-3 times a week will yield big benefits.1
We as humans are social beings by nature, but some cultures may be more isolated. There is a clear connection between increased lifespan seen in cultures with strong social ties. Not only do these communities lead longer lives, but they also report having more fulfillment and joy in their life.2
Stay connected with family, friends, and colleagues as often as possible. It doesn’t have to be a large number of people if that feels overwhelming – having more meaningful relationships with just a few people may be even more valuable in your life.
There are certain dietary patterns associated with long-term health and longevity. In particular, a whole-food diet that is mostly plant-based may be best.
Those who reside in the Blue Zones, specific regions where people tend to live longer than average, tend to eat primarily a plant-based diet with little red meat. These types of whole-food, minimally processed diets appear to be the most closely linked to longevity and improved healthspan.3
However, diet is not necessarily a one-size-fits-all, and employing a personalized diet and supplement regimen can support optimal health. This personalization is also known as precision nutrition.
New research in this area has shown that there is more to our food choices than our own preferences. Beneath the skin (and indeed, on it!) are various microbes that require their own unique diet to help work in synergy with our body to support truly holistic health.
Most people don’t get enough sleep, many times being at the bottom of the priority list. But adequate sleep is key for rest, recovery, and preserving optimal health as you age.
Set yourself up for success by establishing a healthy sleep routine. Going to bed and waking up around the same time each day, limiting blue light and screens before bed, and calming the mind with meditation or reading can help improve your sleep quality.
While some level of stress is part of life and can actually challenge you, chronic or uncontrolled stress can reduce lifespan. This type of stress, in particular, has been shown to speed up the aging process and increase the risk of disease.4
The good news is that you can reduce your daily stress levels with simple lifestyle changes. Many of the other pillars of longevity, such as exercise, getting proper sleep, and eating a nutritious diet, all work together to reduce stress hormone levels and serve as self-care.
Something as simple as taking long, deep breaths can bring your stress down significantly in the moment. If your level of stress is affecting your daily life, consulting with a supportive friend, family member, or therapist can provide guidance on how to best manage it.
It’s easy to move through life just by going through the motions of your daily responsibilities. But having a sense of purpose and intention in life is a necessary feature of longevity.
According to research, there is a strong link between those with a higher sense of purpose and a longer life. This connection was seen across all genders, races, and ethnicities.5
You can create a sense of purpose in your life in several ways – through your paid work, from volunteering, pursuing a new passion, or caring for loved ones. Finding ways to meet new people is another way to gain more purpose, as staying socially connected can do this all on its own.
These 6 key pillars of longevity work in synergy to support healthy aging. By staying active, eating well, prioritizing sleep, reducing stress, maintaining social connections and a sense of purpose, you will be well on your way to a more fulfilling life ahead.
Keep in mind you do not need to apply all of these pillars all at once – adopting even half of these pillars will set you up on the path to improving longevity and experiencing a higher quality of life.
More importantly, adopt these pillars in ways that are specific to you, choosing activities that bring you joy, maintaining and building relationships that support your own growth, and boosting your consumption of foods that enrich not just your genetics, but the entire ever-changing biological system that is you and your microbiome.
Houston, we have a celebration! At 114-years-old a Black woman living in Houston, has just become the oldest living person in America and fifth-oldest person on Earth, according to LongeviQuest and the Gerontology Research Group.
Francis became the new recordholder after California resident Edie Ceccarelli died on February 22 at 116-years-old. Among the people who live beyond the age of 110, or super centenarians, she is only “surpassed by Juan Vicente Perez Mora (Venezuela, 114), Inah Canabarro Lucas (Brazil, 115), Tomiko Itooka (Japan, 115), and Maria Branyas Moera (Spain, 116). Branyas was born several months before Ceccarelli.”
Elizabeth Francis was born in Louisiana on July 25, 1909. For context, this was shortly after William Taft’s presidential inauguration. During her lifetime, Francis has survived both World Wars, two pandemics, saw women gain the right to vote, and lived through segregation to see our nation’s first Black president.
LongeviQuest is an international organization that measures and records what it refers to as “maximum human longevity.” In a press release after her birthday last July, LongeviQuest CEO Ben Meyers stated, “Ms. Elizabeth Francis is admired around the world, both for her longevity and her approach to life…Reaching this milestone was never an aspiration for her, merely a byproduct of how she lived her life every day, doing right by her loved ones and by God. We can all learn from her example.”
Ethel Harrison, Francis’ granddaughter says that “Francis has some memory problems and is confined to her bed, but she’s mentally alert and recognizes her family.”
How did she achieve this feat? Dr. Holly Holmes, a geriatric physician, believes “Francis has done everything right when it comes to living longer…‘Things that we know we need to do like moving more, eating better, having a more plant-based diet, having social connections, avoiding loneliness and isolation.’”
Harrison echoed these sentiments, relaying how, “She tried to do things to stay healthy…Her life basically was pretty simple. She didn’t go out to parties and stuff like that. She was more of a homebody. She would go to church.” In addition, Harrison noted how her grandmother did refrain from smoking or drinking alcohol and that Francis was a regular walker up into her 90s.
But Francis has always attributed her long lifespan to God and saying what’s on her mind. “If the Good Lord gave it to you, use it. Speak your mind, don’t hold your tongue,” Francis says.
And longevity seems to be a family trait. Francis’ sister Bertha Johnson was 106-years-old when she passed away in 2011 and her father made it to 99. Per Western Mass News, “The sisters are among the sibling pairs with the oldest combined age in world history.” In addition, her daughter is 94-years-young, and Harrison who also serves as her caregiver is 68-years-old.
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