Longevity experts say the best way to live longer and healthier is to focus on simple daily habits, not expensive trends or products

5 Science-Backed Tips to Boost Longevity That Won't Cost a Dime Here are their top low-cost tips for healthy aging

• Simple habits can support healthy aging, and they don't have to break the bank, longevity experts said.
• Long-living populations share traits including daily movement, better sleep, and optimism.
• Experts shared their 5 no-cost tips to live longer and healthier.

On social media, the pursuit of aging well usually involves loosely studied supplements, high-tech wearables, and pricey gyms or spas. But living a longer, healthier life doesn’t need to be so complicated (or expensive).

To live longer and live well, according to longevity experts, going back to basics is really all you need. Here are the simple habits these experts recommend—and they don’t cost a dime.

Skip Your Morning Scroll, and Try a Morning Walk Instead

Physical activity to your body is like an oil change to your car, S. Jay Olshansky, PhD, professor of epidemiology and longevity researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told Health. “It makes it operate more efficiently.”

So make time for some physical activity every day—science has shown that “exercise is remarkable in maintaining physical and cognitive functioning,” Olshansky said.

And though any exercise will do, walking may be a particularly good habit to get into. According to a 2023 review published in GeroScience, walking is a regular part of daily life for people living in Blue Zones, or regions across the globe with the highest concentration of centenarians.

Plus, getting your steps in has been linked to cardiovascular benefits such as improved blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar—a big deal, given that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.

Because it’s a weight-bearing activity, walking also bolsters your bone health, which can reduce your risk of life-threatening falls and frailty. And walking is good for your sleep and mental health, both of which are tied to healthspan (more on this later).

Step count is a “strong and consistent” predictor of these outcomes, the review’s authors noted, highlighting 8,000 to 10,000 daily steps as a sweet spot for adults under age 60.

However, the jury’s still out: A meta-analysis published earlier this month found walking just 7,000 steps daily may slash your risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, and depression, among other chronic conditions.

Simply put, any movement is better for longevity than none at all.

Swap Two Less-Nutritious Grocery Items With Two Fruits or Vegetables

Superagers are people over 80 whose memory functions match those of people decades younger. These folks have a lot of qualities in common, but they don’t follow a single eating pattern, Emily Rogalski, PhD, professor of neurology and the director of the Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Care Center at the University of Chicago, told Health.

However, there’s robust scientific data showing that adhering to the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet can support longevity by reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses.

Don’t get too hung up on the parameters of one specific diet, though, Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, PhD, senior scientist and director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Team at the Tufts University Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, told Health.

Lichtenstein said there’s “incredible overlap” in the foods that make up most health-promoting diets: whole grains, fruits and vegetables (including plant proteins such as nuts and legumes), low-fat dairy, fish, lean poultry, and plant oils for cooking.

Her two cents? Focus on what you can swap in, not just add.

Identify two items on your grocery list that are less nutritious—such as ultra-processed packaged snacks—and cross them off. In their place, pick up two whole foods that you’re curious to try. Start with fruits and vegetables, Lichtenstein recommended, since most Americans don’t consume enough. (Plus, loading up on produce means you’re naturally going to eat fewer foods high in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.)

Groceries can be a significant expense, but doing a swap means you won’t spend much more than your typical budget.

In fact, whole foods can even be cheaper than highly processed options if you’re strategic while shopping. For lower prices, buy what’s in season and go for frozen over fresh—frozen produce is just as nutritious (since it’s picked at peak ripeness), and already washed and chopped, Lichtenstein explained.

Aim For At Least Seven Hours of Good Sleep Each Night 

According to a 2024 study that included more than 170,000 adults, men who get adequate sleep live about five years longer than men who don’t; for women, it’s about 2.5 years. (In this study, “adequate” was defined as seven to eight hours of sleep each night, with no frequent insomnia, snoring, or daytime sleepiness.)

On the flip side, poor sleep has been associated with metabolic issues, nervous system imbalance, chronic inflammation, and immune system disruptions, all of which may affect your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

Not getting enough sleep could also be dangerous for your cognitive health as you age. Sleep is a “restorative and reparative” process, Rogalski explained, and when you sleep, your brain utilizes a network of vessels in the central nervous system to clear molecular junk. This includes amyloid-beta and tau proteins, both of which are strongly linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Unfortunately, getting solid shuteye often gets harder as you age, largely due to illness, career changes, and other stressors, said Allison Aiello, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and interim director of the Columbia University Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center.

“There’s a minimum amount of sleep that’s important, but the quality seems to play a role as well,” Rogalski added. “Just being in bed and tossing and turning is not enough.”

So focusing on sleep hygiene—keeping a consistent sleep-wake schedule, avoiding alcohol and caffeine late in the day, and reading in bed rather than doomscrolling—can go a long way in helping you get the high-quality rest necessary for better longevity, she said.

Connect With Your Community

In a recent paper, researchers from Northwestern University shared what they learned after following superagers for 25 years. The most notable finding? Being very social is the one personality trait they all seem to have in common.

“This fits well with the larger body of research we have on the negative health consequences of loneliness and social isolation,” said Rogalski, who was not an author of the paper. Namely, estimates suggest loneliness and social isolation may increase your risk of premature death by 26% and 29%, respectively.

But why does spending time with friends, family, and neighbors boost your longevity? It could come down to “the fact that our brains like challenges, and having social conversations is challenging,” Rogalski explained. You don’t know what question will be asked next when you’re making small talk, keeping your brain on its toes, she said.

For now, what it means to be a “social” person isn’t well-defined. “We don’t have a clear prescription for this,” Aiello told Health. However, her research on social networks’ impact on the immune system suggests that relationship quality matters more than the number of people you interact with.

One way to seek out meaningful connections is to volunteer your time, per a Social Science & Medicine study published in January: People who volunteered for one to four hours weekly experienced slower biological aging, a measure of how old your cells and tissues are compared to your actual age, as compared to those who didn’t volunteer at all.

Work on Being a Little More Optimistic

According to one 2019 study, being more optimistic could lead to a 15% longer life span, as well as better chances of living past age 85.

Optimism has also been associated with lower levels of inflammation and healthier cardiovascular markers, said study author Laura Kubzansky, PhD, professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

There are a few possible reasons why. For one, optimistic people “tend to have goals and the confidence to reach them,” the study authors wrote, so they may be more inclined to make healthier choices such as eating well, moving more, and not smoking.

Optimism may also help offset the effects of stress, Kubzansky told Health. When you’re future-oriented, you’re better able to recognize that in-the-moment chaos won’t last forever, and you may be more likely to use coping skills to get through stressful periods.

“We believe the effects of optimism are systemic, meaning they’re likely to drive relevant changes in a range of biological processes,” Kubzansky explained.

While it takes consistent practice, you can encourage your brain to be more optimistic with the help of a therapist, as well as writing exercises that prompt you to imagine your best possible self (like this one). Surrounding yourself with people who have positive outlooks on the future can also be helpful, she added.

Some Final Thoughts on Aging Well 

Scientists are continuing to learn more about the factors that influence how we age and how long we live, but they haven’t yet identified a “recipe” for superaging, Rogalski said.

In addition to genetics and environment, longevity is ruled by an intricate interplay between lifestyle choices, Aiello added. When you don’t exercise, your sleep may suffer; when your sleep suffers, your stress can spike, so your mental health and food choices may also take a hit. It’s all connected.

Aging well is a “dynamic process,” Aiello said, and requires “the right balance for each individual.”

Edited by Health, where she edits and publishes news articles on trending health and wellness topics. Her work has been featured in The Heights, an independent student newspaper at Boston College, and Minnesota Monthly." tabindex="0" data-inline-tooltip="true"> Julia Landwehr Julia Landwehr Julia is the associate news editor for Health, where she edits and publishes news articles on trending health and wellness topics. Her work has been featured in The Heights, an independent student newspaper at Boston College, and Minnesota Monthly. learn more Read more:

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This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Alisa Hrustic