1. Don't smoke
Largest single intervention. Smoking shortens life expectancy by ~10 years. Quitting at any age improves outcomes. Effect size: enormous.
2. Maintain healthy body weight
Adults at BMI 22-27 have lower all-cause mortality than the obese-range population. The 2024 SELECT trial showed 19% lower all-cause mortality with semaglutide-driven weight loss in cardiovascular patients. See 20% weight loss longevity.
3. Resistance training 2+ days/week
Multiple cohort studies show resistance training is associated with 10-17% lower all-cause mortality independent of cardio. Grip strength and lean mass are among the strongest mortality predictors after age 60.
4. 7+ hours of sleep
Both short sleep (<6 hr) and very long sleep (>9 hr) associated with higher mortality. The protective range is 7-8 hours. See sleep, cortisol, recovery.
5. Sauna 4+ times/week
Finnish KIHD cohort: 40% lower all-cause mortality at 4+ sauna/week vs 1/week. See sauna and cold exposure data.
6. 7,000-10,000 daily steps
Lee et al. and other large cohorts show mortality benefit plateau at ~7K-10K steps. Below 4K is meaningfully worse.
7. Mediterranean-style diet
The PREDIMED trial showed ~30% reduction in major cardiovascular events vs control diet. Olive oil, nuts, fish, vegetables, legumes, modest red meat, well-evidenced.
8. Adequate protein
Especially critical after 60. See protein article. Sarcopenia is one of the strongest predictors of late-life decline.
9. Optimize hormones where indicated
For men: TRT in documented hypogonadism (TRAVERSE confirmed safety). For women: HRT started in the window of opportunity. See HRT and cardiovascular.
10. Strong social connection
Holt-Lunstad meta-analyses show social isolation is associated with mortality risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Often missed in the longevity conversation.
The principle: The unsexy basics outperform every expensive longevity gadget. The list above will outperform any anti-aging supplement stack, and they stack with each other.
Bottom line
The evidence-backed longevity habits are mostly free, mostly boring, and mostly known. The challenge isn't discovery, it's execution. Stack four or five of these consistently and the cumulative healthspan benefit exceeds anything currently available pharmaceutically.