Health News and Tips:
Longevity Fitness Guide: How to Live to 100
Tanner Garrity
Below is our longevity fitness guide, which features the first 30 keys to living to 100. The guide is broken down by how you optimize your lifespan through diet, fitness, good choices and some truly wild cards. Before diving in, understand that you can’t do all of them; some are likely incompatible. But the idea is to cherrypick those that work for your life. Ultimately, if nothing else, know this: making the call right now to act in the name of longevity — whether your “right now” is 35 or 65 — won’t just add life to your ledger. It’ll enrich and lighten every year along the way.
61. Don’t doomscroll
The new phrase for you? Doomscrolling is “excessively scrolling through news or social
media feeds looking for negative updates.” It’s at the intersection of smartphone
addictions, a terrible news cycle and our primordial need to anticipate danger. But this
sort of behaviour wreaks havoc on your mental health and (unsurprisingly) never solves
anything.
62. Don’t binge-watch Netflix
A full eight years ago, 61% of Netflix users admitted to binge-watching content on the
platform. We’ve added five major streaming services since then; each has a revolving
door of content, and most employ hyped full-season releases. While cranking through
episodes feels like a reward, it causes eye strain, backaches, weight gain and sleep
deprivation.
63. Don’t binge on screentime
American adults spend up to six hours on their phones each day. Some of those hours
are spent doomscrolling, others pushing back sleep (66% of adults bring their phones to
bed), and far too much of it involves poring over the airbrushed life updates of others.
Little wonder Instagram has been likened to addictive painkillers by reputable
researchers.
64. Don’t ignore air quality
Dirty air kills more people than all transportation accidents and shootings combined,
accounting for the premature deaths of one in every 25 Americans. Train yourself to
check the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the weather app on your iPhone. Anything over 100
means the air “is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.” Your run can wait until
tomorrow.
65. Check your household products
We knew we hated shampoo. Chemicals called phthalates are found in shampoos,
fragrances, cleansers and plastics. When they get into the body, they reduce the body’s
stress hormone cortisol, meddle with metabolism, negatively affect the reproductive
system, and can lead to extremely preventable premature deaths.
66. Live with a purpose
The Okinawans say ikigai, the Nicoyans in Costa Rica say plan de vida. Each phrase
translates to “why I wake up in the morning.” Finding that “why” can feel random and
frustrating, but it often brings people to pursuits and causes outside of themselves. And
— science backs this up — once you believe your life matters, you get to live more of it.
67. Manage negative thought loops
Negative thought loops trick us into thinking we’re being productive (we psychoanalyze
uncomfortable memories, prepare for imaginary dangers, relitigate life decisions), but in
reality, we’re just willingly drowning ourselves in a puddle of anxiety, activating a hormone-fueled “fight or flight” response that can’t be addressed in the given moment.
68. Have a plan after retirement
Not necessarily a financial plan, though that’s also a good idea. One surprising study
displayed that working longer can help people live longer. Remember, jobs can be real-
world lifelines for many — they offer social engagement, days out of the house, and challenging projects. It’s important to have goals and communities for filling your time
after retiring, too.
69. Pick up “forest bathing”
In Japan, shinrin-yoku refers to “forest bathing,” or the act of taking in nature using all of
your senses. Recent studies show adults spend 93% of their time indoors, which takes a
toll on mental health (“stir crazy” is scientific). But the exact opposite is true for spending
time outdoors. A single forest “bath” decreases scores for depression, fatigue, and anxiety.
70. Settle down near a body of water
Take a look at a map of the world’s Blue Zones. Each is concentrated along a coastline.
Settling down by the sea — in a so-called “blue space” — has been linked to a 17%
reduction in mortality rate. One study suggested that living within 250 meters of a seaside
environment helps reduce stress levels, with the smell and sounds offering a “wonderful
tonic.”
71. Play board games
People who regularly play non-digital games are more likely to score well on memory and
thinking tests in their 70s, a study determined in 2019. Games like cards, chess and
crosswords aren’t just stress-relievers; they aid in cognitive function and slow down
cognitive decline. Fortunately, that holds true if you come to them later in life, too.
72. Join a team
Team sports are a longevity motherlode. They combine consistent social interaction,
vigorous exercise and play, all of which convey dynamite benefits for your physical and
mental health. One study even discovered that making an adult soccer league your
primary mode of exercise (over solo activities like jogging) could add five years to your
life.
73. Tell the truth
Another reason not to get into politics is that lying takes years off your life. The emotional
stress that comes from telling mistruths often manifests as physical stress. Whatever the
momentary reward, lying increases your risk of anxiety and depression, can sabotage
relationships over time and shatters your self-esteem.
74. Listen to live music twice a month
Take the fortnight frequency with a grain of salt (it comes from a study commissioned by
British entertainment operator O2), but we do know that live concerts are mindful, socially
rich experiences. Assuming you don’t need to binge drink or trip on acid every time you
attend one, plugging concerts into the calendar each month is a great idea.
75. Take colder showers
Make like Ian Fleming’s James Bond and finish your showers with an ice-cold “Scottish”
rinse. Up to a minute (after a morning workout) is best if you can handle it. The ritual will
lower blood pressure, stimulate your immune system and can even hack your mood,
releasing happy neurotransmitters like dopamine, adrenaline, norepinephrine and
serotonin.
76. Read before bed
According to one study from the Yale University School of Public Health, “people who
read books for at least 30 minutes a day and live nearly two years longer than non-readers.” Reading lowers heart rate, eases muscle tension, fosters empathy (especially
if you’re reading fiction) and helps defeat insomnia. Start with a chapter a day.
77. Keep a journal
Personal journal-keeping can predict an astonishing 53% reduction in all-cause dementia
risk. The action boosts your “cognitive reserve” in the long term while sharpening your memory in the short term. Oh, and taking notes with pen and paper is crucial; it makes it easier to summarize and retain information than taking notes with computers.
78. Embrace behavioural activation
The phrase refers to performing an activity that necessitates the presence of mind. Think:
cooking, gardening, walking the dog. While these sound like chores, they’re actually back
doors to positive thinking and productivity. It’s an effective treatment for depression and
other mood disorders, whereas languishing only worsens symptoms.
79. Avoid social jetlag
Social jet lag occurs when the body’s sleep-wake cycle is suddenly thrown out of whack.
When you choose to stay up late on a Saturday, you’re pushing the “midpoint” of your
sleep forward. You then have to scramble back to your usual internal clock in time for
Monday morning, which affects everything from body temperature to metabolism.
80. Learn a language
Similar to “eat a bowl of almonds,” we’ve all heard this one. But it’s also absolutely true.
Bilingual brains age slower than monolingual brains, delaying neurological diseases like
dementia and Alzheimer’s. It’s never too late, and don’t stress if fluency feels out of reach
— the simple act of learning and studying a second language positively impacts
the brain.
81. Show up to events
Researchers are convinced: “Social connections are probably the single-most important
feature of living a long, healthy, happy life.” Showing up to functions with family and
friends (as opposed to stressing out and skipping them) proves you can be a light,
reliable presence in other people’s lives. The invites will keep coming, and you’ll be better
off for it.
82. Maintain friendships
Swimming in centenarians, Sardinia was the first Blue Zone region ever identified. The
island’s men habitually finish each day at a local bar to talk with lifelong friends.
In America, where 15% of middle-aged men report having no close friends, that sort of
dynamic everyday interaction (whether at a bar or book club) could prove revelatory.
83. Make time to travel
Make time for vacation, first off — overworked Americans leave hundreds of millions of
vacation days on the table each year in fear of looking replaceable to employers. Then
use that time to actually go and see the world you’ve read so much about; taking just two
trips a year raises feelings of contentment while lowering your risk of heart disease.
84. Visit museums
Or visit the ballet. Or visit some experimental art show that your friend’s friend is putting
on (even if you have no interest). Those who afford themselves a regular “culture fix”
have a 14% lower risk of passing away earlier than a typical lifespan. There is a
correlation-over-causation argument to be made, but taking in art is always beneficial.
85. Find your spiritual side
You may want nothing to do with religion. But the findings are indisputable. People of faith
people live longer, and in some cases, by up to four years. Congregations show up at the
same time each week; they tell stories, and they volunteer in their communities. From a
longevity perspective, these rituals are extremely potent. It’s worth finding your
equivalent.
86. Change your mind
Never in the history of the internet has anyone said, “My bad, I’ve changed my mind.”
Perhaps people should start. Challenging yourself to look past your imperfect point of
view is a next-level stress reliever that unshackles your entire mindset. Stop arguing in
circles. Embrace that other people know things. Then, live longer for it.
87. Have a family
It’s a good idea to grow old around younger people. Adults with at least one child tend to
have more social interactions and lower mortality rates. On a somewhat less wholesome
note, men who end up with younger partners also live longer, too. Younger spouses are a
positive psychological influence and more capable caretakers in the twilight years.
88. Summon some empathy
The whole of society is in an “empathy crisis” right now, so it’s okay if thinking of others
takes a little extra effort. But monitoring and augmenting your empathic capacity isn’t just
beneficial for your friends, family and colleagues — it’s associated with life satisfaction
and positive “interaction profiles” (how you relate to others), regardless of age.
89. Celebrate aging
Not just in the birthday cake sense. Those who approach aging with a positive outlook
end up aging more easily than others. Proactively acknowledge what’s to come instead of
fretting about the wrinkles under your eyes. Maybe you’ll make it to 100. Maybe you
won’t. But your absolute best chance comes from living your best life along the way.
90. Read Tips about living longer.
I made that one up as I ran out at 89.