Short answer: The most reliable way to live longer is not a single trick but a short list of habits: never smoke (or quit), stay physically active, eat a mostly whole food diet, keep a healthy weight, limit alcohol, sleep 7 to 9 hours, and keep blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar in check. In a large Harvard analysis, men who had all five core low-risk habits at age 50 had an estimated 12.2 more years of life expectancy than men with none of them. The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 turns these habits into a practical checklist you can score yourself on.
Key Takeaways
- A Harvard study of more than 120,000 adults followed for up to 34 years linked five lifestyle habits to roughly 12 extra years of life expectancy for men and 14 for women at age 50.[1]
- The five habits were never smoking, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, at least 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity, moderate (or no) alcohol, and a high quality diet.[1]
- The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 adds sleep, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar to the list, so you track both habits and the numbers they produce.[2]
- Most of the gain comes from basics that cost little: walking, cooking at home, quitting tobacco and protecting your sleep.
- No supplement has been shown to add years to life. Supplements are optional extras on top of the foundations, never a replacement for them.
What the Research Says About How to Live Longer
The best known study on lifestyle and lifespan comes from Harvard researchers. Li and colleagues analyzed two long running cohorts, the Nurses’ Health Study (78,865 women, 1980 to 2014) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (44,354 men, 1986 to 2014). Over up to 34 years of follow-up they documented 42,167 deaths and asked a simple question: how much longer do people live when they keep healthy habits?[1]
They defined five “low-risk” lifestyle factors and compared people who had all five with people who had none. The results, published in Circulation in 2018, are summarized below.
| Measure (age 50) | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy with 0 low-risk factors | 25.5 more years | 29.0 more years |
| Life expectancy with all 5 low-risk factors | 37.6 more years | 43.1 more years |
| Years gained (5 vs 0 factors) | 12.2 years | 14.0 years |
People with all five factors also had about one quarter the risk of dying from any cause during follow-up (hazard ratio 0.26), about one third the risk of dying from cancer (0.35) and less than one fifth the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (0.18) compared with people who had none.[1]
The five low-risk factors, as the study defined them
- Never smoking.
- Healthy weight: a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9.
- Regular exercise: 30 minutes or more per day of moderate to vigorous activity.
- Moderate alcohol intake.
- High diet quality: a diet score in the top 40% of the group.
How to read these numbers honestly
This was an observational study. It shows a strong association between habits and lifespan, not proof that each habit alone caused the extra years. The participants were health professionals, who tend to have better access to care than the average person, so your own result can differ. Still, the direction of the evidence is consistent across decades of research, and every one of these habits is also backed by its own clinical guidelines.
Life’s Essential 8: A Checklist for a Longer, Healthier Life
The American Heart Association’s (AHA) heart health framework is called Life’s Essential 8. It groups eight items into health behaviors and health factors, and offers a free online calculator, My Life Check, that gives you a personal heart health score with tips for improving it.[2] Because heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death, keeping these eight items on target is one of the most practical answers to the question of how to live longer.
| Life’s Essential 8 item | Target for adults | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eat better | A whole food eating pattern rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and lean protein | AHA[2][3] |
| Be more active | 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week | AHA, CDC[2][4] |
| Quit tobacco | No tobacco or nicotine use, and avoid secondhand smoke | AHA[2] |
| Get healthy sleep | 7 to 9 hours per night | AHA, CDC[2][5] |
| Manage weight | BMI under 25 (but not under 18.5) | AHA[2] |
| Control cholesterol | Ask your clinician about your non-HDL cholesterol | AHA[2] |
| Manage blood sugar | Know your fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1c | AHA[2] |
| Manage blood pressure | Below 120/80 mm Hg is optimal | AHA[2] |
How to Live Longer: The Habits in Practice
1. Stop tobacco first
Never smoking was one of the five core factors in the Harvard analysis, and quitting is the single change most doctors put at the top of the list. If you smoke or vape, ask your doctor or pharmacist about proven quit aids and a quit date. Our guide to the benefits of quitting smoking explains what changes in the body after you stop.
2. Move every day and lift twice a week
The CDC recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus at least 2 days of muscle strengthening that works all major muscle groups.[4] The Harvard study used a slightly higher bar of 30 minutes per day.[1] In practice: a brisk 30 minute walk most days, and two short strength sessions (squats, push ups, rows, carries) each week.
3. Eat mostly whole foods
The AHA’s eating advice is simple: build meals around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and plant proteins, with fish, skinless poultry and lowfat dairy as lean protein options. Limit sweetened drinks, alcohol, salty foods, fatty foods and processed meats, cook with olive, canola or avocado oil, and avoid trans fats.[3] You do not need a named diet. You need a pattern you can repeat every week.
4. Keep a healthy weight, and watch your waist
Both frameworks use BMI: 18.5 to 24.9 in the Harvard study and under 25 in Life’s Essential 8.[1][2] BMI is a rough tool for muscular men, so pair it with a waist measurement and blood work rather than chasing a number on the scale.
5. Treat sleep as a health habit
The CDC recommends 7 or more hours for adults aged 18 to 60, 7 to 9 hours for ages 61 to 64, and 7 to 8 hours from age 65.[5] It notes that enough sleep helps lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. That is why healthy sleep sits on the AHA list. See our sleep routines for men for a practical evening plan.
6. Drink less, or not at all
The Harvard study counted moderate drinking as low risk, but current public health advice is more cautious. The CDC defines moderate drinking for men as two drinks or less in a day, says drinking less is better for your health than drinking more, warns that even moderate drinking may carry risks, and advises people who do not drink not to start for any reason.[6]
7. Know your numbers
Blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar are three of the eight AHA items, and they usually cause no symptoms until damage is done. The AHA lists blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg as optimal and suggests non-HDL cholesterol and hemoglobin A1c as useful markers to discuss with your clinician.[2] Our guides to health screenings for men and the ApoB test explain which tests to ask about.
Where to Start: A Simple 4 Week Plan
Trying to fix everything at once is the fastest way to fix nothing. Pick one habit per week and stack them.
- Week 1: Measure your baseline. Book a checkup, take your blood pressure, weigh yourself, measure your waist and run the AHA My Life Check calculator.[2]
- Week 2: Add a daily 30 minute walk. Put it on the calendar like a meeting.
- Week 3: Set a fixed wake time and a screen off time so you reach at least 7 hours of sleep.
- Week 4: Change one meal a day: more vegetables and beans, fewer processed meats and sweetened drinks. Add two short strength sessions.
If you smoke, make quitting your week 1 goal instead and ask your doctor for help. Re-score yourself every three months and keep what works.
Can Supplements Help You Live Longer?
No supplement has been shown to add years to life in the way the habits above have been linked to longer life. Supplements are best seen as optional additions for specific goals once the foundations are in place, and they should always be checked with your doctor if you take medication or have a health condition.
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When to Talk to a Doctor
See a clinician before making big changes if you have heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, chest pain or shortness of breath with effort, or if you have not been active for a long time. Ask for a blood pressure check, a lipid panel and a blood sugar test if you have not had them recently. Lifestyle changes work best alongside, not instead of, the treatment your doctor recommends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too late to live longer if I start healthy habits at 50?
No. The Harvard estimates were calculated at age 50, and men with all five low-risk habits at that age had an estimated 12.2 more years of life expectancy than men with none.[1] Starting later still moves you in the right direction.
What is the single most important habit for longevity?
For smokers, quitting tobacco comes first. For non-smokers, regular physical activity is the habit that most often improves the others, including weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and sleep.
How much exercise do I need to live longer?
The CDC baseline is 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, plus 2 days of muscle strengthening.[4] The Harvard study defined the low-risk level as 30 minutes or more per day.[1]
Is moderate drinking good for a longer life?
Do not drink for health. The CDC says even moderate drinking may have risks, that drinking less is better than drinking more, and that people who do not drink should not start.[6]
How many hours of sleep help you live longer?
The AHA and CDC recommend 7 to 9 hours for most adults (7 or more hours up to age 60, 7 to 8 hours from 65).[2][5] Consistent timing matters as much as total hours.
References
- Li Y, Pan A, Wang DD, et al. Impact of Healthy Lifestyle Factors on Life Expectancies in the US Population. Circulation. 2018;138(4):345-355. PubMed 29712712
- American Heart Association. Life’s Essential 8. heart.org
- American Heart Association. How to Eat Better (Life’s Essential 8 fact sheet). heart.org
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Activity: An Overview. cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Sleep. cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moderate Alcohol Use. cdc.gov
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This article is for information only and is not medical advice.
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