How to Increase Your Healthspan: 10 Habits Linked With Longevity
Longevity isn’t just random luck. It is influenced by multiple lifestyle habits that can each contribute to better health and, collectively, may add years to your life.
But longevity isn’t only about extending your lifespan. It’s about extending your healthspan—the number of years you spend feeling well, staying active and maintaining good physical and mental health.
When you support your health consistently over time, greater longevity can naturally follow.
What habits are linked with a longer life and better healthspan?
The figures below are rounded and based on large observational studies and expert reviews. Think of them as realistic ballpark estimates rather than guarantees.
Regular racquet sports – around 9–10 years
Healthy, whole-food diet – up to 10 years
Good sleep, ideally 7–9 hours consistently – around 2–5 years
Strong relationships and social connection – around 5–7 years
Stress management, including meditation and mindfulness – around 2–4 years
Not smoking or quitting smoking – up to 10 years
Regular physical activity – around 3–7 years
Healthy body weight and good metabolic health – around 3–10 years
Good mental health and lower rates of depression – around 3–5 years
Community and faith involvement, including church – around 2–4 years
If you add all of those figures together, the numbers can look enormous. In reality, these benefits overlap, so they shouldn’t simply be added together.
However, improving even two or three key areas of your lifestyle can make a meaningful difference to your long-term health, quality of life and healthspan.
Biggest-bang-for-your-buck longevity habits
Here are five high-impact lifestyle changes that may offer some of the greatest benefits for long-term health and longevity.
Quit smoking, or never start – quitting smoking may add up to 10 years of life compared with continuing to smoke.
Shift towards a longevity-focused diet – prioritise whole, minimally processed foods, quality protein and healthy fats, including foods such as fish and olive oil. Reduce processed foods, added sugars and high-fructose foods, and avoid relying heavily on ultra-processed foods.
Play a racquet sport two to three times per week – tennis, pickleball, squash and badminton combine cardiovascular fitness, coordination, movement and social connection.
Train your relationships like a muscle – invest time each week in close friends, your partner, family and your wider community. Strong social connection is consistently associated with better health and longevity.
Prioritise sleep and stress management – aim for a consistent 7–9 hours of sleep and include daily strategies that help regulate stress, such as walking, breathwork, mindfulness or quiet time.
Start with one small change
If you had to choose just one of these five areas to work on this month, which one feels most achievable?
You don’t need to completely overhaul your lifestyle overnight.
Start with the smallest change possible.
If you spend most of your workday sitting down, for example, begin by standing up for 30 seconds every 30 minutes.
If your diet needs work, start by improving one meal each day.
If you aren’t exercising, begin with a short walk.
If you’re not sleeping well, start by creating a more consistent bedtime.
Small, repeatable habits can build into long-term lifestyle changes.
Just start somewhere.
Your goal isn’t simply to live longer. It’s to stay healthy, strong, active and independent for as many of those years as possible.
Stay healthy and happy.
