Why we need to stop thinking about living longer and focus on living better

Read more about how managing your blood glucose levels can help your health, how to eat well through the menopause and a health writer’s top tips.

Good health used to be simple: we just needed to eat our greens, get some sleep and make sure we stretched our legs each day.

But according to a new breed of longevity influencer this traditional formula is hopelessly simplistic. In fact, a scroll through Instagram or #HealthTok could leave you thinking that if you’re not lying on an expensive red light mat, cold plunging each morning and injecting peptides, you’re missing the chance of enjoying a long, healthy life.

American entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, 47, is taking it to the extreme, pursuing the goal of immortality with invasive and bizarre-sounding treatments such as infusing the blood of his 17-year-old son.

But the backlash to these 'longevity bros' has begun, with experts pointing out that obsessing over ageing is likely to reduce your quality of life and a more balanced approach would be aiming to live better rather than just longer.

Here’s how you can do that, starting today.

Focus on your healthspan rather than your lifespan

Instead of aiming for a long lifespan, focusing on healthspan, the period of life spent in good health, is more helpful.

Menopause nutritionist Karen Newby (karennewby.com) says: “According to the Office of National Statistics, life expectancy for men is 78.8 years old, and for women it’s 82.8.

“However, their ‘healthy life expectancy’ is much lower at 61.5 years for men and 61.9 for women. That means that between how long you feel healthy versus your lifespan is 17 years for men and over 20 years for women.”

Anti-ageing certified GP Dr James Hubbard says: “Prior to improved sanitation and vaccination, life expectancy was in the 40s. Today we’re making progress into the 80s and in the future we could live to 110 or 120.

“But when we talk about longevity, you’re not trying to live forever, you’re trying to reduce the chronic illness at the end of your life. We have to match healthspan with lifespan before we try to extend our years.”

The basics are more powerful than you think

Many people simply want a pill or hack that can do all the hard work but experts stress that there is no shortcut to a long life of good health.

“In twin studies, 80% of ageing-related changes are due to lifestyle not genetics, so a lot of it is in your control,” says Dr Hubbard.

“So think about planning for 10 years’ time. If you’re trying to prevent diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, obesity and some cancers, they’re related directly to your level of activity, diet and obesity.

“You have to look after the nuts and bolts, which means a healthy balanced diet of whole foods, very little processed food, drinking little or no alcohol, not smoking, exercising for at least two and a half hours a week, and aiming for a healthy BMI, blood pressure and blood sugar.”

Measure your health and biological age first

Before you get started on your longevity journey, some tests can help you get a better picture of your health.

“The starting point is making sure there’s no underlying illness and you should know the basic values of your HbA1C (your average blood sugar), cholesterol, home blood pressure, kidney function and BMI, which are all part of standard GP care,” says Dr Hubbard.

“Waist circumference is helpful as well: if it’s more than 100cm for a man or 90cm for a woman, your chance of cardiovascular risk is 37% higher. Get screened for breast, bowel and prostate cancer too.

“There’s no point in talking about longevity until you’ve done a thorough review.”

You could also buy a test that calculates your biological age by analysing chemical tags on your DNA – Dr Hubbard suggests taking the test and retaking again to see how much you’ve slowed your rate of ageing.

Dr Nicolas Berger, senior lecturer in sport and exercise at Teesside University, says: “A Garmin or Apple watch uses your weight, VO2 max (the maximum volume of oxygen that the body can utilise per minute during intense exercise), resting heart rate, percentage body fat and vigorous activity history to assess your ‘fitness age’.”

Exercise is non-negotiable

“In a basic sense the body is designed to move,” says Dr Berger. “Everything functions better with regular exercise – joints, muscles and cells.”

Regular physical activity can help improve heart health, control blood pressure, increase insulin sensitivity, alleviate stress, lower the risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, not to mention strengthen bones.

And according to a recent study, it’s not just the regularity of exercise but the variety that is associated with a lower risk of premature mortality. Participants with the highest variety of exercise had a 19% lower risk of premature death than those who had the least variety.

“Running, cycling and swimming are great but combine them with strength training,” says Dr Berger. “Also incorporate movement into your routine, such as walking to the shops and carrying your shopping back.

“Ultimately people should find something they like, whether it’s Zumba, dancing, climbing or walking with friends. The key is to plan it into your life.”

Create your own longevity larder

Cooking your own meals and following a high-nutrient diet won’t just make you feel more virtuous, it could prevent a raft of chronic diseases.

A 2018 study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that an estimated 80-90% of cardiovascular risk is preventable through diet and lifestyle shifts.

And according to a Finnish study, lifestyle interventions in people age 60-77 can improve brain health, prevent cognitive decline and lower cardiovascular risk,

“What you put on your plate has a massive effect on how you age,” says Karen, author of The Post Menopause Method: A Nutritional Guide to Ageing Well.

She’s created a list of foods that she terms “the longevity larder”, including extra-virgin olive oil, green leafy veg, brightly coloured vegetables and fruit, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale, berries and cherries, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, ginger, turmeric, green tea, pulses, oily fish, cacao, mushrooms, wholegrains and ferments such as sauerkraut.

“Menopause is an inflammatory event, so your diet needs to be anti-inflammatory,” she says.

Shift your mindset around cooking each day

Planning and preparing meals for you and your family can seem time-consuming but Karen is encouraging.

“Most women have demanding jobs, they’re often doing school runs and looking after elderly parents too, and tech means that we spend more time scrolling than we do cooking.

“Think of your time this way: 15 minutes is 1% of our 24 hours, enough time to make a bircher muesli or scrambled eggs. Lunch is half an hour – that’s just 2% of your day. And 45 minutes is 3% of your day and that’s all you need to cook a nutrient-rich dinner.”

Don’t just focus on food and fitness – friends and friction are also key

One aspect of longevity that many influencers miss is the importance of friends, family and a social life.

“Loneliness and low mood are positively correlated with dementia, so the social side is very important. Things like inter-generational living are great – anything that reduces isolation,” says Dr Hubbard.

Dr Berger adds: “Everyone’s connected now but they’re lonely because they’re not doing anything together. People feel down because they’re not going out or talking to other people.

“The mental side is really important. You also have to have something you’re looking forward to or working towards. We all need some stress – you can’t be happy 24/7 and we feel a sense of reward after overcoming something, whether that’s physical or mental.”

The final verdict

Ultimately, the length of our lives is the greatest unknown we face and, no matter how hard we try, reaching a ripe old age might not be on the cards as the most important influence on your longevity is your genes.

“If you have a predisposition to disease or dying young, you can minimise that but you can’t erase it,” says Dr Berger.

But living a long life really means living a good life, filled with moreish meals, body-boosting movement, refreshing sleep, fresh air and spending time with friends, family and community.

“The best longevity medicine is free,” says Dr Hubbard. “Find a sense of purpose and find things you enjoy and that are good for you – and keep doing them.”

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