Which healthy behaviors pack the biggest benefits? Experts share anti-aging strategies for the time strapped.
The fundamentals of healthy aging are no big secret: Regular exercise, eating well, quality sleep and a robust social life can all help you live better for longer. But doing these things takes time — and when there’s only so much time in the day, it’s hard to know where to start.
For one, experts say, don’t model your habits after the longevity influencers, with their elaborate treatment schedules and strict regimens. People may be “overeager to pile a ton of different interventions onto themselves” and could end up discouraged when they can’t stick to them, said Dudley Lamming, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies aging.
Setting aside just a few minutes a day for healthier habits can be enough to lower your mortality risk, said Dr. Sara Espinoza, a director of the Diabetes and Aging Center at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. And while some of the steps most likely to increase your life span are neither quick nor easy (for example, quitting smoking or cutting down on alcohol if you’re a heavy drinker), small, consistent behavioral changes can also add up, said Linda Ercoli, a geriatric psychologist and interim director of the Longevity Center at U.C.L.A.
We asked experts to share which low-lift daily habits seem to impart the biggest longevity benefits, and how to determine which will work best for you.
1. Prioritize your ‘why.’
If you’re unsure how to prioritize longevity habits, start by assessing your family history and focus on behaviors that could help reduce your risk of diseases you’re predisposed to, Dr. Ercoli said. For instance, if you’re prone to diabetes, consider modifying your diet and exercise regimen.
Another strategy is to ask yourself why you want to stay healthy and identify habits that help you meet that goal, said Steven Kritchevsky, a professor of geroscience at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. If you want to continue staying active with your grandchildren, you might focus on fitness and agility; if you’re an avid bridge or chess player, you may want to prioritize preventing cognitive decline.
2. Be realistic and flexible.
Set approachable goals — whether it’s cutting down on ultraprocessed foods, learning how to meditate or introducing a new exercise routine — and reassess them each week, said Nathan LeBrasseur, the director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at the Mayo Clinic.
And if you can’t hit those targets, be cleareyed about why, he said: “Is it really not that important to me? Is it just too hard? If so, what else can you do?”
3. Dedicate 3 percent of your day to physical activity.
“If you had to pick one thing to do,” it’s exercise, said Dr. Michael Fredericson, a sports medicine physiatrist and a co-director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. Exercise lowers your risk of cardiovascular, cognitive and metabolic disease, in addition to boosting mental health and improving sleep, so you get a big bang for your buck.
You may need less exercise than you think: Studies suggest that even just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day — about 3 percent of your waking hours — is enough to move the needle, Dr. LeBrasseur said.
And it doesn’t need to be all at once. Three-to-four minute bursts of higher-intensity exercise — like push-ups, squats or climbing the stairs — over the course of the day can still lower your mortality risk, Dr. Fredericson added.
4. Get out of bed at the same time each morning.
Poor sleep can increase your risk for a host of diseases that shorten life expectancy, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression and dementia. It can also slow your metabolism and make it harder to consistently exercise, undoing other healthy habits you may be practicing, said Dr. Zhaoping Li, the chief of the division of clinical nutrition at U.C.L.A. Health.
Most people need about seven hours of uninterrupted sleep a night to reach the more restorative stages that allow the brain and body to heal from stress, said Sara Nowakowski, an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine who studies sleep.
One easy way to help you hit that target is to get up at roughly the same time each day, even if you’re tired, Dr. Nowakowski said. This forces your sleep hormones to operate on a consistent schedule, which can make it easier to fall asleep the following night. “We’re actually trying to build ‘sleep pressure,’ or this biological need to sleep,” Dr. Nowakowski said.
5. Practice an easy form of mindfulness.
Chronic stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness are all linked to a higher risk of age-related disease and earlier mortality. Even just a few minutes of consistent mindfulness or meditation, or a daily gratitude exercise, can train your nervous system to stay calm, even under pressure, Dr. Ercoli said. “These behaviors have a cumulative effect” on physical stress, and can even help lower blood pressure and cardiovascular risk long-term, she said.
You can quickly boost your mental and physical well-being with an “active noticing” exercise each day, said Ellen Langer, a professor of psychology at Harvard University who has written several books on mindfulness. Remaining in the moment is a way to stay mindful: Take a few minutes to notice three new things about a friend or co-worker, or walk outside and observe something new about your environment, she said.
“When you’re more mindful, you find and look for multiple solutions to problems, and you’re less frustrated,” Dr. Langer said. “Rather than trying to add more years to your life, it would be best to add more life to your years,” she added.
