CNBC.COM
As life expectancy in the U.S. rises, so does the country's broader conversation around the pursuit of longevity.
Billionaires are spending big in hopes of extending their lifespan for as long as they can. The world's longest-living people share their "secrets" to longevity, intended for the average person to achieve optimal health, too. For some people, being healthy entails a lot more than it used to these days — from wearable devices to track your "good" hours of sleep to at-home DNA tests for measuring your biological age based on individual health markers.
But the more that influencers and other people online promote "healthmaxxing" — a social media-driven trend for optimizing health outcomes — the harder it can become to determine how much time and energy to invest into your future longevity, versus simply enjoying the present moment. Not everyone should track and dissect their health data so meticulously, certain longevity experts say.
"You don't want to shorten the life that you're trying to extend by having stress around trying to be healthier," says Dr. Poonam Desai, a practicing physician and founder of Longevity Place, a personalized health clinic with locations in New York City and Scarsdale, New York. "The balance really comes from picking a few things that will actually move the needle, and giving yourself permission to rest."
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Separating smart longevity practices from social media trends or corporate salesmanship can already be difficult. Social media ads tout health benefits from products like red-light therapy masks for healthy skin and collagen production or protein-infused foods for muscle building. By 2030, the global wellness market is expected to reach almost $10 trillion, up from $6.8 trillion in 2024, according to estimates from the Global Wellness Institute, a Miami-based nonprofit that tracks trends in the global wellness economy.
But a handful of simple habits, which require low-to-no spending, are typically the easiest ways for most people to keep an effective longevity routine while still making room for the pleasures of life, according to Desai and Dr. Frank Lipman, a New York City-based longevity researcher with over 35 years of experience in functional medicine.
Keep your longevity practices simple—and leave room for happiness
Desai and Lipman collectively recommend these five simple practices for longevity:
- Focus on sleep: Go to sleep around the same time each night, recommends Desai, who is also the founder of Her Longevity, a physician-led longevity summit for women. Getting adequate rest is "completely free," she says. You don't necessarily need exactly eight hours per night if you feel rested after six or seven hours of sleep, experts often say.
- Eat a nutrient-dense, whole-food diet: Prioritize whole foods like vegetables and whole grains — which are unprocessed or minimally processed — as much as you can, and aim to eat protein at every meal, advises Lipman. Loading up your diet with vegetables, fiber and protein is an easy way to eat for longevity, Desai says. Cook at home often, and avoid packaged and ultra-processed foods as much as possible, she adds.
- Sit less, move more and build some muscle: "The less you sit, the better," Desai says. If you spend an hour sitting in a meeting, "get up and move" immediately after, she adds. Lipman recommends lifting weights two to three times per week and walking daily, and Desai suggests prioritizing movement that easily fits into your life, like taking a walk with your baby in a carrier or doing a few push-ups between meetings.
- Maintain strong social connections: Having interpersonal relationships that bring you joy is the No. 1 factor that contributes to living a happier, longer life, according to an eight-decades long ongoing Harvard University study tracking the health records of more than 700 men, and their immediate families, since they were teenagers. "Make sure you spend time with people who restore you," Lipman says.
- Manage stress levels and make space for rest: Keeping your stress and anxiety levels low can do wonders for your longevity, both experts say. Set aside time daily to do absolutely nothing, sitting in silence to give your brain a rest, Desai suggests. Even a minute or two of quiet time can suffice, she notes.
If you enjoy them, you should still engage in activities that aren't particularly healthy from time to time, both experts say. In the ongoing Harvard study, researchers discovered an association between happiness and longevity, and other studies show that chronic stress and depression are associated with a higher risk of developing diseases and mortality.
"I suggest making healthy choices most of the time and [holding] them lightly enough that you can set them aside when something more important calls," Lipman says. "A meal with people you love, an afternoon with a grandchild, a moment of simple pleasure."
Lipman says he enjoys a sweet treat every once in a while, just not every night. Berating yourself over an occasional glass of wine or a cookie can increase your stress, which isn't necessarily healthy, adds Desai. You could always preface your sweet treat with a healthy meal that includes vegetables like broccoli or a healthy fat like avocado to decrease the glucose spike, she suggests.
"An occasional pleasure is not a compromise of a longevity practice," Lipman says. "It is part of it."
Always consult with your primary care physician before making any major changes to your routine that can impact your health.
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