Evidence-based articles on living longer, backed by peer-reviewed studies.
150 to 300 minutes of aerobic work, two resistance sessions, deliberate recovery. The evidence-based weekly protocol for using exercise to extend your healthy lifespan, backed by WHO guidelines and peer-reviewed research.
Unfit men have 2.76 times the relative risk of death compared with fit men. A 122,007-patient JAMA study found no upper limit to the mortality benefit of higher cardiorespiratory fitness. Here is what the research says and how to act on it.
A meta-analysis of more than one million adults found that about 60 to 75 minutes of daily activity offsets the mortality risk of sitting eight or more hours. The combination of high sitting and low activity drives the risk, not sitting alone.
The five-year Generation 100 randomised trial found no significant mortality difference between HIIT, steady-state cardio, and standard activity advice. Both beat inactivity, so the best choice is the one you will keep doing.
In the international PURE study, each 5 kilogram drop in handgrip strength was associated with a 16 per cent higher risk of all-cause death, outpredicting systolic blood pressure for cardiovascular mortality. Here is why grip works as a biomarker and what to do about it.
An analysis of the Copenhagen City Heart Study linked tennis to 9.7 extra years of life expectancy versus sedentary adults, ahead of badminton, football, and solo sports. Here is what the numbers mean and the social-interaction hypothesis behind them.
The best current evidence points to around 8,000 steps a day, with mortality risk falling up to roughly 8,000 to 10,000 steps before plateauing. The famous 10,000-step target is a marketing figure, not a clinical threshold.
Pooled cohort studies link any muscle-strengthening activity to roughly a 10 to 17 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality, with the largest benefit at about 30 to 60 minutes per week. Here is the evidence, the effect sizes, and a practical weekly dose.
The training zone most people ignore has the deepest evidence base for longevity. Zone 2 drives mitochondrial biogenesis, fat oxidation, and cardiovascular adaptation. Here is the physiology and how to apply it at any fitness level.
A comprehensive, evidence-based guide covering every major factor that determines how long you will live. From exercise and diet to sleep, stress, social connections, and the surprising role of tennis.
The complete science of how substances affect your lifespan. From the 10-year penalty of heavy smoking to the surprising longevity curve of moderate coffee consumption, backed by the largest cohort studies ever conducted.
Loneliness kills as surely as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The complete science of how chronic stress, depression, social isolation, and psychological wellbeing determine how long you live, backed by 25+ landmark studies.
Sleeping less than 6 hours raises mortality risk by 12%. Sleeping more than 9 hours is even worse. The complete science of how sleep quality, duration, and timing determine how long you live, backed by 40+ studies.
Tennis adds 9.7 years. Jogging adds 3.2. Gym activities add just 1.5. The complete ranking of exercises by years of life gained, from the Copenhagen City Heart Study to VO2 max research covering 661,000+ participants.
The Mediterranean diet adds 4-5 years. Nuts reduce mortality by 20%. Each 10g of daily fibre cuts death risk by 10%. The complete evidence on which foods extend life and which ones shorten it, from the PREDIMED trial to the Adventist Health Study.
Five places on Earth where people routinely live past 100. From Okinawa's hara hachi bu to Sardinia's shepherds to Ikaria's afternoon naps. What the science says, what the controversies are, and what you can actually use.
Rapamycin extends mouse lifespan by 14%. Senolytics clear zombie cells. Epigenetic clocks measure your biological age. The complete guide to what aging research has actually proven, what is hype, and what might work in humans.
Men who orgasm frequently have 50% lower mortality. Social isolation kills as surely as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The complete science of how marriage, sex, friendship, and community shape your lifespan.
Air pollution kills 6.7 million people per year. Your postcode predicts your death date better than your genetics. The complete science of how your environment, from PM2.5 to green space to noise pollution, shapes how long you live.
Chronic stress shortens telomeres by the equivalent of a decade of ageing. The Whitehall II study tracked 10,000 civil servants and found job stress increases heart disease risk by 23%. Here's what actually works to fix it.
The Holt-Lunstad meta-analysis of 308,849 people found strong social relationships increase survival odds by 50%. The Harvard Study followed men for 85 years. The answer was always the same: relationships matter most.
Twin studies said genetics explain 25% of lifespan variation. Then a 400-million-person Ancestry.com study dropped that to 7%. APOE4 carriers have 12x Alzheimer's risk. Here's what your DNA actually controls.
Calorie restriction extends rodent lifespan by 30-40%. The CALERIE trial proved it works in humans too. But the 2024 AHA study raised cardiovascular concerns about 16:8 fasting. Here's the full evidence.
The Global BMI Mortality Collaboration studied 3.9 million people. The lowest mortality is at BMI 22-25, not underweight. But waist-to-hip ratio predicts death better than BMI. The obesity paradox explained.
Sara Lazar's brain imaging showed meditators have thicker prefrontal cortex at age 50. MBSR reduces cortisol by 23%. Loving-kindness meditation slows telomere shortening. The neuroscience of how meditation fights brain ageing.
A 2023 NIH study of 11,255 adults over 25 years found that people with high serum sodium (poor hydration) age biologically faster and die sooner. Proper hydration could add 15 years to your health span.
A Swedish study of 3.4 million people found dog owners have 33% lower risk of death after heart attack. Forest bathing lowers cortisol by 12.4%. Living near green space reduces all-cause mortality. Nature is medicine.
Chetty's landmark 2016 study found the richest 1% of Americans live 14.6 years longer than the poorest 1%. Your postcode predicts your death date. Here's the complete science of how poverty kills and what can change it.
The UK Biobank study of 500,000 people found that coffee drinkers have lower mortality at any dose. Green tea drinkers in Japan have 26% lower death risk. The complete science of caffeine, polyphenols, and longevity.