Every day it seems like there’s new advice for living longer: drink red wine, add turmeric to that morning latte, or try these dozens of other things.
Now, researchers from Harvard University have nailed down the best ways to add more than a decade to your life. All you need is to never have smoked, have a healthy BMI, hit the gym, avoid overindulging in alcohol, and maintain a healthy diet.
Published in the journal Circulation, the paper concludes that men who adhere to all five behaviors live roughly 12 years longer than those who don’t follow any of them. (Women who meet the same criteria live an additional 14 years.) These habits also decrease risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death in the United States.
The study used data from two larger studies of more than 123,000 people: the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
It shouldn’t be news to anyone that exercising, drinking in moderation, and abstaining from cigarettes are all good for you. But even the researchers were surprised by just how much longer people lived when they followed these healthy habits.
To me, the surprising outcome was how strong it was: what a big impact these simple behaviors could have on life expectancy,” study co-author Dr. Meir Stampfer of Harvard Medical School told CNN. “I was surprised that it was that pronounced.”
Read on for more about the research — plus tips on how to master each habit.
1. Give Up Smoking
Although participants in this study never smoked, saying goodbye to cigarettes can add years to your life. Research from 2002 concluded that even people who quit at 65 live longer, and men who give up the habit at 35 years old can expect to live around seven to eight years more.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
The Harvard study found that people with a low risk of early death had a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9. According to the National Institute of Health, people with BMIs above 25 are considered overweight, and people with BMIs above 30 are considered obese. While BMI calculations aren’t always the most reliable, research has shown that gaining just a few pounds can shave years off your life.
3. Exercise Regularly
Don’t worry, we’re not talking two-a-day workouts; the study authors determined that walking for as little as 30 minutes a day is enough to live longer, provided it’s at a moderate or vigorous pace. There are plenty of other reasons to get in gym time, too. Research has shown that being active can improve memory, mood and learning
4. Avoid Binge Drinking
It’s tempting to have that third beer at happy hour, but guys who keep their booze to about two drinks a day lived the longest. For this analysis, moderation drinking in men was limited to 5 to 30 grams of alcohol a day, which is roughly two 12-ounce beer
5. Trade Junk Food for Produce
The team at Harvard assessed people’s diets using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index, which emphasizes food quality — so whole grains over refined, and whole fruit over juices. Guys who ate higher-ranking foods — like green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, fish, nuts, and legumes — tended to live longer.