Nine renowned longevity experts weigh in on the secrets to a long and healthy life. Creating sustainable habits plays a vital role in aging well, according to these specialists. Here are their best pieces of advice:

1. Dr. Rhonda Patrick – Prioritize Nutrition

Focus on a diet rich in whole foods, avoiding processed foods and sugars. Incorporate a variety of vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats to provide essential nutrients that can fight aging.

2. Dr. David Sinclair – Embrace Mild Stress

Engage in hormetic activities like intermittent fasting or cold exposure. These mild stressors can activate pathways in the body associated with longevity and resilience.

3. Dan Buettner – Find Your Purpose

Identify what Buettner calls your ‘ikigai’, or reason for being, to add joy and years to your life. People who live with purpose tend to have lower rates of disease and live longer.

4. Dr. Valter Longo – Opt for Fasting Mimicking

Longo advocates for a periodic fasting-mimicking diet which has been shown to promote regenerative changes in the body, potentially leading to a longer lifespan.

5. Dr. Peter Attia – Practice Zone 2 Training

Attia recommends regular zone 2 exercise—low intensity but long-duration workouts—to support cardiovascular health and metabolic flexibility, essential components of aging well.

6. Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn – Reduce Stress

As a Nobel Laureate who discovered how telomeres affect the aging process, she advises managing stress through practices like meditation, as chronic stress can accelerate cellular aging.

7. Dr. Dale Bredesen – Take a Multifaceted Approach

Addressing cognitive decline proactively, Bredesen emphasizes the importance of sleep, mental activity, and avoiding toxins in addition to diet and exercise to preserve brain health with age.

8. Blue Zones Experts – Build Community

According to research from Blue Zones—areas of the world where people live exceptionally long lives—maintaining strong social connections is crucial for longevity.

9. Aubrey de Grey – Stay Informed on Science

De Grey suggests keeping up with scientific advancements in biotechnology that may soon provide interventions to counteract the aging process directly.

Integrating these expert-backed habits into your daily routine could be transformative for your healthspan—the part of your life that you live in good health—as well as your lifespan. Adopting even one or two of these practices could set you on the path toward a healthier, fuller future as you age gracefully and vigorously.