{"id":176718,"date":"2025-10-03T05:04:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T05:04:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/176718\/"},"modified":"2025-10-03T05:04:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T05:04:23","slug":"doctor-shares-6-changes-proven-to-help-you-live-longer-starting-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/176718\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor shares 6 changes proven to help you live longer \u2013 starting today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Against the backdrop of a global ageing population, for many people, there is now a desire to extend their health span \u2013 the period of time spent in good health<\/a> and free from disease and age-related disabilities.<\/p>\n

In other words, people want to stay younger for longer, and the wellness world has caught on. According to Forbes<\/a>, between 2021 and 2023 alone, more than $18 billion was pumped into longevity-focused research and startups. Globally, the longevity<\/a> industry is predicted to be worth at least $600 billion by the end of this year, according to a widely cited figure<\/a> from Bank of America analysts.<\/p>\n

From anti-ageing skincare to extreme treatment regimens (like those of well-known \u2018longevity influencer\u2019 Bryan Johnson, who claims to take 100 supplements<\/a> a day and underwent blood transfusions from his teenage son), people are spending enormous amounts in their endeavours to age backwards.<\/p>\n

However, as medical doctor and women\u2019s health advocate Dr Faye Bate recently discovered, there are several manageable (and largely free) ways to optimise your health span \u2013 no blood transfusions and crazy supplement stacking needed.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve felt conflicted watching the longevity industry boom on social media,\u2019 Dr Faye tells Women\u2019s Health. \u2018Especially as it\u2019s often discussed on social media by those without a scientific background who haven\u2019t looked through the research.\u2019<\/p>\n

As a doctor, she says, longevity conversations have previously served up a bit of a conundrum: \u2018I often admitted people to hospital with conditions that might have been prevented by better diet<\/a> and lifestyle choices earlier in life. On the other hand, I saw patients who did everything \u201cright\u201d have their lives cut short by a cruel twist of fate they could never have anticipated.\u2019<\/p>\n

While Dr Faye doesn\u2019t want people \u2013 \u2018especially women, who are so often the target market for anything anti-ageing\u2019 \u2013 to spend unnecessary money, she says \u2018low-cost basics that can add healthy years to their lives\u2019 do exist.<\/p>\n

So, after visiting an exclusive London longevity clinic for the intel on what actually works, Dr Faye skipped the expensive treatments and instead left with six small tweaks that she\u2019s been implementing ever since.<\/p>\n

1. Get your VO2 max as high as possible <\/p>\n

You might have heard VO2 max<\/a> mentioned as a metric that should be on your radar. But what actually is it, and why does anyone who isn\u2019t an elite athlete need to know about it?<\/p>\n

\u2018VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use. The fitter you are, the more efficiently your heart and lungs use oxygen \u2013 so the higher your VO2 max,\u2019 explains Dr Faye. \u2018As we age, heart and lung function naturally decline, so VO2 max falls. The key is to build it as high as possible before that decline.\u2019<\/p>\n

One 2018 study<\/a> that Dr Faye highlights found that people with a higher VO2 max were less likely to die early. The good news? \u2018You can improve VO2 max through regular cardiovascular exercise,\u2019 which can be as simple as regular brisk walks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Invest in your relationships<\/p>\n

Here at WH, we\u2019ve previously explored how social connection can support physical as well as mental and emotional health \u2013 and it\u2019s something Dr Faye recognises and is working on, too.<\/p>\n

She refers to a research paper<\/a> published in 2023, in which researchers analysed 90 studies on social isolation, loneliness<\/a> and mortality, and found a link between social isolation and an increased risk of death from any cause.<\/p>\n

So, the next time your friend suggests coffee<\/a> and you can\u2019t really be bothered, consider the potential long-term health benefits of saying yes.<\/p>\n

3. Soak up sauna time<\/p>\n

In recent years, we\u2019ve seen more research on how hot and cold therapies can potentially support health and longevity. Sauna is one of those, and something Faye has begun to do more frequently.<\/p>\n

\u2018Where our blood vessels get wider with heat and get narrower with cold, sauna causes these vessels to get rapidly wider,\u2019 she explains. \u2018This is thought to reduce stiffening in these vessels, which may be beneficial.\u2019<\/p>\n

Although the science on saunas is still in its relative infancy, one study<\/a>, which Dr Faye highlights, found that saunas may reduce the risk of stroke, and another<\/a> suggests that they may even improve the lipid profile (the amount of specific fats in the blood).<\/p>\n

4. Meditate to reduce stress<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s not entirely surprising that psychological stress is linked to an increased risk of death<\/a>, modern-day living, says Dr Faye, has made it harder than ever to actually attempt to reduce that stress.<\/p>\n

\u2018As irritating as it can be to hear when you\u2019re anxious, meditation is one of the easiest, most accessible ways to reduce anxiety<\/a> in today\u2019s world,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of free apps and tutorials on YouTube that guide you through different techniques for different situations \u2013 and dedicating even just five minutes a day to meditate may have potentially transformative effects for you.<\/p>\n

5. Track your data (but don\u2019t let it control your life)<\/p>\n

This is a bit of a tricky one, acknowledges Dr Faye, but it\u2019s something that \u2013 in moderation \u2013 has helped her make other small, healthy changes. \u2018The Hawthorne effect suggests we behave better when we know we\u2019re being observed, so simply wearing a device might improve your sleep,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

However, the key, adds Dr Faye, is not letting \u2018the data dictate how you feel\u2019. In other words, perhaps track your data for a period of time while behaving normally, and then again after doing something different. That way, you can see if any small changes you\u2019re making (eg, sleeping with an eye mask or taking magnesium) are making a difference.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t let it set you up for failure. \u2018The researchers from this 2020 study<\/a> lied to participants about how much sleep they\u2019d had. Those who believed they slept less performed worse on tests, even if they\u2019d actually slept enough,\u2019 says Dr Faye.<\/p>\n

6. Measure your biomarkers<\/p>\n

\u2018While I\u2019m passionate about low-cost, easy changes we can all make to add healthy years to our lives, this one does have a price tag attached, and I\u2019m grateful I had access to it,\u2019 says Dr Faye.<\/p>\n

What she\u2019s referring to is finding out more about her biomarkers (biological markers), which are measurable indicators like specific molecules and genes. \u2018I learned I have high lipoprotein(a), which puts me at a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure later in life<\/a>,\u2019 says Dr Faye. \u2018It\u2019s genetic, and there isn\u2019t currently a medication I can take to reduce it, but knowing this motivates me to optimise other lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise.\u2019<\/p>\n

She\u2019s also flagged to her family the signs and symptoms to watch out for, and so they can implement similar healthy habits \u2013 because very often, the smallest things can make the biggest differences in the long run.<\/p>\n

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