What Is Longevity?
When we talk about longevity, we’re not just asking how many years we live. There’s an even more important question: how do we want to live those years?
To better understand this, we can look at two dimensions of longevity:
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Lifespan: refers to the length of life, or how many years we live.
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Healthspan: refers to how well we live those years, or our quality of life.
Because living to 100 doesn’t mean much if the last 30 years are marked by pain, loss of mobility, or cognitive decline. Quality of life is essential when it comes to aging and longevity.
And how do we define quality of life? Through three dimensions:
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Physical: Can I move without pain? Can I physically do the things I enjoy?
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Cognitive: Is my mind still sharp and focused?
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Emotional: Do I feel good, connected, and purposeful?
What Factors Influence Longevity?
Aging is a complex process involving multiple factors. Among the most important are:
Genetics and Epigenetics
Genetics is about our DNA, what we’re born with. But it doesn’t entirely determine our health and longevity. Our environment and habits also influence how our genes are expressed.
What we eat, how we sleep, whether we exercise, our relationships, and the recreational activities we engage in… all of these play a major role in how we age.
Herskind et al. found that only around 20% of a person’s average lifespan is determined by their genes. The remaining 80% depends on their lifestyle.
That’s why, although we can’t change our genes, we can work on many of the factors that influence our long-term health. For example, by changing our habits.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria are found in almost every cell in our body and play a central role in our health. They are responsible for producing ATP, the energy that keeps our bodies alive.
Aging is closely linked to a progressive decline in mitochondrial function. And when mitochondria don’t work properly, several problems can arise:
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Cognitive and neurological decline
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Chronic inflammation
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Muscle dysfunction
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Impaired organ function
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Premature aging
That’s why taking care of our mitochondria means taking care of our longevity.
Why Should We Work Towards Longevity?
Stopping the passage of time is impossible. But we can work on many of the factors that influence how we age and how we reach our final decade of life.
But this isn’t just about the future. The habits that promote longevity also improve our quality of life today: building strength, moving better, sleeping better, protecting our cardiovascular health, and maintaining our independence.
So, how can we improve longevity? There’s no single solution. But here are some approaches worth exploring.
Longevity Medicine and Prevention
For years, medicine taught us to wait until a symptom appears. Longevity medicine takes a step back: acting before a problem develops.
Natalia Ayala, neurosurgeon and co-founder of ERA Longevity, explains that longevity medicine studies a person’s biological profile by looking at factors such as genetics, lifestyle habits, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress.
With all this information, it’s possible to identify potential risks even when clinical values are still within normal ranges.
Longevity medicine focuses on designing personalized strategies that may include lifestyle changes, wellness protocols, nutrition, sleep, and, when appropriate, other types of interventions.
Physical Activity and Longevity
Among all the habits that promote a longer life, physical exercise stands out above the rest. Why? Because of its direct impact on muscle mass and strength, two essential factors for longevity, as they:
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Help preserve mobility and independence
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Reduce all-cause mortality
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Support good metabolic health
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Protect bone health
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Improve insulin sensitivity
What Types of Exercise Are Best for Longevity?
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Strength training: to build muscle mass and bone density. Compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, and presses.
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Cardiovascular exercise: to improve cardiorespiratory fitness. Running, walking, HIIT, rowing, or cycling.
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Mobility and flexibility: Yoga or joint mobility exercises to improve balance, range of motion, and functional capacity.
The key: consistency over intensity. Gradual, consistent, and sustainable training over the long term is more effective than trying to maximize every session.
Sauna and Longevity
Heat exposure creates controlled stress that activates adaptive mechanisms. One of these is the production of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs): proteins that help maintain and protect other proteins, preventing them from misfolding.
Why is this important? Because misfolded proteins may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
In addition, sauna use is a great tool for strengthening cardiovascular health. A study by Laukkanen and other researchers found that: people who had 4 to 7 sauna sessions per week were 50% less likely to die from a cardiovascular event.
Cold Exposure and Longevity
Cold exposure also acts as a form of stress that triggers positive adaptations and responses (hormesis). One of these is mitochondrial activation.
When the body is exposed to low temperatures, it increases heat production to maintain its core temperature. This is where brown fat plays a key role: a metabolically active tissue containing a high density of mitochondria.
These mitochondria contribute to heat production through a process known as thermogenesis: they burn fat and glucose to generate energy in the form of heat, helping maintain a stable core body temperature.
Conclusion
It’s never too early or too late to start investing in your longevity.
The earlier you start, the better the results, but any moment is a good moment to take action.
There is no magic formula, and longevity isn’t built overnight: it’s something we work on every day. It’s about building better routines and incorporating habits that, when sustained over time, improve our quality of life today and tomorrow.