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Life is short. But science shows there are ways humans can extend their lives by up to 14 years.

In 2022, the CDC reported that life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years for the total US population, with females expected to live to about 80 and men to about 75. Asian females have the longest lives on average and American Indian and Alaska Native males have the shortest lives on average, according to the most recent data. Heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries are the leading causes of death.

There are no real "secrets" or "hacks" to living a longer life. Rather, healthy habits and lifestyle changes over time have been shown to have impacts on longevity.

Here are a few science-backed methods to living longer.

Physical Activity

Exercise is some of the best medicine when it comes to boosting life expectancy.

A frequently cited study on longevity published in 2018 and conducted by Harvard researchers shows that exercise can add three to eight years to an older person's life. According to the study published in the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association (ASA) journals, women at age 50 who exercised between 30 minutes and two hours each week lived five years longer than the most sedentary group. Those who exercised upwards of five-and-a-half hours per week gained nearly eight years of life. Men earned similar benefits from regular exercise, adding three years to their life expectancy for as little as 30 minutes of exercise a week and also close to eight years for five-and-a-half hours or more exercise per week. The benefits dwindled as participants aged, but the results did show some gained years through age 100.

This makes sense considering exercise has been shown to lower risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and other common health complications. The AHA recommends 30 minutes of exercise, five times a week to prevent cardiovascular disease. About 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity, three or four times a week, is recommended to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. And a combination of aerobics, strength training, balance training, and flexibility exercises is recommended to fight aging. Still, studies confirm that "even the easiest activity is better than nothing."

Healthy Diet

Often coupled with exercise, diet also plays a role in increasing life expectancy. In the AHA and ASA study, older adults who improved their diets (or whose diets were in the top 40 percent of the participants in the study) added one to five years to their lives on average.

Adding dark green foods to one's diet and boosting protein intake can improve bone health; healthy non-saturated fats can improve mental sharpness; and high-fiber foods can lower cholesterol—all important considerations for older adults. Experts also recommend that older adults fuel their bodies with enough calories per—about 1,800 for women and 2,300 for men—to maintain energy.

The Mediterranean Diet has also been shown to prevent cardiovascular disease, and numerous studies have shown the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet on metabolic disorders and some types of cancer.

Smoking

Smokers were shown to live, in some case, upwards of a decade less than non-smokers in the AHA and ASA study. Past smokers at age 50, both female and male, lived about three years less than non-smokers, according to the study. Women who smoke one to 14 cigarettes a day cut their life expectancy by about six years compared to non-smokers, and those who smoked more than 25 cigarettes a day saw a decrease in life by about nine years. Men who smoke more than 25 cigarettes a day saw the most significant drop in life expectancy, losing about 12 years compared to non-smokers.

When practicing some of all of these healthy habits and others together the AHA and ASH study showed that women could gain up to 14 years of life compared to those who lived unhealthy lifestyles, and men could gain up to 12 years of life.

Social Factors

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has also looked closely at how emotional and social factors may be linked to longevity.

A collaborative study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found women across racial and ethnic groups who were the most optimistic lived an average of about 4 years longer than the least optimistic women. The most optimistic women were also those who lived to be over 90, according to the study.

The NIA also recently conducted a 10-question survey, called the Social Frailty Index, which showed that eight social characteristics increased the risk of death within four years. The factors included poor neighborhood cleanliness, low perceived control over a financial situation, meeting with children less than yearly, not working for pay, not being active with children, not volunteering, feeling isolated, and being treated with less courtesy or respect. However, the NIA said that more randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the causal relationship between the factors and mortality rates.

Still, each individual’s physical and mental health needs are different. Talk to a medical professional for specific recommendations for how to boost your health, and in-turn increase your likelihood of living a long, healthy life.