Against the backdrop of a global ageing population, for many people, there is now a desire to extend their health span – the period of time spent in good health and free from disease and age-related disabilities.
In other words, people want to stay younger for longer, and the wellness world has caught on. According to Forbes, between 2021 and 2023 alone, more than $18 billion was pumped into longevity-focused research and startups. Globally, the longevity industry is predicted to be worth at least $600 billion by the end of this year, according to a widely cited figure from Bank of America analysts.
From anti-ageing skincare to extreme treatment regimens (like those of well-known ‘longevity influencer’ Bryan Johnson, who claims to take 100 supplements a day and underwent blood transfusions from his teenage son), people are spending enormous amounts in their endeavours to age backwards.
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However, as medical doctor and women’s health advocate Dr Faye Bate recently discovered, there are several manageable (and largely free) ways to optimise your health span – no blood transfusions and crazy supplement stacking needed.
‘I’ve felt conflicted watching the longevity industry boom on social media,’ Dr Faye tells Women’s Health. ‘Especially as it’s often discussed on social media by those without a scientific background who haven’t looked through the research.’
As a doctor, she says, longevity conversations have previously served up a bit of a conundrum: ‘I often admitted people to hospital with conditions that might have been prevented by better diet and lifestyle choices earlier in life. On the other hand, I saw patients who did everything “right” have their lives cut short by a cruel twist of fate they could never have anticipated.’
While Dr Faye doesn’t want people – ‘especially women, who are so often the target market for anything anti-ageing’ – to spend unnecessary money, she says ‘low-cost basics that can add healthy years to their lives’ do exist.
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’s been implementing ever since.
1. Get your VO2 max as high as possible
You might have heard VO2 max mentioned as a metric that should be on your radar. But what actually is it, and why does anyone who isn’t an elite athlete need to know about it?
‘VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use. The fitter you are, the more efficiently your heart and lungs use oxygen – so the higher your VO2 max,’ explains Dr Faye. ‘As 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.’
One 2018 study that Dr Faye highlights found that people with a higher VO2 max were less likely to die early. The good news? ‘You can improve VO2 max through regular cardiovascular exercise,’ which can be as simple as regular brisk walks.
2. Invest in your relationships
Here at WH, we’ve previously explored how social connection can support physical as well as mental and emotional health – and it’s something Dr Faye recognises and is working on, too.
She refers to a research paper published in 2023, in which researchers analysed 90 studies on social isolation, loneliness and mortality, and found a link between social isolation and an increased risk of death from any cause.
So, the next time your friend suggests coffee and you can’t really be bothered, consider the potential long-term health benefits of saying yes.
3. Soak up sauna time
In recent years, we’ve 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.
‘Where our blood vessels get wider with heat and get narrower with cold, sauna causes these vessels to get rapidly wider,’ she explains. ‘This is thought to reduce stiffening in these vessels, which may be beneficial.’
Although the science on saunas is still in its relative infancy, one study, which Dr Faye highlights, found that saunas may reduce the risk of stroke, and another suggests that they may even improve the lipid profile (the amount of specific fats in the blood).
4. Meditate to reduce stress
While it’s not entirely surprising that psychological stress is linked to an increased risk of death, modern-day living, says Dr Faye, has made it harder than ever to actually attempt to reduce that stress.
‘As irritating as it can be to hear when you’re anxious, meditation is one of the easiest, most accessible ways to reduce anxiety in today’s world,’ she says.
There are plenty of free apps and tutorials on YouTube that guide you through different techniques for different situations – and dedicating even just five minutes a day to meditate may have potentially transformative effects for you.
5. Track your data (but don’t let it control your life)
This is a bit of a tricky one, acknowledges Dr Faye, but it’s something that – in moderation – has helped her make other small, healthy changes. ‘The Hawthorne effect suggests we behave better when we know we’re being observed, so simply wearing a device might improve your sleep,’ she says.
However, the key, adds Dr Faye, is not letting ‘the data dictate how you feel’. 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’re making (eg, sleeping with an eye mask or taking magnesium) are making a difference.
But don’t let it set you up for failure. ‘The researchers from this 2020 study lied to participants about how much sleep they’d had. Those who believed they slept less performed worse on tests, even if they’d actually slept enough,’ says Dr Faye.
6. Measure your biomarkers
‘While I’m 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’m grateful I had access to it,’ says Dr Faye.
What she’s referring to is finding out more about her biomarkers (biological markers), which are measurable indicators like specific molecules and genes. ‘I learned I have high lipoprotein(a), which puts me at a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure later in life,’ says Dr Faye. ‘It’s genetic, and there isn’t currently a medication I can take to reduce it, but knowing this motivates me to optimise other lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise.’
She’s also flagged to her family the signs and symptoms to watch out for, and so they can implement similar healthy habits – because very often, the smallest things can make the biggest differences in the long run.
Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Nutrition Writer across Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.
She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.
A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.
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