The Long Run10 habits for a longer, healthier life
Ten habits backed by large, long-running, widely cited studies, with links to every study.
The nightly articles on this site are about new research, which is often early and uncertain. This page is the opposite: ten habits backed by large, long-running, widely cited studies, each with millions of person-years of follow-up or dozens of trials behind it. None of them is new or surprising. Together, they make a large difference.
How large? Two long-running studies of about 123,000 American nurses and health professionals, followed for up to 34 years, looked at five habits: never smoking, a healthy weight, at least 30 minutes a day of moderate or vigorous activity, moderate alcohol and a good diet. People with all five were estimated to live 14 years longer (women) and 12 years longer (men) from age 50 than people with none, and their risk of dying during the study was about a quarter as high (Li et al., Circulation 2018).
How to read the evidence. Most of these studies observe people over many years. They show which habits go with longer lives, but people who exercise also differ in other ways, so observation can't fully prove cause and effect. Where randomized trials exist, we say so. Blood pressure treatment has the strongest trial evidence of everything on this page.
This is general information, not personal medical advice. If you have a health condition or take medication, talk to your doctor before making big changes.
1. Don’t smoke, and if you do, stop: at any age
What the research shows. In a study that followed about 34,000 British doctors for 50 years, men who kept smoking cigarettes died on average about 10 years earlier than lifelong non-smokers. Stopping paid off at every age: quitting at 60, 50, 40 or 30 gained about 3, 6, 9 or 10 years of life expectancy (Doll et al., BMJ 2004). A US study of about 200,000 adults found the same: smokers lost more than a decade, and quitting before 40 cut the extra risk of death by about 90% (Jha et al., NEJM 2013).
Evidence: very strong. Very large, very long studies, and smoking is a known cause of cancer, heart and lung disease.
2. Move every day: walking counts
What the research shows. In 15 studies of about 47,000 adults, people who took more steps per day had a lower risk of dying during follow-up. The benefit levelled off at about 6,000–8,000 steps a day for people over 60 and 8,000–10,000 for younger adults, so 10,000 is not a magic number (Paluch et al., Lancet Public Health 2022). Studies that measured movement with activity trackers found that any activity, even light, was linked to lower risk, and that a lot of sitting was linked to higher risk (Ekelund et al., BMJ 2019).
Evidence: strong and consistent, from observational studies with objectively measured activity.
3. Add strength training, about 30–60 minutes a week
What the research shows. A review of 16 studies found that muscle-strengthening activity (weights, resistance bands, body-weight exercises) was linked to a 10–17% lower risk of early death, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, independent of aerobic exercise. The largest benefit was at about 30–60 minutes a week; whether more adds anything is unclear. Combining strength and aerobic exercise was linked to the lowest risk (Momma et al., Br J Sports Med 2022).
Evidence: good, observational. Muscle strength matters more with age, when muscle mass declines.
4. Eat more whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts; less salt
What the research shows. A worldwide analysis estimated that poor diet was responsible for about 11 million deaths in 2017. The three biggest dietary risks were too much salt, too few whole grains and too little fruit; two of the three are about eating too little of something healthy (GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators, Lancet 2019).
Evidence: strong overall, though estimates for single foods are uncertain. The pattern (plants, whole grains, less salt and processed food) is consistent across many studies.
5. Keep alcohol low: less is better
What the research shows. An analysis of about 600,000 drinkers in 83 studies found that the risk of death was lowest at about 100 g of alcohol a week or less, which is 12.5 UK units (about seven US standard drinks). Compared with drinking up to that amount, drinking 100–200 g a week went with about 6 months shorter life expectancy at age 40, 200–350 g with 1–2 years, and more than 350 g with 4–5 years (Wood et al., Lancet 2018). The study compared drinkers with each other; it does not show that non-drinkers should start.
Evidence: strong for harm at higher amounts. Any benefit of light drinking is debated.
6. Aim for a healthy weight
What the research shows. In 239 studies with more than 10 million people on four continents, risk of death was lowest at a body mass index (BMI) of 20–25. It rose with overweight and more steeply with obesity: about 45% higher for a BMI of 30–35 and almost double for 35–40. Being underweight was also linked to higher risk. To avoid misleading results, the main analysis included only never-smokers who were healthy when the study began (Global BMI Mortality Collaboration, Lancet 2016).
Evidence: strong and consistent across continents. BMI is a rough measure: it doesn’t distinguish muscle from fat.
7. Sleep about 7–8 hours
What the research shows. In 16 studies with 1.3 million people, those who usually slept less than about 7 hours had a 12% higher risk of death, and those who slept more than 8–9 hours a 30% higher risk, compared with people sleeping 7–8 hours (Cappuccio et al., Sleep 2010).
Evidence: moderate. Sleep was self-reported and measured once, and the authors note that observational data can’t rule out other explanations. The lesson is to get enough sleep regularly, not to sleep as long as possible.
8. Stay connected to other people
What the research shows. A review of 148 studies with about 300,000 people found that those with stronger social relationships had a 50% higher likelihood of survival during follow-up. The authors concluded that the effect is comparable with well-established risk factors for death (Holt-Lunstad et al., PLoS Medicine 2010).
Evidence: consistent, observational. Loneliness and isolation are also among the risk factors for dementia (see habit 10).
9. Know your blood pressure, and treat it if it’s high
What the research shows. In a combined analysis of 123 randomized trials with more than 600,000 people, every 10 mm Hg reduction in systolic (upper) blood pressure lowered the risk of major heart and blood-vessel events by 20%, stroke by 27%, and death from any cause by 13% (Ettehad et al., Lancet 2016). The Lancet dementia commission recommends keeping systolic blood pressure at 130 mm Hg or less from age 40 (Livingston et al., Lancet 2024).
Evidence: very strong: randomized trials. High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms, so the only way to know is to measure it.
10. Protect your brain: hearing, mood and head
What the research shows. The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia, a review of the evidence by an international expert panel, concluded that 14 modifiable risk factors account for nearly half of dementia cases. Besides the habits above (activity, smoking, alcohol, weight, blood pressure, social contact), they include untreated hearing loss, untreated vision loss, depression, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, head injury, air pollution and less education. The commission found stronger evidence that treating hearing loss lowers dementia risk, and recommends hearing aids for people who need them, effective treatment of depression, helmets in contact sports and on bikes, and staying mentally, physically and socially active in mid- and late life (Livingston et al., Lancet 2024; free author manuscript).
Evidence: a careful expert synthesis. The commission notes that some associations may be only partly causal, and the “nearly half” is a theoretical maximum.
Last reviewed: 7 October 2026. All studies cited are free to read at the links above.