5 Actionable and "Trendy" Trends To Increase YOUR Longevity

Hey 1% Better community,

Who doesn’t long to live a longer life while feeling amazing doing it? Thanks to research and some popular longevity trends, you can increase your longevity without it feeling like a chore. This is more than just walking and eating more vegetables — here are five fun, research-backed trends that are relatively popular in the health world and could help you add more years to your life.

Dive Yourself Into Ice Cold Water

Plunging yourself in an ice cold bath might sound insane, but cold plunging has been proven to induce longevity and other benefits. Research proves that exposure to cold temperatures can reignite brown fat, increase circulation, and decrease inflammation — factors that can increase longevity (Seals et al., 2019, J Physiol).

What are the benefits? Boosts immune function, improves mood, and can even slow down cellular aging.

How to try it: Start with ice cold showers for 30 seconds OR dunk your face into a bowl of ice cold water. Once comfortable, you can go all in!

Source: Seals, D. R., et al. (2019). "Cold Exposure & Longevity," Journal of Physiology.

The Blue Zone Diet: Eat Like the World’s Oldest Individuals

Ever heard of the Blue Zones? These are the areas where individuals live past 100 years, including Sardinia (Italy) and Okinawa (Japan). What is the secret to this increase in life spans in these regions? A plant-heavy diet filled with olive oil, whole grains, and beans — and some red whine 🍷 (yes, really!).

What are the benefits? Decreased risk of chronic diseases and supports gut health.

How to try it: Switch meat for chickpeas or beans more often, and add olive oil to your foods more regularly.

Source: Buettner, D. (2021). The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People.

Walking Sessions: Steps OVER Stress

Forget sitting in boardrooms and office cells — walking sessions and meetings are the recent actionable hack that also happens to increase lifespan. A recent study discovered that walking 8,00 to 10,000 steps a day can lower your chance of morality by 40-50% (Paluch et al., 2022, JAMA Network Open).

What are the benefits: Enhances cardiovascular health, decreases stress, and sharpens mental focus.

How to try it: Next time you take a call, walk while talking — or convince your boss to swap a sit-down meeting for a power stroll.

Source: Paluch, A. E., et al. (2022). "Daily Steps and Mortality Risk," JAMA Network Open.

Joyful Movement: Exercise That Doesn’t Feel Like Work

Exercise is a non-negotiable for a long life, but the real secret? Finding movement that feels fun so you actually stick with it. A study found that people who enjoyed their workouts lived longer than those who viewed exercise as a chore (Gómez-Pinilla & Hillman, 2013, Nature Reviews Neuroscience).

What are the benefits: Lowers stress, boosts heart health, and enhances brain function.

How to try it: Dance, hike, rollerblade—whatever gets you moving and smiling at the same time.

Source: Gómez-Pinilla, F., & Hillman, C. (2013). "Exercise and Brain Health," Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

The 1% Better Challenge: Pick One Trend & Try It This Week

Longevity isn’t about perfection — it’s about making small, enjoyable changes that add up over time. Try one of these this week and let me know how it goes! Hit reply and tell me: Which trend are you excited to try?