Longevity is not a new phenomenon, but it's the latest wellness craze. Discover why

A long life is no longer just a wish of peculiar individuals – it is becoming the latest wellness trend that has been quickly adopted by many enthusiasts of healthy living. Listening to various beauty podcasts and reading many wellness studies, I noticed that everyone kept coming back to one word – longevity.

Longevity is a topic that the Vogue team has been working on intensively for some time, but it seems that it will only become part of the everyday vocabulary this year. Also, Vogue declared longevity one of the biggest wellness trends to come this year. Discover an overview of everything that has contributed to the growth of this trend that promises a longer life.

What exactly is longevity?

“In today’s society, the primary goal has shifted from simply treating disease to promoting a continuous state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being. This approach aims to prevent the onset of disease, ultimately improving both health span and life expectancy. In essence, it is about enriching life with years and adding healthy years to life. This sums up the essence of the emergence of a multidisciplinary specialty that we call longevity ,” explains Dr. Vicente Mera, head of internal medicine with a focus on anti-aging medicine at the renowned SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain.

Longevity is the most transformative beauty trend of the year

Like most overnight success stories, the trend of longevity took at least a decade to develop before it reached the mainstream culture. Longevity culture has been shaped by a variety of factors, including various documentaries, books, cultural influences, and treatments with extraordinary rejuvenating effects that have become available to the general public. But it is interesting to examine why the quest for a longer life is only now taking over the lifestyles of many people so intensely.

“We actually only now have the results of real, serious research, and I would say that this is the main reason. The news about how famous scientist David Sinclair rejuvenated laboratory rats also resonated strongly…In fact, numerous studies at renowned universities such as Harvard or Cambridge prove that old age is actually a disease and that by treating the body in the right way, we can truly rejuvenate ourselves!” emphasizes Dr. Nikola Milojević, owner and founder of the Milojević Clinic in Croatia.

Looking at the scientific research that underpins the longevity trend, they are turning the dream of a longer life into a reality. dr. Mera points out that the key improvements that led to the development of the trend are twofold: “First, the recognition that lifestyle plays an important role, that is, that it is twice as important as genetics. Second, understanding that lifestyle can affect gene expression and flip it like an on/off switch (a remarkable phenomenon known as epigenetics).”

Healthspan as the key to everything

The pandemic has encouraged many to focus more on their health as an aspect of life that we can influence through our own actions. In the quest for a longer life, it seems we must turn to our health. Extending your healthspan is the key to a long life.

“Until recently, it was thought that longevity was due to genetics – and of course, there is something to that – but by applying all the knowledge we have today, it is clear that we can greatly surpass the age of our parents.” However, I always emphasize that it is not only the number of years that is important, but also the so-called healthspan – the period of our lives that we spend in good health, with energy, vitality, strength and mental acuity,” explains Dr. Milojević.

How to incorporate longevity into your life?

1. Read longevity literature

The best way to start studying longevity and improving your life span, or rather, your healthspan, is through books like Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity (Bill Gifford and Dr. Peter Attia), Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don’t Have To (Dr. David Sinclair), and True Age (Dr. Morgan Levine). These books will provide you with a clear and understandable overview of current scientific discoveries and advice on how to incorporate them into your life.

2. Adopt a diet for a longer life

The three main aspects of nutrition that we are becoming aware of in the longevity trend are sugar, the microbiome, and antioxidants . Sugar is the main enemy in the context of longevity, so it is advisable to minimize it in your diet. Doctors often recommended that the only sources of sugar should come in natural form through fruits and vegetables.

We are increasingly aware of the importance of a healthy microbiome for longevity, so fermented foods and beverages are particularly recommended, while eliminating sugar will further contribute to the health of the microbiome.

Antioxidants are extremely important for fighting free radicals that cause premature aging of the body. By regularly consuming a significant amount of vegetables, as well as fruits such as blueberries, you will ensure a sufficient amount of antioxidants that will help extend your healthy lifespan.

3. Exercise for longevity

Any type of exercise is beneficial, but studies favor certain types. Strength training is extremely important because when during the exercise so-called growth factors are created, which have a revitalizing effect on the body. In addition, strength exercises strengthen the skeleton, which becomes extremely important at a later age.

Brain health is maintained through constant learning, reading, and research, but one Harvard study highlights swimming as the best exercise for a healthy brain.

In longevity methods, walking is often mentioned as one of the most important exercises that helps keep the body healthy and young, and at the same time, walking fits very easily into daily routine of most people.