Longevity studies involving human participants are scant because they require tracking individuals over decades or even an entire lifetime to gather meaningful data, making them resource-intensive.

Despite the odds, with help from human and seminal animal studies, scientists have pinpointed variables that impact aging and lifespan. Here’s a look at ten surprising factors affecting your longevity more than you think.

1 The kind of sports you play

It’s a no-brainer that people who play sports will live healthier and longer lives than people who do not and have sedentary lifestyles.  But do all sports have an equal impact on lifespan? 

To answer the question, a group of international researchers dived into 25 years of data from 8,577 individuals collected for the Copenhagen City Heart Study, an observational study that linked jogging in moderation to longevity.  

The new study gave some surprising insights. People who played tennis outlived sedentary participants by a staggering 9.7 years. Badminton players tailed closely with 6.2 years, followed by soccer players who added 4.7 years to their lives. 

Cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4 years), and jogging (3.2 years) were the underperforming activities when it came to increasing lifespans. 

2 Occupational position

People with higher occupational status are found to have both higher levels of happiness and longer lifespans.

A 2016 study of 5,568,433 Spanish individuals aged 50 and over determined occupational position as a factor creating inequalities in longevity among people. 

At 50, women in managerial positions were expected to live up to 89.7 years of age, the highest life expectancy group among the study participants. They were followed by male managers who were expected to live up to 85.3 years. The years dropped significantly for both males and females in routine jobs to 74.8 years and 78.5 years, respectively. 

The staggering inequality could be blamed on the health and socioeconomic disadvantages that pile up for people in routine and manual jobs. 

3 Marital status and cohabitation

Research on the relationship between marriage and longevity has consistently shown that people who continue to stay married tend to live longer than divorced, widowed, and never married individuals.

The longevity benefit of marriage also spills over to couples living together without being legally married.    

A study reporting on the effects of cohabitation on all Danish populations above the age of 49 in the period 1982 – 2019 was published by Cambridge University Press in 2023. 

The study, with an average of 2,190,536 participants each year, found that widowed people who live with new partners have a similar lifespan to married people. While divorced individuals living with new partners don’t live as long as married individuals, their lifespan is still longer than those who remain single.

Marriage appears to have a protective effect, primarily due to the social, economic, and psychological benefits it provides. 

There’s also a view that the evolutionary “Selection Effect” is in play. Individuals with better physical and mental health are more likely to be selected as partners for marriage and have the capability to maintain a stable relationship.

4 Your sense of gratitude in old age

Being grateful has long been associated with emotional well-being. A new study published in 2024 has now positively linked gratitude in old age to physical health, as well.

In 2016, 49,275 female nurses with a collective average age of 79  completed a gratitude questionnaire with six items. Researchers followed up with the participants in 2019 and observed people with high levels of gratitude had a 9% lower risk of mortality during the study period.

Higher gratitude leads to greater emotional and social well-being. It also lowers the risk of depression and is associated with better sleep quality.

The study described gratitude as a two-step process. It involved recognizing the good things in life and attributing those good outcomes to an external source, which could be a person or even an intangible entity.

5 Quality of sleep

The often touted 7-8 hours of sleep is not an optimum strategy to help you live longer and healthier. The quality of sleep matters, too. 

A study presented in 2023 analyzed data regarding sleep habits from 172,321 people. It assessed the quality of sleep based on five factors:

• slept for  7-8 hours at night;
• didn’t have difficulty falling asleep for more than two nights a week;
• didn’t struggle to stay asleep for more than two times a week;
• were not dependent on sleep medication;
• felt rested and fresh after waking up at least five days a week.

Male participants with all positive responses had greater life expectancy by 4.7 years than participants who scored zero or one. 

Interestingly, female participants benefited by only 2.4 extra years. 

Researchers don’t have answers to why sleep hygiene wasn’t as impactful on female participants as on their male counterparts. 

6 The cuisine you eat

The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) promotes longevity by reducing the risk of chronic diseases, improving metabolic health, and protecting against cognitive decline.

A Jama study, which analyzed the diets of 25 315 women, found that those with higher adherence to the MedDiet had a 23% higher chance of living longer than those with lower adherence.

A traditional MedDiet is characterized by a high intake of plant-based foods and fish and low consumption of dairy products, red meat, and processed food.

Liberal consumption of olive oil is the hallmark of the diet. Lipids make up  40% of the total calorie intake in the MedDiet. The majority of that fat intake comes from the monounsaturated olive oil, which, together with the omega-3 fatty acids from the fish, lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. 

7 The duration of the gap between your meals

An extended period of gaps between your meals helps your body become more efficient in how it uses energy, and this improved energy management is a big reason why intermittent fasting (IF) is good for your health. 

IF is an eating pattern where you alternate between periods of eating and fasting. 

Studies on animal models have shown that IF can prevent chronic diseases and age-related pathologies. In rodent models, IF is proven to increase lifespan, too.

Our body needs energy to function, which it gets from food. Normally, the body uses glucose (sugar) from carbohydrates as its primary energy source. When fasting, glucose levels drop, and the body switches to using stored fat for energy instead. This switch is more efficient and healthier for our cells and organs.

8 Your social relationships and how well-connected you are

Social participation is a fundamental human need, and research since the 1900s indicates the lack of social connections increases the odds of death by at least 50%.

In a 2013 study of over 28,000 people with an average age of 89, it was observed that people who socialized frequently lived longer than those who socialized occasionally, and even a little socializing helped participants outlive those who lived in isolation. 

There is enough evidence to establish a causal relationship between mortality and social connections and relationships. However, we are yet to discover how social relationships affect our biological processes and health. 

9 Having a sense of purpose and valued life goals

An aim in life that stimulates goals and gives meaning to life is a stress buster, and lower stress levels reduce inflammation in the body. Consequently, people with life goals have lower mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases and also from digestive issues and blood conditions.

A 2019 study of 6,985 participants of the US Health and Retirement Study associated having a purpose in life with a lower all-cause death rate. 

A purpose-driven life need not be extraordinary. Having a sense of responsibility towards family, working for the well-being of the community, or simply getting involved in hobbies is enough to steer your life on the longer route. 

10 An optimistic attitude

Optimism isn’t just a comforting state of mind; it impacts health and lifespan, too. 

A study of 159,255 women published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2022 linked optimism with a 10% higher chance of living beyond 90 in women across race and ethnicity. 

The study also found that the top 25% of the population in the optimism ranking are likely to live 5.4% longer lives than the bottom 25%.

Optimism drives people to live a healthier life. However, a healthy lifestyle accounts for only 25% of the cases of extended lifespans. Deductively, it affects our well-being in ways more than we know.