Longevity may be a complicated subject to study, but according to a recent story from the BBC, simple changes to your daily habits can have a big impact. According to “Five lifestyle tweaks to help you live well for longer,” building up what researchers call “cognitive reserve” through education, socializing, work, and leisure activities can significantly delay or even help people avoid dementia by making the brain more resilient against age-related decline. The article recommends learning something new like gardening or a second language, adding more colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet for fiber and brain-boosting nutrients, moving regularly (even if it’s just walking or taking the stairs), and prioritizing time with friends. But if you had to pick just one metric to focus on, Dr. Peter Attia argues in a recent Instagram clip from 60 Minutes that VO2 max is the strongest predictor of longevity. VO2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise, and according to “VO2 Max: What It Is and How to Improve It,” one study concluded that VO2 max was the strongest independent predictor of future life expectancy in both healthy people and those with cardiorespiratory diseases. You can improve your VO2 max through endurance training at slower paces, interval training with 20 to 30 second speed bursts followed by recovery periods, and sprint interval training at maximum effort. Attia recommends getting at least one session of high intensity exercise per week, and he encourages his clients to aim for an elite VO2 max level for maximum longevity. VO2 max can be measured in a lab test, but modern fitness trackers can give you a quick and easy estimate that should be accurate within a few percentage points.

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