If given the choice, most of us would likely opt for a longer life. But is this an actual choice? Aren’t the lengths of our lives largely predetermined by our genetic makeup? As it turns out, genetics is but one element when it comes to your longevity- your environment and lifestyle also play significant roles in determining how long and how well you live. More and more data and research suggest that what may be within your control and choice can play a significant role in how long (and well) you live.

As one example, consider geography. While not everyone has complete control over where they live and what the environment is like in that location, for many, the choice of where to live can have an important influence on how long you live. New data from The CDC reflects the wide diversity of life spans that exist across the United States. While life expectancy around the entire country dropped in the last few years (significantly due to COVID), different states have sharply different statistics regarding how long their populations live. In Hawaii and the State of Washington average life expectancy at birth is approximately 80 years, while in Mississippi, that number drops to 71.9 years. Generally speaking, the northwest US, along with California and northeast states tend to have the longest lives, while those in the southeast US tend to have the shortest lives. These differences arise due to such factors as history, public policy, and lifestyles. Overall, the United States lags behind other developed countries when it comes to life expectancy, largely due to avoidable reasons such as public policy and health care delivery.

When it comes to lifestyle, we know that everything from your diet to your attitude can make a big difference in how long you live. But researchers continue to show us that more than anything, physical activity seems to be the factor that enhances your longevity. For example, a recent study out of UC San Diego (published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity) reports that higher levels of physical activity (and less sitting!) can extend your life span even if you are not genetically predisposed to living a long life. As one longevity expert declared, “The whole take of this study is that even if you could go to your doctor and get a fancy genetic test to see whether or not you have markers of longevity, it doesn’t matter as much as whether you get up off the couch and exercise on a regular basis.” And even if you feel you’re too old to benefit from physical activity, think again. A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology demonstrates that adults in the “old old” demographic (85 and older) can still enhance their longevity just by walking 10 minutes a day. Examining over 7000 adults aged 85 and older, researchers were able to determine just by walking an hour per week, or 10 minutes a day, those in this older demographic will lower their risk of cardiovascular disease and extend the length of their lives. For more ideas on how your lifestyle choices can keep you living to “a ripe old age,” stand up, walk around and read here.

But you may have seen recent reports of a new use for the drug rapamycin (used to treat certain cancers and help prevent organ rejection following organ transplantation). Rapamycin is currently considered “the most promising anti-aging drug” being studied, and new research suggests just a short exposure to it could have profound life-extending effects in laboratory animals. However, if you dig a bit deeper you will find that the research to date suggests this effect will only produce this longevity benefit if given early in life as opposed to middle age, and when study subjects were treated later in life, the drug had no effect at all. While this is the early stage of research with rapamycin, it certainly suggests those of us already in our later years will not benefit from this drug. So for us, it’s lifestyle, lifestyle, and lifestyle- if we want our later years to be as long and healthy as possible.