As scientists increasingly investigate how everyday habits may influence health and aging, one longevity doctor says the keys to a longer, healthier life don't require expensive supplements, elaborate biohacks or cutting-edge treatments.
Dr. Michael Hall, a Miami Beach longevity physician and author of the new book, "Infinite Youth," has identified what he calls the "10 commandments of longevity," which he believes can help people extend their healthiest years.
Hall said the principles were shaped by nearly two decades in longevity medicine and by observing health and aging across cultures around the world.
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"These are core elements that are not peptides, they're not NAD," Hall told Fox News Digital. "It's not that you've got to buy a fancy thing on Amazon." Instead, he said, "you start out with the basics and you maintain them consistently."
"If you’re embracing some of these things, you are doing exactly what you need to do — and these don’t cost anything."
The content that people repeatedly consume — particularly when it’s fear-based or negative — can shape their behavior, according to Hall. He sees protecting attention as part of protecting health, emphasizing the importance of being intentional about what people consume mentally.
"What you put in your mind, you need to be very careful about," he said. "What you think, you become."
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A recent study identified a "sweet spot" of about six to eight hours of sleep per day, which researchers linked to healthier aging and lower risks of premature death and disease.
Sleep is when the body recovers and the brain "resets," yet technology and poor sleep habits increasingly interfere with that process, according to Hall.
"Sleep is probably one of the most important things that we just don’t talk about enough," he said.
The expert pointed out that the body’s circadian rhythm responds naturally to light and darkness, while screens, artificial light and late bedtimes can disrupt that cycle.
"The bed is really for sleep and sex," Hall added.
A September 2026 study found that highly active older adults maintained high levels of aerobic fitness into their 60s, 70s and 80s, despite some normal age-related decline.
"Movement is life," Hall agreed. He recalled seeing older adults remain highly active during his time working in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, including women in their 90s who were still mobile and fit.
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Hall’s own routine includes walking, swimming, cycling and resistance work.
For everyday movement, he particularly recommends walking and squatting, which engage large muscle groups and help maintain strength and mobility.
Muscle strength helps support bones, posture and mobility, and may help reduce frailty and fall risk later in life, according to the longevity expert.
"You need to maintain that good, healthy posture and strength throughout your life," Hall said.
He connected loss of movement and strength with weakening muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments, potentially increasing fall risk as people age.
"If you’re moving, you’re preserving strength, you’re maintaining your bones, because they go together," Hall said.
For optimal longevity nutrition, Hall recommends choosing minimally processed foods, with a focus on simple preparation, portion control and awareness of what goes into meals.
"Food is medicine, food is fuel, food is life," Hall said.
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While Hall said he cooks his own meals, primarily chooses fresh foods and largely avoids foods that come "out of a bag or a box," he emphasizes portion control rather than complete deprivation.
"I don’t care what it is you love, you can have a bite," he said.
Having a mission gives people something beyond themselves to invest in, contributing to emotional well-being and a meaningful life, according to Hall.
"It’s the most important part of being human," he said. "Our mission … is our purpose."
That purpose does not have to come from an extraordinary calling, Hall suggested. Whether someone is a physician, firefighter, baker or coffee shop owner, serving others can provide a sense of meaning.
"If you’re just serving yourself, you aren’t going to be a happy person," he added.
"No one ages well alone," Hall said. "You cannot live alone. You’re not designed to be atomized living in a box alone."
Research published in October 2026 in PLOS One found that loneliness was associated with a higher risk of death at one, three and five years.
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Hall also pointed to companionship, family and meaningful relationships as important parts of his own life.
"Having people around you who appreciate you, who you can relate to, who can have a conversation with, have a laugh with, it’s so important," he said.
A 2025 study of more than 10,000 older adults with cognitive impairment found that greater participation in cognitively stimulating activities was associated with a lower risk of death over time.
"We’re needing to be challenged … as an individual and as a community and as society," Hall said.
Continuing to learn, explore and seek out new experiences could play a role in healthy aging, research has found.
Hall similarly believes curiosity helps people remain engaged with the world as they get older.
"Curiosity allows us to explore and to always be aware there’s something more," he told Fox News Digital. "You’re never going to know everything. So you’re always on the quest."
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Curiosity has driven much of Hall’s travel and work around the world, he said, noting that getting older shouldn't mean stopping the pursuit of new experiences.
"We were children, and we never really grew up, by the way — we just get older in our bodies."
In his book, Hall describes healthy aging as keeping the body's metaphorical "funnel" as wide as possible for as long as possible.
He sees aging as a gradual narrowing of that funnel, with increasing physiological stress as the body loses some of its ability to maintain optimal function.
Keeping the funnel wide, he said, means supporting overall health and resilience through the fundamental habits outlined in his other commandments.
Ultimately, Hall said his goal is not simply to help people accumulate more birthdays, but to make those additional years healthier and more meaningful.
"I’m selling healthspan as much as I possibly can," he said. "Your best years of your life, the best living you can possibly have, sharing with others and making society better."
from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/qhpkzbR
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