• Kayla Barnes-Lentz spends all day optimizing her health to try to live to 150.
• She also runs her own business, so has to fit her biohacking around her busy workday.
• She has a 2.5 hour-long morning routine, takes regular biohacking breaks, and goes to bed by 8:30 pm.

From the second Kayla Barnes-Lentz wakes up, her day is built around enhancing her health.

Barnes-Lentz, 33, told Business Insider that her extensive biohacking routine has helped her to reverse her biological age by 11 years. Biological age is a measure of how healthy a person's cells and organs are, but scientists don't agree on the definition.

As a co-owner of a longevity clinic in Cleveland and the host of a podcast about health optimization, she counts this routine as part of her work.

"During work, I have my office optimized for optimal productivity, and I incorporate health optimization practices throughout the day," she said.

Barnes-Lentz's habits aren't all scientifically proven. But she and other biohackers, such as the millionaire entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, take a chance on experimental treatments to live as long as possible. Barnes-Lentz wants to reach 150, while Johnson's mantra is "don't die."

She's inspired by naturopathic medicine, which is based on folk healing methods rather than evidence-based medicine. Barnes-Lentz and the medical team at her clinic use scientific literature to "guide" what she describes as her "health protocols." She said she has also hired female PhD candidates to "dive into the literature" around women's health and longevity to inform her female-focused protocols, which she sells.

For the average person, experts say that getting the basics right can make a big difference to longevity. For example, a study published last year found that a healthy diet can increase lifespan by up to 10 years, and Nathan K. LeBrasseur, a physiologist at Mayo Clinic, previously told BI that spending just 3% of your day exercising can contribute to healthy aging.

Barnes-Lentz shared how she fits biohacking around running her business.

Before work, she spends 2.5 hours biohacking

Barnes-Lentz's morning routine is 2.5 hours long. She starts with what she describes as an "oral protocol," which includes tongue scraping, water flossing, and oil pulling. Tongue scraping and flossing are commonly recognized as effective ways to reduce bacteria and plaque in the mouth. But there's not enough evidence that oil pulling, an Ayurvedic practice that involves swishing oil around the mouth, is good enough for oral health to be recommended by the American Dental Association.

She also does her first round of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, a noninvasive treatment in which bursts of electric currents are sent through soft tissue across the body.

"I think of our body as a battery, and PEMF can increase your charge," she said.

Evidence suggests that PEMF could be useful in treating osteoarthritis and bone fractures, but more evidence is needed to confirm this, according to the authors of a 2023 review of research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Barnes-Lentz also works out, gets some sun exposure to regulate her circadian rhythm, spends time in a sauna, showers, and measures her biometrics (body composition, grip strength, lung health, and blood pressure) before breakfast.

She does red light therapy while working

Barnes-Lentz works from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days, running her longevity business, podcast, and social media accounts, including her Instagram account, which has 383,000 followers. She tries to do 10,000 steps a day and move her body as much as possible.

To do so, she takes calls while walking and takes breaks every 90 minutes to walk or do what she considers a biohack, such as standing on a whole body vibration plate.

Even when she does desk-based work, she said she's biohacking. This involves sitting on a "biohacking desk chair," which encourages good posture, and wearing a red light therapy cap to help her hair grow faster and thicker. Red light therapy has been found to help with hair regrowth and increasing thickness and length in some large randomized trials, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

In her office, she has an air filtration system and uses natural light instead of LEDs to avoid interrupting her circadian rhythm. In a 2023 research report published in the journal Frontiers in Photonics, experts agreed that blue light from LEDs can disrupt sleep when people are repetitively exposed to it for prolonged periods at night.

Barnes-Lentz also inhales humid air using a NanoVi machine —which is advertised as a means to repair proteins in the body damaged by oxidative stress — to improve her cognition and brain health. Research suggests that oxidative stress, which is caused by factors including sunlight, alcohol, and certain medications, plays a role in aging and the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

A small 2022 study suggested that it could help improve cellular health and cognition in older people. Published in the International Journal of Molecular Science, it involved four people with cognitive impairment who used a NanoVi over 12 weeks. However, more research is needed.

A cold plunge at lunchtime

"My mid-day routine consists of a whole body vibration plate and cold plunge, which gives me a natural increase in energy, followed by a hyperbaric chamber session," Barnes-Lentz said.

She does five hourlong sessions in a hyperbaric chamber each week, using the time to catch up on messages on her phone. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers contain a pure, pressurize form of the gas to increase its absorption in the body. They are used to treat conditions including burns, wounds, skin and bone infections, and hearing and vision loss. Small studies have found that they might have anti-aging benefits too, although the FDA hasn't approved them for this use.

After work, she goes for a walk and optimizes her sleep schedule

Barnes-Lentz and her husband eat dinner at around 5 p.m., more than three hours before they go to bed at 8:30 p.m., to help them sleep.

She knows that a varied diet is good for the gut microbiome, so has different organic, seasonal vegetables and fruits delivered each week. The structure of her meals is always the same: vegetables, high-quality proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates that don't spike her blood sugar too much a few times a week, she said.

After dinner, the couple walks for 50 minutes in the hills around their LA home to aid digestion, catch up on their days, and get in more zone two cardio.

"Then, we begin our wind-down routine, which may involve more PEMF or relaxing together. At sunset, we ensure that the house is only red light to promote the release of melatonin," she said.

Some studies have found that using artificial red light at night can improve sleep quality, but a 2023 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry found no evidence that red light increases melatonin secretion and, in some cases, can increase alertness.

"I've worked really hard to build the life that I have. I'm incredibly blessed and very fortunate that I get to move my body and get to do all these things. And I'm excited to see what that's going to lead to in the future," Barnes-Lentz said.

• Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban said longevity is advancing so much that 60 is the new 40.
• While anti-aging science can be high-tech, what Cuban has shared about his own routine is simple.
• His low-cost longevity habits include walking regularly, eating vegetarian, and taking vitamins.

Mark Cuban isn't ready to act his age.

Speaking in the new anti-aging science documentary "Longevity Hackers" (streaming on Amazon and Apple TV) the billionaire businessman of "Shark Tank" fame said he feels decades younger than his biological age of 66.

"60s are the new 40s," Cuban said."You see guys my age in their 60s that can look good, can be fit, and not be limited in terms of things that they do."

While some entrepreneurs are spending millions on anti-aging routines, what we know about Cuban's routine is relatively simple — and doesn't cost much to follow.

Here's what Cuban has said about the diet, exercise, and supplements that keep him feeling youthful.

"If I never had to look in the mirror, I'd think I was 35," he said.

He walks as much as possible — including on the set of 'Shark Tank'

Exercise has been a major part of Cuban's routine for years, and it's crucial to healthy aging.

"I actually work out more now than I did 10 years ago or 15 years ago because my body needs it more," he said.

The entrepreneur said he typically spends between 45 to 90 minutes in the gym, including plenty of cardio.

He also stays moving whenever possible. While Cuban is not slated to star on "Shark Tank" in 2025, he said previous seasons of the show were a great opportunity to get his steps in.

"Everybody else is taking the carts, the set is .35 miles away, and I'm walking back and forth so I'm walking two miles a day while we're shooting Shark Tank," he said.

Walking more is also linked to a longer, healthier life, and as little as 500 extra steps a day can make a difference, according to research.

He's a vegetarian

Cuban has followed a vegetarian diet since 2019.

"When you get older, food becomes more like medicine where you need the nutrients in order to be able to be your best self," he said.

Plant-based diets rich in nutrient-dense foods like greens, whole grains, nuts, and beans are linked to a longer life and lower risk of chronic diseases.

"What I eat really makes a difference in how everything in my body operates," Cuban said.

Cuban said he enjoys plant-based food — and he's invested in plenty of vegan and vegetarian food companies — but the downside is that it can make it tricky to dine out or attend events.

"I love being vegetarian. It can be weird when you're with a bunch of guys going to a steakhouse," he said.

He supplements with vitamin D and melatonin

Cuban rounds out his nutritional needs with daily supplements to reduce inflammation and improve sleep, he previously told Business Insider.

He supplements melatonin, a hormone naturally produced by the body to regulate its internal clock.

Cuban also takes vitamins D and E, both of which are linked to healthy aging. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is crucial for healthy bones, while bolstering the immune system to lower the risk of cancer. Vitamin E also supports the immune system and lowers inflammation, reducing the stress on cells to potentially stave off age-related damage.

He said being able to invest in his health with simple, daily habits has paid dividends by allowing him to keep up with the activities in his life that matter.

"To me, aging is just being who are you regardless of what the number is," Cuban said.

• Leonie Pendergast is 90 and still works full-time.
• She and her family own a few businesses, including the cuckoo clock shop she works in.
• She attributes her longevity to staying busy, never drinking or smoking, and small portions.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Leonie Pendergast, a 90-year-old businesswoman from Omeo, Australia. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm 90 years old and still work full-time in our family's business, a cuckoo clock shop called Omeo Clocks and Glass. I love meeting people and looking after the shop. I firmly believe that as you get older, provided you're still healthy enough, you're much better off doing something. Once you sit down at my age, it's all over.

My husband's family were pioneers in Omeo, Australia, where we live. According to the 2021 Census, it's a small town with a population of 411 people.

My work keeps me busy

My daughter Deb and her husband built the first section of our original shop, the Omeo German Cuckoo Clock Shop. However, Omeo was too quiet for a young couple, so they moved on, and I took over. I had spent 26 years working at the original shop location.

In the meantime, my husband, our son, and I bought another business, Omeo Rural and Hardware Supplies. My husband Tony, who is 88, still works at the hardware shop and drives our truck every day.

After 26 years, I sold the original building where our shop was located. When my daughter moved back to town during the pandemic, I wasn't really enjoying retirement, so she and her partner ended up reopening the cuckoo clock shop at new premises on a smaller scale, and I've been working here for the past three years.

I love meeting people — that's the main thing. We have interesting stock, too. We sell Christmas decorations and cuckoo clocks, which are unique.

I usually work from 10 a.m. until 4:30 or 5 p.m. I do everything in the shop, and my dog, Ivy, a Maltese Shih Tzu mix, keeps me company. I also spend time washing the tea towels for our family's bakery a few doors down.

I don't drink or smoke, and I stay active

When it comes to longevity, I think a lot of it comes down to genetics, but there are two things I've never done — drink alcohol or smoke. Growing up, my parents owned pubs, and we lived on-site, so by the time I was 17, I'd seen enough people drinking to last me a lifetime. It didn't interest me at all.

I also think it's important to stay active. You don't sit down if you're running a business like this one. I took even more steps in the other shop location because I had a flight of stairs to climb.

We still live on our own

Tony and I still live independently together in our own home. I have a hot dinner on the table every night when he comes home after work. Our diet is fairly plain. I always make myself an egg on toast or an omelet for breakfast. Ivy and I share a pie or sandwich for lunch, and it's always meat and vegetables or a salad for dinner. We always have small portions.

My faith grounds me, even through hard times

I'm Catholic and I believe religious faith does give you grounding. We've experienced many hardships, including bushfires that have displaced us for up to 10 days at a time. But faith gives you something to hang on to when things go wrong.

Looking back on my life, I'm happy with what I've achieved, but I would have liked to further my education. I left school the week before I turned 14. Back then, you couldn't go online and do a university degree or add to your education like you can nowadays.

Overall, I'd say my husband and I are very blessed. We have a new great-granddaughter who is due soon, and we're having a quiet Christmas because we'll be busy with the baby. Tony and I both have some health problems, but we do what our health allows us to do.

• A 41-year-old Pilates instructor said she's prioritizing longevity workouts as she gets older.
• She said shorter, lighter workouts help her stay energized and strong with a busy schedule.
• Her Pilates-based workouts involve strength-building exercises, mobility, and mindfulness.

When it comes to staying fit beyond 40, you have to be smart about it.

For Lia Bartha, a mom-of-two who founded the fitness app B The Method, that means low-impact exercise.

Bartha told Business Insider she spent her 20s and early 30s pushing her body to the limit doing high-intensity cardio and teaching Pilates.

Bartha knew she needed a change when she hit her mid-30s, after she had kids. She was looking ahead at how she wanted to feel in the long-term.

"I trained and taught that way for so long, I started to feel myself kind of plateauing and getting bored because it was so rigid. I felt like it wasn't necessarily intuitive in how my body was aging," Bartha said.

So, in 2018, she developed her own method, an online fitness brand that incorporates Pilates along with other wellness techniques such as breath-work and gentle movements to subtly tone muscle.

The shift from classic Pilates, and big equipment like reformers, was a better fit for her body as she got older — and drew in thousands of subscribers globally. Bartha has worked with celebrity clients like Aubrey Plaza, Cynthia Erivo, Ego Nwodim, and model Martha Hunt.

"It's thinking in this bigger way of, how is supporting my body for the end of the day?" Bartha, now 41, said. "I'm a mom of two girls, so I have this job of working out and I'm teaching and then I'm doing the business side and then I have to take on this extra shift of taking care of them and feeding them. I think the exercise really has to help you mentally."

10 minutes is plenty of time to work out

As a younger athlete and dancer, Bartha said she spent hours on cardio or intense exercise to stay in shape, but adjusting her workouts to a packed schedule has taught her to do more with less.

"I was kind of just doing what everybody else was doing. I was like, OK, I'm going to get on the treadmill and just walk or run forever," she said.

Now she often works out for less than an hour, and designs workouts that are just as challenging and effective in 20 minutes.

The benefit of shorter sessions is that it's easier to commit to them every day.

"It doesn't have to be 45 minutes or an hour all the time. If you're giving yourself 10 minutes a day very consistently, you'll see huge benefits," Bartha said.

Low-impact exercise is a gentler way to train

A big shift for Bartha was learning that exhaustion and sweatiness isn't the best indicator of a good workout.

"You don't have to go through an aggressive workout that leaves you very sore and fatigued to have all of the benefits of exercise," she said.

Low-impact workouts like Pilates tend to emphasize slow, controlled movements instead of fast, explosive techniques. As a result, they're easier on the joints, and don't take as much recovery time afterward.

Low-impact techniques like isometric movements have many of the same benefits as higher-intensity training in helping to build strength and muscle. They can also improve factors linked to longevity, such as stability and balance.

"We want to think of the body in the long term, and I think that's where low-impact is just so important," Bartha said.

Consistency is key

Bartha said she fell into the trap of pushing too hard instead of developing an enjoyable, sustainable routine.

"One of the most common mistakes that people have in terms of fitness is just getting through it to get through it," she said.

She said listening to her body and taking it easier led to better results, with less work, because the workouts left her feeling energized instead of depleted. As a result, working out felt less like a chore and more like something she could do every day.

"It's finding your body where you're at," Bartha said.

Bryan Johnson spends $2 million a year on longevity treatments. We spent a day with the tech entrepreneur who wants to live forever, getting a close-up look at his antiaging meals, supplements, clinical procedures, and daily exercise routine.

• The personal trainer Sana Shirvani used to regularly do intense workouts and restrict her diet.
• She ended up burned out, so shifted her focus to strength training and eating a balanced diet.
• Shirvani said she feels better physically and mentally.

Personal trainer Sana Shirvani learned the hard way that pushing her body more and more doesn't yield better results.

The London-based trainer, whose clients include Halle Bailey and her fellow cast members of the 2023 live-action remake of "The Little Mermaid," told Business Insider that doing too much intense exercise of varying types burned her out.

"I was always that gym bunny who would go to a million HIIT classes and completely batter myself and think that's the right way to get results," Shirvani, 32, said.

"I always used to pour from an empty cup. I'd have multiple burnouts a year and it got to a point in 2022 where I had such a bad burnout that it took me six months to recover," she added.

Her approach to fitness has evolved "massively" since then. Seeking help from other trainers to reduce her workload, having a less restrictive diet, focusing on longevity, and replacing HIIT with strength training and low-intensity cardio have helped her feel better about her appearance and feel less anxious and stressed, she said.

"It was such a big wake-up call for me," Shirvani said. "I was mentally really not in a good place for a long time."

Shirvani is among those who have realized in recent years that more is not always better when it comes to fitness. Focusing on recovery has become more important to many, reflected by the increasing demand for smartwatches and rings that measure how well you've recovered as well as moved.

Here's how Shirvani's priorities have changed.

Low-intensity exercise to minimize stress

While short spells of intense exercise can bring health benefits such as improved cardiovascular fitness, research suggests multiple, long HIIT classes each week can put stress on the body. However, personal thresholds vary depending on lifestyle, stress, and fitness levels.

Instead of regular hardcore workouts, Shirvani does low-intensity steady state (LISS) cardio, such as walking, climbing on a stair master, or incline walking on a treadmill.

She uses the time to relax and listen to a podcast or just be with her thoughts.

Strength training for longevity

Shirvani does a minimum of four resistance training sessions a week — two lower body, two upper body — and a full body workout, plus rehab exercises if she has time for a fifth session.

Strength training has helped Shirvani build muscle, but her health is a bigger priority than her appearance. She wants to continue moving well and being pain-free and preparing her body for potentially carrying a child, as well as the menopause. She hopes the workouts will prevent age-related muscle loss, and maintain joint health, balance, and stability, she said.

Research shows that strength training is crucial for healthy aging as it helps combat age-related muscle and bone density loss.

"Every single human on this planet should be strength training in some sort of capacity," Shirvani said.

However, she stresses that as someone without children who works in the fitness industry, her routine may not be manageable for most people.

"You can still reap those benefits with two or three weekly strength training sessions," she said.

Eating a balance of protein, carbs, and fats

Shirvani used to think she had to eat plain meals like chicken, broccoli, and rice and stick to "crazy" calorie deficits to be healthy and leaner.

Now, she feels better for eating more and has learned that she can make nutritionally balanced dishes that are flavorsome using spices and sauces.

Shirvani doesn't eliminate any foods, and still enjoys chocolate and desserts.

"Moderation is such an annoying word, but it's genuinely everything in moderation," Shirvani said. "Food is there to be enjoyed."

Eating enough protein is her priority because it helps her body recover from workouts. Her staple meals include chicken salads topped with cheese, shepherd's pie, and homemade turkey burgers.

She's also started paying more attention to her energy levels as she's got older. On days when she ate a high-carb breakfast, such as a bowl of oatmeal, she found she was hungry a couple of hours later and felt her energy levels slump.

In contrast, when she has a high-fat and high-protein breakfast, she feels satiated for longer.

"This is so personal though, this does not apply to every single person. I know people who have oats in the morning and they've got so much energy," Shirvani said.

Sleeping for recovery

Sleeping well is Shirvani's top priority when it comes to recovery, and for that reason, she never goes on her phone in bed.

"That's helped me massively," she said.

Research suggests that blue light exposure from screens such as phones could disrupt sleep.

Shirvani takes saunas when she can to relax in the evening. She always gives herself time to wind down before sleeping, rather than working late and going straight from emails to bed, she said.

She's also a fan of offloading her brain through journalling and ice baths a couple of times per week.

• Tom Simek got fit at 59 after being diagnosed with osteoporosis and high cholesterol.
• Now 72, he's competed in "American Ninja Warrior" and won medals in the National Senior Games.
• Getting fit has improved his life in many ways, including by giving him a sense of purpose.

At age 59, Tom Simek was out of shape.

The retired building contractor based in Santa Fe had spent his working life prioritizing his family and business over his health. After he was diagnosed with osteoporosis, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea 13 years ago, he decided to make some healthy lifestyle changes, he told Business Insider.

Simek made small changes at first: he stopped working weekends, ate healthier, and started exercising daily.

"It was gradual," he said. First he started walking, then incorporated bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, crunches, dips, and jumping jacks.

"And then I found a sport that I loved to do: track and field," he said.

Now aged 72, Simek has competed on the TV competition "American Ninja Warrior" twice, is sponsored by Senior Planet, a program that encourages older adults to exercise, and works out for about an hour each day. Some days, he spends the hour doing boot camp classes at his daughter's fitness club, while others he does short sprints and weights in his home gym.

In 2012, Simek entered his first National Senior Games, a state and country-wide competition for athletes over 50. Every year since, he has competed in the long jump and the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter sprints, consistently winning medals for his state, New Mexico.

Simek shared four ways getting fit has improved his quality of life.

1) A sense of purpose

Track and field has become Simek's passion. "And if you're passionate about something, then you will look forward to your workouts in order to improve yourself. It gives me a reason to wake up in the morning," he said.

Spurred on by his 12-year-old granddaughter, he also keeps up his training for "American Ninja Warrior," which he appeared on in 2019 and 2022, in case he's chosen to compete in future seasons. He does bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups to maintain his strength, practices gymnastics, and works on his balance.

Having a sense of purpose has been linked to longevity in multiple studies. In one 2019 study by researchers at the University of Michigan, US adults aged over 50 who had a strong sense of purpose were less likely to die within four years.

2) Making new friends

Simek loves that sports help him meet lots of new people. At track and field competitions, "younger people come up to me because they see my age, and say 'you inspire us,'" he said.

And he's made friends across the country at the Senior Games. "I think it's very important, in the senior years, to stay connected with people," he said.

A 2023 study found that older people who had more social interactions were likely to live longer than those who were more isolated.

3) Better mobility

Because he's fit and mobile, Simek can do activities with his grandchildren, whether playing or competing in track and field competitions alongside his granddaughter. This is particularly important to him because he wants to show her the importance of a fit and active lifestyle as she grows up, he said.

Mobility in older age is a predictor of living longer. A 2017 study published in BMC Health Services Research on 1,005 people aged 65 and above still living at home found that the longer it took participants to leave a chair, the greater their risk of dying within the next 11.8 years.

4) Better sleep

"When you're fit, your mind works better, and you sleep better," Simek said.

In a 2021 study published in Experimental Gerontology, people over 65 who were more physically fit — meaning they were able to perform more actions such as standing from a seated position and doing bicep curls — were more likely to have a better health-related quality of life.

And research shows that being physically active is linked to better sleep quality, according to Dr. Charlene Gamaldo, the medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep.

• Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, 99, says eating in moderation is the key to longevity.
• "Age does not follow time. Age follows bodily health — the way you can function," he told Nikkei Asia.
• The number of people aged 80 or older is expected to reach 426 million worldwide, per WHO estimates.

Malaysia's former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, will be 100 next year. His secret to longevity? Moderation.

"I don't eat too much. Obesity isn't good for survival," Mahathir told Nikkei Asia during an interview published in November.

"Age does not follow time. Age follows bodily health — the way you can function. Because of that, old age is not because of time; it's not because you are 60 that you are old. You may be 90, but if people at 90 are still strong, still able to work and function, then 90 would not be old age," he said.

Mahathir added that what people think of as old age has changed over time.

"At this moment, 60 or 65 is considered old, but we must remember that in the past, 30 was already old. During the time of Julius Caesar, leaders were only in their 30s because they died very early," he said.

Mahathir first served as Malaysia's prime minister from 1981 to 2003.

He reentered national politics in 2018 in a bid to unseat former prime minister Najib Razak, who had been accused of embezzling millions in state funds in the 1MDB scandal.

That same year, at age 92, Mahathir was elected as the country's prime minister once more — although he resigned a little under two years later.

Looking back on his political career, Mahathir shared that he regretted resigning from his post in 2003, "when I was not even 80 years old."

"When I was in my 70s, approaching 80, I told myself that 80 was very old. I thought I wouldn't be able to function well anymore. However, after I retired, I found that I was still able to work, still able to function," Mahathir said.

Experience comes with age, and society should try to retain older workers so as to not lose the wealth of knowledge that this demographic can provide, he said.

"If you retain older people in the workforce and allow them to continue working instead of retiring too early, you can benefit from their experience," Mahathir said.

During his second tenure as Malaysia's prime minister, Mahathir was considered one of the oldest elected world leaders. The oldest current national leader is President Paul Biya of Cameroon, who is 91 years old. In comparison, Joe Biden, at 82, is the oldest American president.

The number of people aged 80 or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million worldwide, per WHO estimates.

A representative for Mahathir did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

• David Martin and Harry Shen are chefs from St Vincent's Care, a nursing home in Melbourne.
• The chefs understand that not all nursing homes have the budget, but they hope to raise standards.
• Their efforts come as nations worldwide are facing aging populations.

David Martin can still recall the conversation that changed his career path.

He was 25 and had spent the past decade working in the restaurant and fine dining scene. The hours were brutal — up to 16 hours a day — and he was on the verge of burnout.

His parents brought up the idea of working in a nursing home. They had a cousin who worked in that industry and suggested he try it.

"I told them, 'Why would I want to go to aged care? That's where people retire. My skills will go to waste,'" Martin recalled. Still, with an open mind, he decided to give it a shot.

He hasn't looked back since. Martin, now 35, is an executive chef manager at St Vincent's Care, a nursing home facility in Australia.

By his side is Harry Shen, 39, a senior head chef who also left the restaurant scene to try something different. They share the same vision: to raise the standard of food in aged healthcare.

Apart from working under top chefs, including Donovan Cooke, Shen had also picked up shifts at Australian nursing homes in the past. It was during that time that he noticed frozen food was often the norm.

So when he saw a job posting from St Vincent's for a chef to elevate nursing home food, it stood out.

"This is something I also wanted to do. To change things," he told Business Insider.

A premium offering

With Shen on board, Martin and his team worked during the pandemic to reinvent meal plans at one of St Vincent's healthcare centers in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne. The facility doubles as an aged care home and a hospital.

It's a more premium nursing home option. According to St Vincent's Care's website, a stay at a standard room in the facility costs 171 Australian dollars a night, or around $111 — almost double the basic daily fee for nursing homes in Australia, which is AU$63.57. The room has an ensuite toilet, and residents can access a café, cinema, and hairdressing salon within the facility.

A typical meal plan at St Vincent's is as follows: In the morning, residents are offered a continental breakfast and a tea cake of the day. For lunch, they have a main with a selected sauce, a starch, and two vegetables.

They end the meal with a sweet — warmed apple coconut strudels on some days and a green tea cheesecake on others — then round the day up with an afternoon tea snack and a generous dinner selection.

"We want to break the stereotype that aged care food is just a lump of food on a plate," Shen said.

Cooking for older residents does come with certain considerations. In particular, the chefs have to look out for residents who have dysphagia, a geriatric syndrome that affects swallowing. According to the Mayo Clinic, 10% to 33% of older adults have dysphagia and can face malnutrition as a result.

As such, the chefs provide a range of options for residents with different needs so that everyone — even those who struggle to swallow — can enjoy a hearty meal.

Nursing home food on the world stage

Martin and Shen wanted to show the world that nursing home food can — and should — be just as good as restaurant food.

In 2023, they decided to compete in culinary competitions together. After placing in several local competitions, they were approached to apply for the International Salon Culinaire, one of the world's top competitions for chefs. Previous winners of the competition include Gordon Ramsey and Michael Deane, a Michelin-star chef.

In March this year, the duo competed alongside top chefs worldwide over the three-day competition in London. Their dishes included coconut rice pudding with crème brûlée and seafood paella — food they can serve at a nursing home.

They emerged with two silver medals. But more than the accolades, they hoped that people would focus on the message they were trying to send.

The chefs are well aware that not all nursing homes have the same luxuries of staffing and budgets to prepare premium meals. Still, it's about setting a standard, they said.

"We want to make this industry better for now and into the future for our parents and grandparents to be respected in," Martin said.

"The main thing is the frame of mind. The chef can be creative, whether it's adding a bit more garnish for presentation or baking things in-house rather than buying," he continued.

A graying world

Shen and Martin's efforts come as nations worldwide are graying rapidly. In October, the World Health Organization called for an urgent transformation of care and support systems for older people. They projected that 1 in 6 people will be 60 or older by 2030. By 2050, this number will double to 2.1 billion.

In the US, the aging of the baby boomer generation means that the number of Americans ages 65 and older requiring nursing home care could increase by 75% by 2030, a recent report by the Population Reference Bureau found.

That's where the importance of food comes in.

Dr. Andrea Maier, a professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore's Centre of Healthy Longevity, told BI that raising food quality is especially important in nursing homes, where people are often at the final stages of their lives and need nutrition.

"If they don't have an appetite, they're losing muscle mass, and their health is deteriorating. So food needs to be fun." When food is fresh and well-plated, it gives residents motivation to eat, she added. "It's a double positive."

Then there are the emotional impacts of having a good meal.

"When you're in a care home, life is relatively unrushed. Dining is one thing that I think people look forward to other than engagement activities," said Wee Shiou Liang, an associate professor of Gerontology at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

"So, that experience is even more important."

Martin and Shen now collaborate as co-creative directors on menus in St Vincent's homes across New South Wales and Victoria. They also manage and mentor chefs in the region.

Neither chef intends to return to the restaurant scene. Seeing their impact on their residents has moved them to stay.

Working in end-of-life care, Martin said each meal, pastry, or salad could be the last dish their residents eat.

"And that's big to me because if you can give comfort to someone when they're in serious pain, that is a present to them," he said.

"They don't need to remember your name. They don't need to remember the dish. But if at that moment they realize they were at ease and were comforted by you — that's the heart of it."

• Dotty Burgess was married to her husband for 77 years.
• Now 103, she shared her advice for a long-lasting, healthy relationship with Business Insider.
• It includes having things to look forward to and accommodating your partner's needs.

In 1944, a 23-year-old model wrote a letter to a pilot-in-training at his mother's request. He replied right away, and a few weeks later they were engaged.

Dotty Burgess, from San Jose and now 103, was married to her husband Frank Burgess for 77 "wonderful" years before he died in 2021. She now lives at Revel Nevada, a retirement community south of Las Vegas.

Burgess told Business Insider that her biggest advice for a long-lasting relationship is to choose your partner well.

She also shared some tips for maintaining a healthy relationship once you've found that person.

Know that issues won't last forever

"We realized how important it was to stay together throughout the storms, knowing nothing lasts forever," Burgess said.

This echoes advice psychologists have previously shared with BI. John Gottman, a psychologist who has studied relationships for 42 years, said people in successful relationships don't just let things go. Instead they "repair" their relationship after conflicts with gentle communication.

April Eldemire, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Florida, said that in a healthy relationship, partners work through issues as a team.

Know the things that annoy your partner and avoid them

Burgess said she and her husband knew to avoid doing things that made the other angry.

A 2019 study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that partners accommodate each other's needs more when they have a committed, securely attached relationship, feel valued by their partner, and maintain a strong sense of self.

If you do end up angry with your partner, BI previously reported on a five-second trick to help resolve conflicts in a relationship.

Always have something to look forward to

"No matter how big or small it is, always have something to look forward to that keeps the adrenaline and excitement in your life," Burgess said.

For her, that was taking a walk with her husband, or having an ice-cream cone with their granddaughter.

She and Frank also loved taking road trips together. "The most magnificent and beautiful thing I have ever seen was the rainforest in the state of Washington" on one of these road trips, she said.

Feeling excited to build a life together and enjoying spending time with your partner are signs of happiness in a relationship, Suzanne Degges-White, a licensed counselor and professor at Northern Illinois University, previously told BI.

• Gordon Ramsay said fitness helps him balance his health and his culinary career.
• Ramsay competes in marathons and triathlons and said exercise keeps him resilient and energized.
• He does push-ups and quick cardio sessions on the rower and eats smaller portions.

At 58, Gordon Ramsay has built a career as an acclaimed restaurateur — but his biggest long-term investment is banking hours in the gym to stay healthy for years to come.

"Fitness is the foundation. Everything has to revolve around how I feel and how good it is to train," Ramsay said in an interview with Men's Health UK.

The celebrity chef said he was forced to reevaluate his routine in his 40s when seven-day workweeks left him "overweight and out of control."

Looking for a change, Ramsay started doing triathlons and said tackling those physical challenges became the most peaceful and relaxing part of his life.

He now aims to train at least four to five days a week and gets up at 5 a.m. to run.

"Without fitness, you have no longevity," he said. "I have no interest in retiring. I work smarter, not harder."

Here's what Ramsay has said about his go-to workouts and healthy eating.

Ramsay swears by doing push-ups every day

Ramsay is an avid endurance athlete and spends time running, swimming, and cycling. But the one exercise he can't live without doesn't require any equipment and can be done anywhere.

Everyone should do push-ups daily, he told Men's Health.

"There is so much to get from a simple press-up," he said.

Push-ups are a compound exercise that work multiple muscle groups at once, strengthening the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.

Ramsay recommends hitting a quick set of 25 push-ups every day after getting out of bed and doubling it on the weekends.

If you're new to the movement, work up to full push-ups or bigger sets by practicing scaled exercises such as incline or eccentric push-ups.

For a quick workout, he does 20 minutes of cardio

Ramsay said he aims to run for 30 minutes in the morning when possible and will hike, bike, or swim for as long as two hours on the weekends. Even 15 to 20 minutes of movement boosts his energy and helps him stay fit.

When he's in a rush, Ramsay said he'll hop on a rowing machine and do one-minute intervals of work followed by a minute of rest for 10 cycles.

A rowing machine offers the best of both worlds for strength training and cardio because it works your whole body, puts your muscles under tension, and spikes your heart rate. It's also ideal for high-intensity interval training to save time in the gym.

Ramsay cut his portion sizes to stay in shape

Eating rich food can part of a chef's job, so Ramsay doesn't cut anything out and instead limits his portions.

"I'll eat two mouthfuls of a delicious dish and then ignore it," he said.

Ramsay lost about 50 pounds in 2018 and told the "Today" show that eating smaller, more frequent meals was key.

He said his basic healthy-eating routine involves a protein shake for breakfast, scrambled eggs for lunch, and protein like poached chicken or fish with vegetables for dinner.

• Looking after our musculoskeletal health can help us stay strong and active as we age.
• Dr. Vonda Wright is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in healthy aging.
• She lifts heavy weights and does a weekly jumping practice to age well.

A muscle and bone doctor who specializes in healthy aging shared her weekly workout routine, which helps her maintains strength and mobility as she ages.

Dr. Vonda Wright, 57, is a Florida-based, double-board-certified orthopedic surgeon, who helps elite athletes, including Olympians and World Rugby Sevens players, optimize their performance.

In our 30s and 40s, we naturally start to lose muscle mass, which is crucial for continuing to do everyday movements, such as standing up from a chair. The process picks up between the ages of 65 and 80.

It's important to stay active to prevent our bones and muscles from weakening, and those who lead a sedentary life with eventually lose strength and balance and start to topple over or shuffle when they walk, Wright told Business Insider.

Around 12% of US adults older than 50 have osteoporosis, and 43% have low bone mass, a precursor to osteoporosis, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. But exercising greatly decreases the risk, Wright said

"Musculoskeletal aging and healthy aging is a lifelong pursuit," she said. "Just show up every day for yourself."

The "critical decade" for people to start developing habits that will allow them to live healthy, active lives into old age is between the ages of 35 and 45, said Wright, the author of "Fitness After 40,"

"70 to 80% of how we age is due to the lifestyle choices," Wright said.

With that in mind, she exercises five to six days a week, including cardio and strength training.

Powerlifting

Wright recommends that everyone learns to lift weights to build and maintain muscle mass.

She is a fan of powerlifting, which consists of deadlifts, bench presses, and squats. She does four sets of four reps of each and ensures she challenges herself with heavy weights.

"I can do four with good form. I'm exhausted. I may be able to do five, but I cannot do six. If I can do that, it's too light, and I need to go up," she said.

Alongside these, she does some accessory lifts, which are targeted at individual or smaller muscle groups, typically focusing on her biceps, triceps, lats, and deltoids. She does four sets of eight reps.

Running with the 80/20 rule

When it comes to aerobic exercise, Wright follows the 80/20 rule, meaning she does low-intensity training, also known as zone 2 training, 80% of the time and high-intensity training the remaining 20%.

Research suggests this approach builds endurance and improves cardiovascular health.

"For everyone, the very beginner runner to the most elite athlete, longer runs where you're maintaining a low heart rate are really beneficial for building aerobic endurance," Dr. Morgan Busko, a sports medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, previously told BI. "By running slower for longer periods, you're setting yourself up to be able to run faster."

Wright typically runs on a treadmill for 45 minutes at about 60% of her maximum heart rate, and twice a week, she ends with some speed training. She sprints as fast as she can for 30 seconds four times.

"When you sprint like that and you really push yourself, no matter what age you are, you kind of feel like a badass," she said.

Jumping practice

To maintain bone density, everyone needs a jumping practice, Wright said, particularly if you sit at a desk all day. This can be jumping off a box, jumping rope, or even running up the stairs hard, she said.

She does box jumps between lifts twice a week and gets up from her desk and jumps up and down 20 times during the day. "My patients are used to seeing me jump around," she said.

In a 2009 study published in the journal Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Wright and her colleagues measured the bone density of 560 senior athletes with an average age of 65.9. They found that those who did high-impact sports, such as volleyball, basketball, and running, had the highest bone density.

When a person has low bone density their risk of breaks and fractures, as well as osteoporosis, increases.

• The world's oldest man, John Tinniswood, has died aged 112.
• Tinniswood had three pieces of life advice for younger people.
• They were: have a broad outlook, do everything in moderation, and always try your best.

In the UK in 1912, the Suffragettes were vandalizing post boxes to win women the right to vote and the Titanic was registered in the port city of Liverpool before its maiden, and only, voyage. Also registered in Liverpool that year was the birth of John Tinniswood.

Tinniswood, who was born on August 26, 1912, died on Monday at the age of 112, at his care home in Southport, UK.

Guinness World Records declared him the world's oldest man earlier this year, after the previous titleholder, Juan Vicente Pérez, from Venezuela, died at the age of 114 and 311 days.

The title could now fall to João Marinho Neto, a 112-year-old Brazilian, but his age hasn't yet been validated by Guinness World Records.

Tinniswood was also the world's oldest surviving male World War II veteran. He served in an admin role for the British Army Pay Corps, which involved logistical work including organizing food supplies and locating stranded soldiers. He then worked in admin and accountancy for the Royal Mail, the UK's postal service, as well as Shell and BP before he retired in 1972.

Tinniswood was married to his wife, Blodwen Tinniswood, for 44 years before she died in 1986. The couple had one child, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

The staff at his residential home described Tinniswood as a "big chatterbox," per Guinness World Records. At 111 years old, he was mobile and independent, managing his own finances and getting out of bed unassisted.

When he earned the title of oldest living man, Tinniswood was unphazed, telling Guinness World Records it "doesn't make any difference to me at all. I accept it for what it is."

Tinniswood had 3 pieces of life advice for younger people

Tinniswood's biggest piece of advice for people wanting to live as long as him was to do everything in moderation.

"If you drink too much, or you eat too much, or you walk too much, if you do too much of anything, you're going to suffer eventually," he said. "Never over-tax your system" if you want a healthy life, he told BBC News.

He didn't follow a specific diet, telling Guinness World Records, "I eat what they give me, and so does everybody else" — apart from fish and chips, a British classic, for dinner every Friday.

He didn't smoke and rarely drank alcohol, two habits that are great for longevity.

In 2022, he told BBC News that it's also important to "broaden your vision."

"Don't stay with one thing all the time or you'll be on a narrow path," he said.

But no matter what you're doing, "always do the best you can, whether you're learning something or whether you're teaching someone," he told Guinness World Records. "Give it all you've got. Otherwise, it's not worth bothering with."

This echoes research linking longevity to a positive mindset and a sense of purpose.

Ultimately, though, Tinniswood thought he mostly reached his old age out of "pure luck."

"You either live long or you live short, and you can't do much about it," he said.

Business Insider previously reported on Naomi Whitehead — the oldest person in the US — and her longevity tips.

• A nutrition and longevity researcher said he uses science to make his holidays fun and healthy.
• He focuses on building muscle to take advantage of big meals for better gains.
• He also leans into high-protein and veggie-rich holiday meals, followed by a rich dessert.

A researcher said trying to live a longer, healthier life doesn't stop him from enjoying the holidays — and treating himself leads to better results long-term.

Chris Rhodes is the founder, CEO, and lead scientist of the longevity supplement company Mimio, and has a PhD in nutritional biology.

He told Business Insider that his science background has helped him find smart ways to use holiday indulgence to boost his health, instead of derailing it.

"Nutrition can be a tool. Once you understand it, you can utilize it to keep driving you consistently towards your goals without having the stress, having to exert a ridiculous amount of control in order to maintain health," he said. "We can work within what's happening around us and use that to our advantage."

From making seasonal foods more nutritious to using holidays treats to build muscle, here's his approach to the season.

Use big meals to fuel muscle-building

The holidays often focus on eating, and treating yourself can be a great opportunity to build muscle, according to Rhodes.

He said he takes advantage of the extra food he enjoys during the season to boost his gains, focusing on strength training workouts.

Increasing muscle mass takes energy, and the most effective way to do it is in a calorie surplus, when you're eating more than you burn off.

That's why fitness pros like bodybuilders often use the winter months as a bulking season.

"I'm a big fan of working within both the natural rhythms of my body, the natural rhythms of the environment," Rhodes said.

Prioritize protein sources like turkey

To help with building muscle, Rhodes said he leans into meals that already feature a big protein source like turkey or ham.

He uses the season to try out new recipes to share at gatherings, since bringing a healthy, high-protein dish ensures he can enjoy meals while staying on track.

"You're making these unique dishes that you don't usually make, but then still hitting your fiber counts, your micronutrient counts, your protein counts, but also not getting too into the weeds of actually counting. Holidays aren't for counting," he said.

Add more veggies to your plate

Another healthy-eating hack Rhodes uses for his family celebrations is making delicious dishes that focus on veggies.

Along with classics like mashed potatoes and gravy, they'll enjoy caramelized Brussels sprouts, delicata squash with hazelnut mint pesto, and sautéed kale with mushrooms. Incorporating leafy greens and other colorful produce adds a range of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients to the meal.

"There are ways that you can make things more fun, more interesting, but then also healthier at the same time while still retaining some of that tradition," Rhodes said.

Swap in healthy alternatives like veggie noodles

Simple substitutions can make traditional dishes healthier, adding ingredients like cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles to soups and stews without sacrificing flavor.

"Those are the kinds of things that I really like to do and focus a lot of my cooking prowess on how can I create something that no one would be able to tell is actually a lower-calorie version of this really comforting thing," Rhodes said.

Don't give up your favorite treats

There are some indulgent moments that aren't worth compromising on.

For Rhodes, it's deep-dish caramel apple pie with homemade whipped cream.

He might make it with more nutritious, high-fiber flour, but part of the holiday charm is not counting every calorie. A flexible health routine is easier to sustain long-term than overdoing it and scrambling to catch up after the holidays.

Ultimately, balance is all about aiming for longevity, but enjoying the pie along the way.

"What is the point of living longer if you have to live less?" Rhodes said. "It's just a matter of taking inventory of, okay, what are the goals that I'm trying to achieve and how can I stay consistent with them."

• Sally Froelich has aged remarkably well. She still golfs three times a week at 95.
• Froelich gave Business Insider some of her tips for staying healthy and happy.
• They include being sociable and doing exercise every day.

Sally Froelich has been talking about aging for a long time. Which makes sense — she's 95.

She credits that focus as part of the reason she has aged so well: she used to host a TV show where people spoke about reaching age milestones.

Froelich, a New Yorker, spoke to Business Insider to share the lifestyle habits she thinks have helped her reach 95.

Be sociable

"The most important part is sociability. Friends are so very important. You need someone that you can confide in, there's always somebody out there that'll listen to you," Froelich said. "And, if things go wrong, you got to make it right. Do unto others as you want them to do unto you."

Professor Rose Anne Kenny, a gerontologist at Trinity College Dublin, thinks that having good friendships is just as important as eating healthily and exercising for longevity.

In a 2023 study of over 450,000 adults in the UK, researchers found that being socially isolated was linked to a 77% higher risk of death in adults aged 37 to 73 over a 12-year follow-up period.

Froelich herself is part of a study — the SuperAger study of people over 95 from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which looks for inherited factors that could help slow aging.

Do some exercise every day

Froelich started playing golf when she was 24 and now plays three times a week.

On days she's not playing golf, she's still active.

"I do 10 sit-ups. I do stretches. I lift eight pounds on each hand, and then bend over and lift five pounds on each leg, 20 times each. I walk in place very quickly," she said. "And I ride my bike, not as often as I should. But I do something almost every single day."

Experts agree that exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do for healthy aging, especially strength training.

Nathan K. LeBrasseur, director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic, previously told BI that spending 3% of your day exercising, or 30 minutes, can have a "profound impact" on overall health.

Keep busy

"Not everybody can be very athletic, but hopefully, most people can do something to keep busy," Froelich said. "Help people out, do charity work."

She plays canasta and bridge, talks with friends on the phone, and volunteers. After she had cancer, she worked with the American Cancer Society for 38 years to run a Hope Lodge in New York City, where people stay while getting treatment.

She was until recently a board member for a Jewish home for older people, where she redecorated residents' rooms and threw parties for those turning 100.

A 2016 study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that busy lifestyles were associated with better cognition in 330 participants aged 50 to 89.

• D'yan Forest is a working comedian at 90, doing gigs in two languages.
• She shared some of her tips for staying fit and funny into her 90s.
• These include having a positive outlook and spending time with younger friends.

It's never too late for a career change — even if you're almost 70.

After a 40-year-long career as a cabaret singer, D'yan Forest, who lives in New York City, became a comedian in 2001. Now 90, she holds the Guinness World Record for Oldest Female Comedian and still performs solo shows in English and French.

"I never thought I'd be a comedian at 90," she told Business Insider. "I make fun of myself and older ladies, and I sing parodies. I'm a little risqué, and the people love it because they can't believe that an older woman still has verve and fun and can say such risqué things."

Forest shared her longevity secrets for maintaining that verve into her 90s.

Keep your mind active

"Being funny keeps my mind working. I change my material every six months, so I'm always learning new things as the culture changes in France or America. What is amazing is that I'm getting better and better every time I perform," she said.

Doing comedy has also helped her look at life with a "fun slant," she said. "It's a mental outlook that keeps me going.

This chimes with what experts have previously told BI: Heidi Tissenbaum, a cancer biology professor who researches healthy lifespans, said that keeping the mind busy is one of the basics of longevity. The authors of a 2023 study on common traits of healthy centenarians recommended staying intellectually active and focusing on the good in life.

Exercise

Forest goes swimming every other day and plays golf three times a week.

"I go out for long weekends, and boy, after the third day, I'm exhausted," she said. "But that keeps me physically active. Not many women my age can walk the golf course like that."

A 2019 study by researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that adults who exercised consistently into later life had up to a 36% lower risk of dying from any cause over the 20-year follow-up period. The study also found that even starting to exercise in later life is beneficial for longevity.

Eat fresh whole foods

"I just eat pure food, raw vegetables and fruits. I don't like it when food is all artificial. My mother always said during the war, "Eat the fresh fish. Eat the fresh fruit." She wouldn't even cook 'em, just ate them," Forest said.

A 2023 study published in the journal Nutrients on 2,454 participants from China found that eating more fruit and vegetables lowered the risks of cognitive impairment in older age. A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that US women over 60 who ate more fruit and vegetables were less likely to experience fatigue, poor strength, and illnesses.

Have (lots of) younger friends

Forest goes out for dinner with a different friend every day of the week.

Having a strong community is important for longevity. It may be more important than a healthy diet and regular exercise, said Professor Rose Anne Kenny, chair of medical gerontology at Trinity College Dublin.

"The problem is, when you're 90, that a lot of your friends and family die," Forest said. "And that's why the comedy is good because through that I've met a lot of younger friends who have the same interests that I do."

She's not alone — 102-year-old Janet Gibbs also credits her longevity to having younger friends as well.

• Scientists have created an "atlas" of ovarian aging.
• The atlas suggests ovaries are an untapped, rapid way to study human longevity treatments.
• One researcher is testing antiaging drugs on ovaries, and she says supplements could be next.

A study published in Nature Aging on Friday reveals a new and revolutionary way to rapidly test out potential antiaging drugs: Give them to women.

Or, more specifically, test them out on aging ovaries, whether in well-controlled human studies, in the ovaries of mice, or in donor tissue samples.

The finding could speed up the way that so-called geroprotective (aka longevity) drugs are evaluated, and ultimately brought to market, by making it easier for researchers to assess how well potential aging drugs are working. Researchers could measure the health of ovaries dosed with different drugs and supplements over a matter of months, instead of waiting years or decades to see what works.

"Yeast, worms, flies and mice, we already know how to make them live longer and healthier," Columbia University professor and geneticist Yousin Suh, lead author of the new study, told Business Insider. "Since aging occurs in the ovaries so much more rapidly, why don't we use ovaries as a very fast test platform for geroprotectors?"

The ovary could be a perfect testing ground for slowing down aging

For years, longevity scientists have known that the ovary is the fastest-aging organ in the body.

Suh's new study goes deeper. It shows that ovarian aging is a great proxy for overall human aging at a molecular level — ovarian aging is just happening several decades earlier, and very rapidly.

"This is the first time where you've seen a really solid study done by a leading aging researcher that is demonstrating that a very highly conserved pathway that drives aging is happening in the ovary," Francesca Duncan, a professor of reproductive science at Northwestern University, told BI.

Duncan said for many years, aging researchers were hesitant to consider ovarian changes as a true aging phenomenon because they happen when women are still relatively young.

"We just don't consider women in their 30s to 50s in that 'old' category," she said. "But I think that tide has turned because we know this is an aging process and it has significant clinical and societal implications. So more and more people are paying attention to this concept of ovarian aging and considering it as a true aging process."

For the study, Suh's team evaluated human ovary tissue samples from four young women (aged 23-29) and four more "reproductively aged" women (49-54) to create an "atlas" of aging across every cell type in the ovary.

Her study displays in fine cellular and molecular detail how human ovaries age, and how genetics impact the process. It shows that one of the critical hallmarks of aging, mTOR signaling, is "screaming high" in middle-aged women's ovaries across all cell types, Suh said. That suggests those 50-year-old ovaries could be a great model for studying aging and for rapidly testing out drugs that scientists think might extend human lifespan and healthspan.

"People just do not get the message," Suh said. "They think, 'oh, who wants a baby until you're 60? Or, who wants a period until you're 60 or 70?' That's not the point. The point is we want them to slow down aging."

Changes in ovarian aging are also rapid, specific, and traceable with widely available tools, such as the common blood tests that measure a woman's ovarian reserve or inflammatory markers.

"If something works in the ovary in terms of delaying aging, chances are it's going to be a geroprotector of the whole body," Suh said. "It's not just reproduction; the ovary does coordinate and orchestrate health."

But Duncan cautioned that while the idea of using ovaries as a proxy for whole-body aging is "tantalizing," more research will still be needed to confirm the technique.

"There needs to be a lot more studies of: how do those changes that are happening in the ovary, how do those directly translate into changes into overall health?" she said.

Hot antiaging supplements and drugs, like metformin and NMN, could be tested faster on ovaries

To date, there are no drugs approved in the US to treat aging.

Instead, there's a patchwork of influencers, clinics, and high-end spas all promising to help people feel young as they grow old. They promote treatments like metformin — a diabetes drug that's being repurposed for antiaging and weight loss — or supplements like NAD+ boosters, CoQ10, and resveratrol.

It's pretty hard to assess how well each of those personalized (and often pricey) treatments are actually working. Hard science on human health outcomes is still limited because evaluating the traditional signs of aging, by measuring things like brain or heart health, takes years.

Suh imagines future studies could try these pills out in female mice or in women, and focus researchers' attention on how well their ovaries are doing over the course of the next several months.

In fact, Suh is already trying this: she's one of the first people testing out potential antiaging drugs on middle-aged women.

She is spearheading an ongoing study of a few dozen women in perimenopause who are taking small doses of rapamycin, an immunosuppressive cancer drug that longevity researchers think could be repurposed for healthy aging. The study will measure how subjects ovarian reserve levels change over the course of several months, both during and after their three-month treatment.

While the full results aren't ready yet, Suh says she's seeing clear trend lines in the data, suggesting that the experiment might have been a success.

"I think it's really exciting because in ovaries the results will be very, very quick," she said.

• Preventive health tests that bypass a person's regular healthcare provider are a growing market.
• This trend made a Business Insider health reporter fear she was unknowingly unhealthy.
• A buzzy health test gave her the all clear but felt like a waste of money.

It was a Friday afternoon in London's financial district, and I was standing barefoot on a scale, blood freshly extracted from my arm.

I'd just spent £65, around $80, at a private clinic on a buzzy preventive health test to check my heart health, diabetes status, blood, inflammation level, and body composition.

I stay on top of health trends as a reporter at Business Insider, and, despite being only 27, I'd become increasingly paranoid about the poor health indicators you can't see, such as high cholesterol or visceral fat, which surrounds the organs and increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and type two diabetes.

The rise of wellness culture, preventive medicine, longevity treatments, and misinformation on social media made knowing how to care for my health confusing. I might be eating lots of fiber and vegetables, but am I spiking my glucose levels too much? And is my gut microbiome diverse enough? I work out, but is my VO2 Max high enough? Is my muscle-to-fat ratio OK?

Adding fuel to the fire, as a health reporter, I'm also acutely aware of the unavoidable elements of modern life that can impact our health. From the ultra-processed foods linked to 32 health problems that make up 73% of the US food supply to the endocrine-disrupting microplastics that have been found all over the human body to how sitting at a desk all day can increase the risk of early death.

It feels like there's an endless list of bodily systems and functions to consider, and all of this culminated in a quiet but persistent voice in my head that worried, "Even though I seem healthy on the outside, am I really?"

To soothe that anxious voice, I booked an appointment with a company that provides a wide range of direct-to-consumer health tests, which can be done at home or in one of their clinics. These are widely available in the UK, where healthcare is free at the point of delivery via the National Health Service, and in the US and other countries.

I chose the most basic in-clinic test because it was the cheapest option, and I've struggled to take my own blood at home. But there was a similar general at-home health test that cost $82.

Such at-home and clinic-based direct-to-consumer tests, which involve little or no involvement from a healthcare professional, are becoming increasingly available — with the market forecast to be worth $2 billion by 2025, according to a 2023 research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine. While such tests provide accurate results, experts say it's debatable whether they are useful for the average consumer or feed on health anxiety.

Healthcare companies are capitalizing on the boom in at-home testing

Since COVID, interest in health and wellness has skyrocketed. The global wellness industry is now estimated to be worth $6.3 trillion, up from $4.2 trillion in 2018, according to a report issued this year from the Global Wellness Institute, and it has become more common to do health tests at home.

"We all got quite used to testing ourselves regularly, and now we think, 'OK, so if I did it for that, why not for other things?'" Annette Plüddemann, a senior research fellow at the Center for Evidence-based Medicine at the University of Oxford, told Business Insider.

Companies have jumped on the bandwagon because there's money to be made, Plüddemann, who studies the evidence for diagnostic tests and technologies and whether they provide health benefits, said.

With a quick Google search, you can find tests for almost anything and get them delivered straight to your door. Meanwhile, luxury longevity-based healthcare companies such as Canyon Ranch in Arizona offer in-depth diagnostic testing retreats costing $20,000 for four days. And luxury hotels such as One&Only, Four Seasons, and Six Senses are adding these services to their offerings.

The test results were reassuring, but I felt like I wasted my money

A few days after I had my blood taken, my height, waist, and hips measured, and my body mass weighed, I received an email with a 15-page report detailing my results. I was relieved to learn that there was nothing to be concerned about. My good cholesterol was slightly low, as was my platelet count, but that was all.

I also had a remote appointment with a doctor from the clinic to discuss my results, and she assured me that my health was good overall. Essentially, no notes. That cost me another £60 (approximately $76).

I did feel reassured, and in all honesty, it has squashed my worries. So I am happy I did it.

But I questioned if I had wasted my money as a young, fit person. I paid $156 to have tests that I didn't need, to ease anxiety created by the idea that knowing for sure would make me healthier.

The noise around preventive medicine made me think that regular exercise, good sleep hygiene, and a healthy diet weren't enough.

I may have felt differently if the results were concerning.

More testing isn't necessarily better

People tend to think that tests can only do good, but unnecessary health testing can actually be harmful, Plüddemann said. Results can be inaccurate, leading to a false sense of reassurance or misdiagnosis, and when done outside a clinical setting, you don't always have a doctor to contextualize the results, she said.

Plüddemann added that despite the notion that tracking all of our health markers will lead to longer, better lives, there's good evidence to suggest that general health checks don't necessarily improve a person's health outcomes.

"Whether people have been either given a health check or not, overall, hasn't meant they necessarily live longer or better lives," she said.

In a 2023 study published in the journal BMJ Open, researchers in Australia looked at 103 types of direct-to-consumer tests and 484 individual products ranging in price from 13 Australian dollars ($8.44) to $AUS1,947 ($1,264). The researchers found that 11% of the tests were likely to benefit most consumers.

The authors wrote for The Conversation: "Direct-to-consumer tests might seem like a good idea, but in most cases, you'd be better off letting sleeping dogs lie if you feel well or going to your GP if you have concerns."

Testing when you have symptoms, are at risk for a certain condition, or are following population-wide medical advice like getting a colonoscopy from the time you're 45 is important and can be life-saving.

But getting tested when I had no reasonable basis for worrying about being unhealthy felt like it was more beneficial to the company's health than mine.

• Herlda Senhouse, formerly the second oldest person in the US, died this week at the age of 113.
• She thought lifestyle factors could have contributed to her longevity as well as her genes.
• They included not having kids, eating healthily, and being part of a community.

Herlda Senhouse, born in 1911, appreciated three things about 2024: electric light, indoor plumbing, and having a Black female vice president.

Senhouse, who died at age 113 on Saturday, lived in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She worked as a housekeeper and nanny for white families, and faced racism including being denied the opportunity to study nursing, she told The Telegraph in 2021. Senhouse founded the Boston Clique Club, a group of dancers and musicians who raised money to help educate Black students in Boston.

"I never thought I'd see a Black woman vice president, which is amazing, and I'm so happy," she said.

Senhouse wanted to keep helping others even after she died: she donated her brain to researchers at Boston University, who are studying whether genes help some people live past 100 for the New England Centenarian Study.

As well as her genes, Senhouse attributed her longevity to a few lifestyle factors.

Don't have children to avoid stress

Senhouse often said that the secret to her longevity was not having children, Stephanie Hawkinson, a public information officer for the town of Wellesley told US News and World Report on Monday.

One 2017 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that people without children didn't live as long as parents, possibly because of the support they received. But Senhouse thought that not having children helped her avoid stress, which research suggests can accelerate aging.

Eat healthily and don't smoke

"I don't smoke or drink. And I don't drink those fizzy waters… no soda. I seldom eat fast food," Senhouse told WBZ News in 2022.

People who followed healthy eating guidelines, including consuming lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, had a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory disease in a 2023 study. The research involved 119,000 female nurses and male health professionals and was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. These people were also less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise.

Be part of a community

Hawkinson said that Senhouse had a big community of friends, family, and fellow church members.

She also spent lots of time with her best friend, Margaret Robinson, whom she met over 60 years ago. They called each other every day and got their hair and nails done together every two weeks, WBZ News reported.

Researchers carrying out the Harvard Study of Adult Development have found that healthy relationships can lower the risk of dying at any age and help to reduce pain in older age, BI's Hilary Brueck previously reported.

Know when to let go

Do your best to fix issues in your life, but if you can't, let it go, Senhouse told The Telegraph.

Perseverance and focusing on the good things in life are common traits among centenarians, Business Insider previously reported. And longevity researchers who have spoken to over 1,000 centenarians told BI that many centenarians try not to stress about things out of their control.