How to Age Better and Live Longer (Expert Longevity Tips) | Mayo Clinic Aging Forward Podcast

Can you improve your chances of living longer and better without chasing anti-aging hacks? In this episode of Aging Forward from Mayo Clinic, guest host Kristen Meinzer talks with Sir Muir Gray — physician, public health leader, and global expert on healthcare systems — about what really drives healthy aging and longevity. Sir Muir Gray explains why aging itself is not the main problem for most adults before their 90s. Instead, he highlights the bigger forces that shape long-term health: loss of fitness, chronic disease, environment, ageism, and lack of purpose. Drawing from decades of work with the NHS and healthcare systems around the world, he shares practical insights on how older adults can stay active, preserve strength, reduce disease risk, and remain engaged in their communities. This conversation also explores why muscle health matters, how the environment influences dementia and chronic disease risk, why retirement should be reimagined as a renaissance, and how community, self-care, and brisk walking can support better aging. If you're interested in healthy longevity, aging well, prevention, senior health, brain health, fitness after 60, and evidence-based wellness, this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why aging alone is not the biggest threat to health • The role of strength, stamina, skill, and suppleness in healthy aging • How environment affects chronic disease more than many people realize • Why purpose and community are essential for longevity • How to think differently about retirement, prevention, and end-of-life planning • One simple habit Sir Muir Gray recommends: brisk walking Subscribe for more expert-backed conversations on healthy aging, longevity, and preventive health from Mayo Clinic. 0:00 Introduction to healthy aging 0:29 Meet Sir Muir Gray 1:32 Aging versus fitness and disease 3:37 The five elements of fitness 5:35 Why healthcare becomes a disease service 9:25 Environment shapes aging more than genes 12:54 Purpose, work, and life after retirement 15:43 How healthcare should treat older adults 19:40 Healthy longevity over lifespan hacking 21:00 How to live longer better 24:30 Why knowledge is the elixir 26:02 Brisk walking and aging forward From Mayo Clinic to your inbox (free): https://mayocl.in/3e71zfi Visit Mayo Clinic: https://mayocl.in/2COVmlm Connect with Mayo Clinic: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mayoclinic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayoclinic X: https://x.com/MayoClinic Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mayoclinic