Top longevity expert flags exercise detail that will help you live to 100 - and it doesn't involve a gym

Getting up from your desk and walking about the office, rather than intense stints at the gym, could be the key to living longer, a top longevity expert says.

Dr Gareth Nye, a biomedical expert at the University of Salford, said that living to 100 isn't all down to luck and genetics.

‘People who live longer tend to have a higher activity level in their day-to-day lives rather than focus on structured exercised programmes,’ he told The Mirror.

‘The message here is that trying to incorporate more activity throughout the day is key and avoiding prolonged periods of sitting down.

‘Those in offices could switch to standing desks, for example, or look at their commute to make changes,’ he suggested.

The longevity expert shared this as one of four key tips to help increase your chances of living for a century. 

According to Dr Nye, boosting longevity is less about strenuous workouts, and more about consistently being active throughout the day, which he called 'whole activity levels'.

He said those who get up and move more tend to live longer than those who lead a more sedentary lifestyle.

Several studies support avoiding sedentary time to protect your health.

One recent piece of research suggests that sitting or lying down for long periods of time could increase your risk of Alzheimer’s, regardless of how much exercise you do.

Dr Nye added: ‘The issue with exercising at a high level is that consistency is often a problem…it is much better overall to work on whole activity levels’.

Another one of his tips was to watch what you're putting in your body, including cutting back on alcohol, quitting smoking and avoiding foods that are high in saturated fats. 

‘The less processing, the better,’ the longevity expert explained.

‘Meat and vegetables, as free range or organic as possible, will have the least chance of impacting the body negatively. The more processing involved, the more detrimental it is to the body.'

Dr Nye highlighted processed meats—such as ham and bacon that have been altered to enhance flavour or extend shelf life—as one food that could limit lifespans due to an increased risk of bowel cancer. 

He also advised reducing the levels of sugar and salt from your diet, due to links to cardiovascular diseases.

For those struggling to get more healthy foods into their diet Dr Nye recommended opting for frozen options that can be easily added to a variety of meals. 

‘Frozen fruit and vegetables can be just as beneficial and often easier to add to meals to get that content in’, he added.

Another tip for a longer life offered by Dr Nye was to ensure you get the recommend seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

‘Shorter than seven hours of sleep daily is linked to a 12 per cent increased risk of death, with those who sleep over eight hours being linked to a 30 per cent increased chance,' he said.

‘It seems that having regular sleep patterns may be the key to getting the most benefit and potentially living longer’, the expert added.

Studies show that prolonged sleep deficiency can put people at a higher risk for conditions like obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. 

Dr Nye's final tip, knowing your family history for any conditions you should keep track of as well as attending routine health checks.

According to the doctor, genetic factors, including disease risk, hormone balance and cell replacement rates, are believed to influence between 20 and 30 per cent of your lifespan.

‘About 40 per cent of life expectancy is inherited among generations, meaning you are more likely to live longer if your parents and grandparents did,’ he added.

Genetic testing, sometimes called genomic testing—which highlights changes in genes that can cause health problems—is mainly used to diagnose rare and inherited health conditions and some cancers. It can also help couples understand the risk of passing on a health condition to their children.

However, the NHS advises considering how the results could affect you and others in your family, as there is a chance that the test will provide information about your relatives that was not previously known.

Dr Nye's advice comes as data suggests England' bulging waistlines have caused a significant drop in average life expectancy. 

After decades of progress, attempts to keep people living longer are beginning to fail, with people in England now living roughly nine months less than they did in 2011. 

Separate data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) earlier this year suggested that a baby boy born in the UK in 2023 could expect to live on average to 86.7 years.

Girls still have a longer anticipated lifespan of 90 years, although the gap has been narrowing.

As of the latest ONS data, for 2023, there are just over 16,000 centenarians—people who have lived over 100 years—living in the UK.