Ageing well: Five science-backed habits from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) study

What if the secret to living longer wasn’t just about diet and exercise, but how you think, who you know and what you do with your time? Your third quarter is a time of choices – a chance to enjoy and make the most of the resources you’ve built over the years – and at 75, Professor Andrew Steptoe – a professor of Psychology and Epidemiology at University College London (UCL) – is living proof that this stage of life can be active, ambitious and intellectually demanding. He leads the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), which has tracked more than 24,000 men and women aged 50 and over since 2002, and which has found that those who disregard ageist stereotypes and embrace a youthful and curious outlook have a better chance of living longer.

There’s evidence that not just lifespan but “healthspan” – the number of years during which a person is healthy and mentally acute – is rising: a 2025 study issued by the International Monetary Fund, based on samples from 41 countries, found that a 70-year-old in 2022 had the same cognitive capacity as a 53-year-old in the year 2000. It seems that 70 really is the new 50.¹ A surprising amount of that control lies in your own hands, as ELSA is revealing.

Prof Steptoe highlights five key learnings from the research which, if adopted, could have a real impact on your longevity and healthspan:

1. Cultivate your social circle

People who are socially connected age better: When you’re younger, it’s easy to take friendships for granted. Work provides a ready-made social context and, if you’re in a partnership or have a family of your own, you have constant company. But as you get into your 50s, some of this social environment can fall away and you may find that your connections, which used to sustain you, have been neglected.

But friendships can quite literally save your life. People who are socially connected and engaged age better, explains Prof Steptoe, while those who are isolated or lonely show a much steeper health decline and are at higher risk of dying earlier. That’s because, according to ELSA findings, social isolation activates stress hormones and inflammation, increasing the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions. The study also reveals that having a flourishing social network correlates with a lower tendency to smoke and a greater likelihood of going to health screenings and keeping immunisations (such as flu jabs) up to date. 

“I feel quite strongly that maintaining social connections is not something you can leave until later life,” says Prof Steptoe. “You have to invest in friendships throughout your adult life in order to make sure that they’re there later on, and you obviously must do it for your pleasure as well.”

2. Find direction in life

Finding purpose helps people to thrive: We all need a reason to get up in the morning. When you retire or your children leave home, that reason often feels like it has evaporated, and you might find yourself struggling to fill your days. But maintaining a sense of meaning is important: ELSA has revealed that the people who thrive in later life are those who describe their day-to-day activities as “worthwhile.” This is backed by research in the U.S.² which has found a connection between a sense of purpose and slower biological ageing.

“There’s good evidence from ELSA and other studies that having a sense of purpose helps you, particularly in times of stress,” Prof Steptoe explains. “If you’re doing things which you think are worthwhile, then you’ll do better during times of challenge. Keeping your mind busy also helps prevent cognitive decline, when your memory or attention starts to become less sharp, which can be the early signs of progression towards more serious problems, even dementia.”

So, how do you foster your sense of purpose? It could be something big – writing a book or studying for a degree – but it could equally be looking after grandchildren or tending a garden. For many, volunteering provides a satisfying new calling; but your later-life activities don’t have to be altruistic to deliver benefits. Learning tai chi or improving your golf handicap also involves that all-important sense of progress and significance (as does social interactions and the sense of being part of a community, referenced above). Of course, pursuing meaningful activities takes energy, which is why sleep matters.

3. Protect your sleep

Staying active helps you sleep: As you are likely aware, getting enough high-quality sleep helps protect you against long-term conditions. As you age, sleep patterns change, but you shouldn’t stress about that (it can end up being counterproductive). Instead, says Prof Steptoe, be mindful that your night’s rest is inextricably linked with how you spend your days.

“You need to not think about sleep separately, but to think of sleep and physical activity all in the same framework,” he says. “Obviously, there are only 24 hours in a day. So, if you’re not sleeping well, then you may be having too low a level of activity in the preceding hours. Try to remove sedentary behaviour – don’t sit for too long without moving; stand up often; and don’t make your life too energy efficient. When I’m at home, I spend a great deal of time walking back and forth between rooms, even though I know I could do it more efficiently. If I make five journeys that’s better than one.”

It’s now perfectly normal for people in their third quarter and beyond to go to the gym, lift weights or go running, but if these activities eventually become more difficult, you can switch to thinking about exercising in less formal ways. Simply taking a walk in nature can be beneficial. A study by Heather Eliassen, professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found that exposure to green space was linked to improvements in sleep, blood pressure and physical ability, as well as lower risks of conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.² But while these physical habits lay the foundation, your mindset matters just as much.

4. Reject ageist stereotypes

Self-confidence is good for your health: People in their third quarter of life can face stigma or discrimination. But if your children, grandchildren, friends and neighbours see you embracing new things, the example you set can begin to change perceptions about what you have a right to expect in older age.

Prof Steptoe says: “Younger people tend to denigrate older people – on social media, the most common ways in which older people are characterised is as tiresome and slow, getting in the way, dithering and not being productive members of society. These attitudes can become internalised, so that the older person feels they’re superfluous and a nuisance. Whereas there are other societies in which age goes with wisdom and respect. And that’s something we don’t have very much of in our culture.”

ELSA has found that people who refuse to internalise negative views about ageing are less likely to develop health problems. And indeed, that seems to be the case. “The population in general is healthier at older ages than it was in the past,” says Prof Steptoe. “People are much more active in later life and maintain good cognitive function.” So, build up your confidence; focus on what you can do, rather than on what you can’t; seek out older role models; and challenge harmful stereotypes when you encounter them.

5. Get involved in cultural activities

Art stimulates the brain: One of the newest insights from ELSA is the link between health and participation in the arts – activities such as going to galleries, concerts and museums. The ELSA data shows that, for adults aged 50 and older, visiting museums every few months or more was associated with a lower incidence of dementia over a 10-year period, when compared with less-frequent visiting. “We’re increasingly involved with that area [of research] because it’s important,” says Prof Steptoe. “There’s a pretty strong relationship.”

Attending live sporting events, such as football or cricket matches, is undoubtedly positive in terms of social bonding, but seemingly doesn’t supply the precise benefits you get from looking at paintings or listening to an orchestra or a band. This is because certain regions of your brain are stimulated when you engage in aesthetic activity, increasing feel-good hormones and boosting your resilience against dementia.

If the arts aren’t naturally your thing, look on it as an experiment, and keep trying different activities until you find one that piques your interest. Doing something creative can also be beneficial, whether that’s singing in a choir, woodworking or painting.

Where next for ageing?

The beauty of Prof Steptoe’s recommendations is that positive actions are mutually reinforcing: as soon as you build up one area, you’ll start to feel the benefits in another. For example, if you join a choir, you can make new friends, and that leads to more social opportunities, more physical activity and better sleep. 

Financial planning plays a crucial role too. Having the resources to pursue meaningful activities – whether that’s travel, education or supporting causes you care about – gives you the freedom to age on your own terms. It’s not just about having enough money – it’s about having a plan in place so you can focus on living well, not on your finances.

Growing old is inevitable; how you do it isn’t. You can draw your own map for the years ahead by investing in friendships that energise you; seeking out purpose in whatever form it takes; protecting your sleep by staying active and engaged; refusing to fit ageist stereotypes; and making room for art, culture and creativity. Taken together, these small, deliberate changes can lead to extra years on the clock and extra life in every day.

More information about ELSA, including a podcast series, can be found on their website.

Sources:

1. Gruss, Bertrand, and Noureldin, Diaa. “Sustaining Growth in an Aging World,” IMF, 2 June 2025, www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2025/06/sustaining-growth-in-an-aging-world-bertrand-gruss.

2. “Time Spent in Nature Can Boost Physical and Mental Well-Being.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 22 Nov. 2024, hsph.harvard.edu/news/time-spent-in-nature-can-boost-physical-and-mental-well-being/.

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