The business of defying age is booming. According to the market research specialist, Data Bridge, the longevity sector is set to reach a valuation of £20 trillion by 2030, and some analyses suggest it may hit this figure as soon as next year.
Longevity is lucrative because it's become synonymous with luxury. Instagram-worthy Hyperbaric oxygen chambers, wall-to-wall beige IV vitamin drip clinics, Scandi-chic wooden infrared saunas and a £5,800 Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (where blood is filtered to remove pro-ageing factors, senescent proteins and inflammatory markers) are just a few popular - and costly - treatments used by wealthy wellness enthusiasts and influencers in an attempt to live longer.
Celebrities, royalty and high-net-worth individuals tick off multiple methods in one go with a 6-night "Revitalisation" health holiday at Switzerland's top longevity hub, Clinique La Prairie, which is said to initiate a biological reset and costs upwards of £30,000.
But Dr Josh Berkowitz, the founder and medical director of the doctor-led longevity clinic, IVBOOST UK, says living healthier for longer doesn't require you to remortgage your house.
'Longevity is often overcomplicated. Most people assume it requires expensive boujee treatments or extreme routines, but in reality, the biggest differences I see in clinic can come from small, often overlooked patterns in how people live day to day,' explains Berkowitz. Here, Berkowitz shares his top 8 tips for living longer, for less - and you may be doing some of them already.
A stay at Clinique La Prairie could work wonders - but the price tag means it remains the preserve of celebrities and the super-rich
- Hop on the Sleepmaxxing hype
One of the most common issues my clients encounter is being 'under-recovered'. People may be sleeping, eating relatively well and exercising, but their body is never fully recovering from the cumulative effects of stress, work, travel and poor sleep quality. Over time, this shows up as fatigue, low resilience and visible changes in the skin.
Don't compromise: always aim for 7-9 hours a night. And invest in all the accessories that will maximise the quality of your sleep. Black out blinds are obviously pricier, but eye masks, ear plugs and nasal strips to encourage you to nose breathe through the night are all relatively cheap - and effective. - Vitamin D is your number one supplement
Due to limited sunlight exposure, a large proportion of the population is deficient in vitamin D, which plays a critical role in immune function, mood regulation and overall health. Unlike some countries, we don't routinely fortify foods such as butter, cheese or margarine to the same extent, so deficiency is very common. I see it frequently in the clinic, particularly during the winter months, and it can contribute to fatigue, low mood and reduced resilience.
A vitamin D test done via your GP will determine how low your levels are, but incorporating a basic high street pharmacy supplement into your routine is a simple and immediate solution. - Up your resilience with weight training
Improving resilience is a key part of long-term health. From a medical perspective, resilience is the body's ability to adapt to stress and return to baseline efficiently. That includes both physical resilience, such as how you recover from illness, poor sleep or exertion, and then psychological resilience, which is how you respond to stress, uncertainty or change.
You should be getting 150 minutes of moderate activity (such as brisk walking), or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, per week. But strength training is the key to building physical and mental resilience and living longer. Resistance exercise helps preserve both bone density and muscle mass, which are crucial as we age.
We lose around 5 per cent of our muscle mass and 10 per cent of our strength every decade after the age of 30. There's no need to hit the free-weights section in the gym or attempt a Hyrox - bodyweight squats, press ups and lunges at home will suffice. And always start small and build up. - Eat a whole foods diet
Many people normalise feeling tired, relying on caffeine or experiencing an afternoon crash, but consistent energy throughout the day is actually one of the clearest indicators of good long-term health. If energy is unstable, it’s often a sign that something deeper needs addressing, whether that’s sleep, nutrition or stress.
Eating low-glycemic, fibre-rich meals, with plenty of protein, staying hydrated and engaging in light physical activity is the simplest way to balance your energy levels. Reducing caffeine gradually and limiting alcohol can also prevent slumps. - Electrolytes aren't the devil
A common misconception is that hydration is simply about drinking more water. In reality, hydration is about how well your body absorbs and uses fluids at a cellular level. Balancing sodium, potassium and other minerals will allow cells to retain and use water effectively. Electrolytes are excellent for people who are exercising heavily, travelling frequently, or experiencing fatigue or dehydration. - Regulate your nervous system
Practices that regulate the nervous system, such as regular exposure to daylight, walking, breathing exercises or simply reducing constant stimulation from screens will help shift the body out of a chronic stress state. Many people are operating in a heightened sympathetic, or 'fight-or-flight', mode for much of the day, which reduces their ability to cope with additional stress. - Don't treatment stack
I see a lot of people focusing on adding more into their routine; more supplements, more treatments, more structure, when often the issue is not what they’re doing, but what their body isn’t getting or processing effectively. Longevity is less about adding more, and instead about identifying and correcting what’s missing.
People are fasting aggressively, overtraining or stacking multiple interventions at once, which can actually increase stress on the body. From a longevity perspective, this can be counterproductive. The goal is not to push the body harder, but to support it more effectively. - Socialise
You may not think it’s crucial, but numerous longevity studies from around the world suggest that people with a regular, diverse mix of social interactions with close friends and family—as well as links to weaker connections like co-workers or even neighbours—have some of the happiest, longest lives.
Quick fixes checklist
- Regular high-protein meals balanced with fibre are more important than following restrictive or inconsistent diets.
- Light exposure in the first 30 minutes after you wake up helps regulate circadian rhythm and supports both sleep and hormone balance.
- Walk to manage boredom and stress instead of scrolling.
- Reduce screen time an hour before bed for higher quality sleep.