8 tricks that can help you live longer

Enjoying life is something we've got pretty good at as a species - thanks to technology, travel and seriously good food, there's always something new and exciting on the horizon.

Which is why extending our time as much as possible on this little blue planet the the dream.

So here are some tips on how to make sure you live a long, healthy, hopefully happy life.

1. Curiosity

Curiosity can help longevity, Laura L. Carstensen, a professor of psychology and public policy at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Longevity Center tells Time.

That means asking questions, learning new things, discovering new things and staying engaged with the world and people around you.

2. Conscientiousness

The Longevity Project was a two-decade-long study on the personality traits and lifestyles that keep us healthy into old age - and one of the most renowned studies on longevity.

Among their biggest findings was that contentiousness was the key to a long life. That means being careful and even slightly neurotic.

3. Having a healthy BMI

The higher your body mass index, the less likely you are to live a longer, healthy life, according to Francine Grodstein, professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Research has proven that reducing body weight by 20 per cent in mice leads to a longer life.

4. Not staying still

If you need motivation to ditch the travel pass and start walking to work - a study in 2015 found that sleeping more than nine hours a night, and sitting for more than seven hours a day, can shorten our lifespan. Moving around and staying on our feet, therefore, can lead to longer lives - and you may find you're more mobile in later life, too.

5. Eating natural foods

That means plants, basically – so fruit and vegetables, and avoiding processed foods. The Mediterranean diet has been widely hailed as the most healthy because of its emphasis on vegetables, nuts and olive oil.

6. Running

Runners tend to live for three years longer than their more sedentary counterparts, according to a study published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Disease. The researchers calculated that one hour of running roughly equates to an additional seven hours of life.

7. Staying in touch with friends

Research has found that loneliness can shorten a person's lifespan. So there's a good reason to pick up the phone and arrange that coffee you've been putting off.

8. Coffee

Speaking of coffee, a study found that people who drank three to five cups of coffee per day had a 15 per cent lower risk of premature death compared to those who didn’t drink any coffee. And for those who get caffeine jitters: decaf drinkers also saw benefits.

HT Time

More: Eating cheese will make you live longer, study claims