Our Live Well series, in partnership with W-Wellness, explores the pressing topics at the intersection between women, wellbeing and work.

If you’re someone with an interest in the wellness space, you’ll have heard about the rising interest in the longevity movement. Centered around the small and bigger things we can do to extend our lifespans, the movement covers everything from exercise and diet to ‘biohacking’ our bodies to achieve a better quality, longer life. 

We sat down with a member of the W-Wellness community of experts; Dr Nichola Conlon, scientist and founder of Nuchido, to delve into the subject of longevity and what it can do for your health and wellbeing. Nuchido are focused on looking at natural molecules, as opposed to pharmaceuticals to make longevity accessible and safe for everyone. Prior to developing leading brand Nuchido, Dr Nichola worked in the development of cellular anti-aging drugs. Read on for her expertise on the subject, the misconceptions around longevity, and her practical tips and tricks for a better quality lifespan. 

What is ‘longevity’? 

In simple terms, longevity is the pursuit of improving our lifespans and our health for our later years. It’s a multidisciplinary effort, affected by scientific research, personal habits, technological advancements and lifestyle factors, designed to give us a better quality of life, for longer. 

But, there is a distinct difference between our health spans and our lifespans. Dr Nichola explains “[our health span] is based on the number of years that we live in good health, whereas our lifespan is the number of years we live. Currently, our lifespans and health spans do not match up, with an approximate 20-year period at the end of life where people are out of their health span. The longevity world is focused on improving cellular health, to increase our health span and reduce our onset of age-related diseases.”

Despite this, Dr Nichola often comes across one popular misconception around longevity, “the most common misconception is the idea that everything being developed is to make people live forever. This concept is actually referred to as transhumanism.” But it’s more than that. Whilst living longer may be a happy side effect, longevity focuses more on the science we should follow and the habits we can get into to ensure the time we have is healthy and happy. 

What is ‘Biohacking’? 

Though it sounds scientific and potentially confusing for those of us whose brains are not wired that way, Biohacking is the act of using our body’s existing capability, working with our biology, rather than against it, and creating a harmony between our lifestyle and genetics for better performance and health.  

Dr Nichola’s Nuchido ground a great deal of their research in creating products that tap into this principle. “Our bodies are very good at looking after themselves, with pathways and processes existing to repair any damage before we have even realised it has occurred” Dr Nichola explains, “Unfortunately, our modern lifestyles tend to mean we don’t switch many of these pathways on. Through biohacking, we can look at our personalised biology and how we can use it to our advantage”. 

Practically, this could be through nutraceutical products, or making lifestyle changes that suit our own personal biology. 

How can I make the longevity space work for me? 

No matter your lifestyle, budget, or genetics, the longevity space is something that everyone should pay attention to for a healthier life and optimal performance in our professions. 

Dr Nichola explains that it doesn’t need to be something that costs a lot of money, or involves any complicated regimens. She recommends exercises like high-intensity interval training, or ‘zone 2 cardio’, any physical activity that will raise the heart rate, these are all “good for longevity, as they help improve our mitochondria, which is very important for the healthy aging of our cells”.

When it comes to diet, it’s important to incorporate a good variety of plant molecules. Trying to incorporate around 30 plant-based foods into your diet helps to create more diversity in your gut microbiome, which is proven to reverse your biological age. 

But longevity and the quality of your health span can also come down, in part, to your social environment and work/life connections. There is evidence from certain ‘blue zone’ places in the world, including areas in Japan, Italy, and Costa Rica, where people have been found to live in good health for up to 110 years as a direct result of the quality of their social activities. 

Dr Nichola talked to us about Okinawa, Japan, which boasts the longest living people on Earth. Here they have a saying, ‘ikigai’, which translates to ‘that which makes life worth living’. Having a purpose in life, through hobbies, good quality social lives and a balance in work and family interactions shows the importance social connection and purpose has on lifespan and healthspan too. 

What impact can the longevity space have on my career?

When we’re feeling our best, we’re also working our best. Keeping an eye on your longevity and health span is not only beneficial, but essential in optimising our performance, ability to think clearly and strategically, and energy levels in the workplace.  

In a working world where we are always thinking on our feet, maintaining a happy, healthy body gives us the advantage not just in our careers, but our mental and physical health whilst we’re carrying them out. 

Visit the W-Wellness website to purchase Nuchido Time+, or book a consultation with one of their expert advisors who will support you on your longevity journey.