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Oxford Longevity Project

On a mission to make longevity science accessible and actionable. Want to live longer, better?

Find out how and start your Live Longer Better plan on our website.

12/10/2026

Strength training could play an important role in living longer, better.

A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine linked resistance training with a lower mortality risk across all levels of aerobic activity. The findings suggest that strength and cardio can work alongside each other as complementary parts of healthy ageing.

At OLP, we like to think about fitness using our 4S checklist: Skill, Suppleness, Stamina and Strength. Aerobic exercise supports stamina, resistance training builds strength, while mobility and balance work support suppleness and skill.

Building and maintaining strength can support mobility, independence and longevity as we age.

Swipe through for simple ways to make strength training part of your week 👇

09/10/2026

Dementia is not a normal part of ageing — and there are things we can do to reduce our risk and its impact.

In the final part of our series, Sir Muir Gray shares three practical strategies for better brain health:

Step 1: Protect your brain
Step 2:Keep the blood flowing — stay physically fit
Step 3: Stay involved, connected and engaged

The message is simple: we can take action to protect our brain health and live longer, better.

World Alzheimer’s Month may have ended, but looking after our brains is something we can do all year round.

Watch Part 4 for Sir Muir’s practical advice.

SirMuirGray

05/10/2026

Ageing doesn’t mean giving up the car keys 🚗

A new evidence briefing from McMaster University sets out 3 practical ways to keep driving safely as we age: protect your senses, brush up your skills, and use smart tech that helps you.

From around 60, it’s worth getting proactive, not because something’s wrong, but because a bit of preparation goes a long way for maintaining your independence.

Swipe through for the details ➡️

02/10/2026

As World Alzheimer’s Month comes to a close, the conversation about brain health shouldn’t.

In Part 3 of our series with Sir Muir Gray, we look at four factors that shape how we age: ageing itself, loss of fitness, disease, and our social environment.

Sir Muir also explores an important point: many of the major diseases we associate with ageing are influenced not just by our genes, but by our environment and how we live.

As we move into a new month, we’re continuing the conversation — because looking after our brain health and ageing well matters all year round.

Stay tuned for the final part of the series.

SirMuirGray

28/09/2026

Could optimism be linked to lower dementia risk? ☀️

A study following over 9,000 older adults for up to 14 years found that people with a more optimistic outlook had a meaningfully lower risk of developing dementia, even after accounting for education, health and mood.

The good news: optimism isn’t fixed. Try writing down 3 reasons to feel positive each morning, and 3 good things that happened each evening.

Small shifts count. Swipe through for what the study actually found ➡️

25/09/2026

Why Brain Fitness Matters as We Age 🧠

Looking after our minds is just as important as looking after our bodies. Getting older doesn’t mean we lose the ability to learn and develop.

In Part 2 of our World Alzheimer’s Month series, Sir Muir Gray explores why keeping our brains active matters, and challenges the belief that it’s “too late” to improve our brain fitness.

Learning something new, taking on a challenge or getting involved in our communities can all be part of ageing well. But not everyone has the same opportunities, which is why tackling social barriers and challenging ageism matter, too.

Keeping our brains active as we age may also play a role in reducing our risk of dementia.

Stay tuned for Part 3.

LiveLongerBetter SirMuirGray

23/09/2026

We have more power over dementia than we may think.

For World Alzheimer’s Month, we’re joined by Sir Muir Gray for a four-part series exploring how we can influence our risk of developing dementia — and, for those living with the disease, help slow its progression and live longer better.

In Part 1, Sir Muir introduces this important idea: there are actions within our control that can make a difference.

Stay tuned for the next three videos, where Sir Muir shares practical ways to take action.

LiveLongerBetter

21/09/2026

Could volunteering be one of the best things you do to reduce feelings of loneliness? 🤝

Social isolation is one of the modifiable risk factors for dementia and a recent clinical trial found that volunteering genuinely reduces loneliness in older adults who feel lonely.

The catch: the benefit only lasted in people who kept volunteering, at around two hours a week. Consistency is key.

Bonus: taking on a slightly more involved role, like joining a committee, may help even more, put yourself out of your comfort zone for maximum benefit.

Swipe through for the full story ➡️

20/09/2026

Could the type of exercise you do change your risk of dementia, not just how much you do?

A huge review of 74 studies found that leisure-time activity, the walking, swimming, dancing or cycling you choose to do, was linked to a 24% lower risk of dementia. On the other hand, physical activity done at work was linked to a 20% higher risk of dementia.

Same body, same effort, different link to dementia risk depending on where and how the activity happens.

The takeaway: if your working years were physically tough, your retirement is the perfect time to start something new, purely for the joy of it, for your brain’s sake. Swipe through for what the science says on dementia risk. 🧠💛

15/09/2026

Could a paintbrush do more for your brain than you’d think? 🎨

A new Lancet review looks at Art Cure, a book making the case that creative activities - art, music, knitting, woodworking - genuinely support our health, beyond just mood.

The brain angle: the book’s author has separately shown that older adults who engaged more often with museums, galleries and the arts had lower rates of dementia over the following decade.

You don’t need talent for this to count. Just regular time spent making something.

Swipe through for what the science actually says ➡️

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http://oxfordlongevityproject.org/

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