A letter of evidence-based enthusiasm from Sir Muir Gray
Dear Friends,
Following our remarkable gathering at Rhodes House for the third annual Smart Ageing Summit, I wanted to personally reach out to share something that has become increasingly clear to me through decades of work in public health and ageing research: the power lies not merely in understanding the science of longevity, but in translating that knowledge into practical, personalised action.
The energy and enthusiasm I witnessed at our recent summit—where we explored the fascinating connections between mental health, mindset, and healthy longevity—reinforced my conviction that we stand at a pivotal moment. We have more scientific understanding about healthy ageing than ever before, yet too many people remain uncertain about how to apply this knowledge to their own lives.
This is why I am delighted to introduce the Live Longer Better Plan, a comprehensive framework designed to bridge the gap between longevity science and individual action. This isn't another generic wellness programme; it's an evidence-based approach that recognises each person's unique circumstances, health status, and life goals.
The Live Longer Better Plan focuses on four fundamental pillars that my research has consistently shown to be crucial for healthy longevity (once people understand that ageing is a normal biological process and not a cause of major problems until the later nineties):
Regaining and Improving Fitness: Not just Strength, but the comprehensive fitness that includes Suppleness, Skill and Stamina (cardiovascular fitness). We'll help you understand where you are now and provide clear pathways forward.
Reducing Disease Risk: Through targeted interventions based on your personal risk profile, family history, and current health markers. Prevention remains our most powerful tool, but it must be personalised to be effective.
Fighting Back Against Illness: When health challenges arise—as they inevitably do—having the right strategies, support systems, and mindset complements and supplements clinical care and improves outcomes.
Taking action: By yourself and with others, taking action ensures you'll adapt better to or change for the better, the environment in which you live
Starting this month, we will be providing examples of actions that can be taken to live longer better through this newsletter series. Each monthly instalment will focus on specific, actionable elements of the Live Longer Better Plan.
What excites me most about this approach is its foundation in something I call "evidence-based optimism." We acknowledge the realities of the normal biological process of ageing while focusing intensely on what remains within our control. The science is clear: significant improvements in healthspan are possible at any age, but only when we move from passive hope to active, informed engagement with our own health.
The sold-out summit at Rhodes House demonstrated the hunger for practical, science-backed approaches to ageing well and living not just longer but better for longer. Now, through this monthly series, we can extend that conversation beyond a single event to become a sustained journey of discovery and implementation.
I encourage you to mark your calendars for the 7th of each month. Together, we'll build not just longer lives, but genuinely better ones—lives filled with vitality, purpose, and the confidence that comes from taking informed action.
Our future is not a destination waiting for our arrival; it's something we plan and build. Let's create it together.
With evidence-based optimism,
Sir Muir Gray
