The World's Most Biologically Measured Person's 42 Tips for A Longer, Healthier Life

Bryan Johnson is most famous for being the man on a mission not to die. He has invested millions of his own money, as an incredibly successful tech entrepreneur, into trialling, tracking and testing every angle of health imaginable. Think all kinds of diets, all kinds of workouts, biohacks including intense saunas and supplement routines, and at the more extreme end, blood plasma exchanges, daily doctor visits, Cerebrolysin injections and Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) injections. Most of which you will find detailed on his website if you care to delve deeper.

And yet, with all the resources in the world at his fingertips, from modern medicine to traditional health techniques, the most biologically measured person on the planet's recent list of 42 recommended health tips stopped me in my tracks. Not just for increasing lifespan, but healthspan. Namely because most of these points are not just simple: they are free. Which rather neatly underlines the key message we try to champion here at Grounded.

Scroll down for the full forty-two, split into key sections, alongside what some of our Guest Editors have to say about them.

Bryan Johnson's "This Is It: Everything I Learned Spending Millions on Longevity" List

1. Johnson says: Sleep is the world's most powerful drug. Be in your bed for 8 hours. Same bedtime every night, any time before midnight. Don't eat right before bed. Calm foods for dinner. No screens 1 hour before bed. Avoid bright lights after sunset. Sleep in a cold room. If you struggle to sleep, read a physical book before bed. 1 hour before bed have a calm wind down routine: bath, read, light walk, listen to music. The body is a clock and loves routine. Have a daily morning and evening schedule.

"Sleep is the most underrated aspect of health," Johnson said recently on CNN, and 11 of his 42 tips revolve around it. And yes, it is absolutely free. In one Grounded article on the resort dedicated to fixing your sleep, Watchapon Phupongphiphat writes: "Research continues to show how disrupted sleep affects almost every aspect of health: weakening the immune system, destabilising hormones and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression. It affects memory, emotional balance and metabolic function, and once it begins to decline, the cycle can be hard to interrupt."

"Blue light from phones and laptops suppresses melatonin and disrupts circadian rhythm," writes Jessica Sepel in her Night Reset article. "Beyond the light itself, constant scrolling keeps the mind alert and stimulated. I recommend creating a nightly 'digital sunset' at least an hour before bed. It's a simple practice that sends a strong message to your body: the day is done."

2. Johnson says: Avoid added sugar (be aware it's in everything). Avoid all things in an American convenience store. Avoid fried foods. Eat whole foods, particularly veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes and berries. Make an effort to drink water. Alcohol is bad for you. Finish coffee before noon.

Jess Kane's Do We Really Need to Detox? article is one of our most-read pieces every single month. Supporting Johnson's message of more whole foods and fewer packaged products, she writes: "Modern diets tend to be overloaded with refined vegetable oils, which are found in most packaged foods and restaurant cooking. These oils are not harmful because of the omega-6 fats themselves, but because of how processed and unstable they become. When they dominate the diet, they can crowd out other essential fats the body needs to stay in balance."

"Beyond digestion, fibre also plays a vital role in keeping energy levels stable, supporting immunity and maintaining focus, all of which often take a hit during busy periods filled with social events and late nights. It's about protecting your wellbeing from the inside out, so you can enjoy your life rather than just recover from it," Gabriela Peacock explains in her piece on the importance of fibre.

3. Johnson says: Get your heart rate high routinely. Lift heavy things. Stretch daily. Walk a little after meals or do air squats. Stand up straight. Avoid sitting for long periods.

Earlier this year, Ali Malik made a strong case for why strength training is the most underrated longevity tool we have. "Muscle is not just about shape or aesthetics. It functions almost like an organ, directly influencing metabolism, posture, hormones, mood and your ability to move well. And while the wellness industry keeps chasing new trends, strength training remains the most overlooked anti-ageing tool we have," he writes.

Completmenting this, Craig McHugh has authored a whole piece on the importance of stretching, listing a long list of benefits. A key one: "Tight muscles restrict joints; restricted joints create compensation, and compensation often leads to pain. Assisted stretching breaks this cycle by increasing joint mobility and reducing stiffness."

4. Johnson says: Water pik, floss, brush, tongue scrape, morning and night. Go to the dentist.

The link between oral health and overall wellbeing is drastically under-discussed. Dr Kev Patel broke it down in his article Why Your Gum Health Matters More Than You Think. "For years, gum health has been treated as a dental concern rather than a whole-body one. But emerging research, alongside what I see every day in clinic, tells a different story. The gums can offer early clues about inflammation, systemic stress and even cardiovascular risk. And yet, this connection rarely makes it into mainstream wellness conversations."

5. Johnson says: Get sunlight when you wake up (UV is low). Protect skin in midday sun.

The conversation around sun exposure and its impact on our skin is one of the most heavily debated topics in the industry right now, and we are actively compiling pieces from key Guest Editors to break it down properly. To quote Johnson for now: "get sunlight early in the mornings and later in the afternoons and avoid direct sun exposure when the UV index is high (10am to 4pm)."

6. Johnson says: See at least one friend once a week.

Self-care has long felt like a solitary pursuit: face masks, meditation, long baths, walks alone. And yet it has arguably made us feel more isolated, not less. As Leah Groom writes in her piece on the rise of saunas as a space for connection: "No amount of online engagement can hide it: we're facing a crisis of connection. One in four UK adults report they feel lonely always, often, or some of the time, and Spotify's Culture Next report found Gen Z respondents, the first generation to grow up chronically online, are craving real connection more than ever." Go and see that friend. Or set out to make one.

7. Johnson says: Shoes off at the door. Circulate air in rooms. Avoid plastic where you can.

"In wellness, we tend to focus on what we eat, how we move, and which supplements we take. But the truth is, you can't green smoothie your way out of a toxic home. And you certainly can't heal in the same environment that made you sick. I learned this the hard way," writes Camilla Thompson in her How to Health Hack Your Home feature. "Toxic load is the cumulative burden your body carries from exposure to synthetic chemicals, mould, EMFs, poor air and water quality, and even psychological stress," she adds, with air quality, dust and synthetic build-up all playing a role.

8. Johnson says: Protect your hearing: the world is too loud.

Hands up: hearing is one area of health I have never paid much attention to. Consider this a sign to change that. A hearing health piece is coming to the site very soon.

9. Johnson says: When stressed, breathe. Learn to calm your body.

"I thought I was managing stress well, but the truth is I had no idea I was stuck in it. My body had been living in fight or flight for years. Constantly overthinking, my heart always racing, the need to control everything. I realised it wasn't my personality; it was nervous system dysregulation. Breathwork gave me a way to reset from the inside. It didn't just slow me down, it regulated me. My body softened, my mind stopped spinning, I began to feel grounded," writes Sarah Hyde in her personal piece How I Transformed My Life With Breathwork. Proof that a simple technique can have profound consequences.

10. Johnson says: If obese, look into a GLP.

The GLP conversation is especially loud right now and one we are actively exploring here at Grounded. Watch this space.

11. Johnson says: Turn off all notifications. Limit social media use. Texting while driving is dangerous.

The last point may be rather obvious. But as someone who has turned off all notifications apart from texts and WhatsApp, I can personally attest to the importance of the first. As Hector Hughes writes: "Society always evolves, but the rapid rise and dependency on social media, short-form content and AI in recent years has been steering humanity in the wrong direction." Time to cut down on the noise.

12. Johnson says: Don't smoke anything.

Self-explanatory, though we will absolutely explore it further if you would like us to.

13. Johnson says: Baby steps first: incorporate new things slowly. Do less. Most things don't work.

More does not always equal better, especially when it comes to health. Arnaud Touret makes this point compellingly in his piece Why Your Supplement Stack Might Be Working Against You. "There is a drawer most of us know. Half-finished bottles. Pills no one is sure they are still meant to be taking. Powders that promised something specific and never quite delivered. A tracker on the bedside table reminding you, again, that you did not sleep particularly well. At some point, wellness became something to manage, when all anyone really wanted was to feel better, more often, with less to think about."

14. Johnson says: Avoid long-distance travel where you can.

As someone who loves to travel and takes every opportunity to do so, this one stings. I will be exploring the good, the bad and the ugly of long-distance travel later this month. Although, considering the joy, freedom and perspective it brings, I am not sure anything will convince me to give it up entirely. We are not all as dedicated as Johnson, after all.