An elite nutrition coach for Olympians and CrossFitters shares 3 simple things he prioritizes to boost his longevity

• Mike Molloy is a nutrition coach to athletes and regular folk alike.
• Longevity is a buzzy topic, but he has always had his long-term health in mind.

Mike Molloy is a nutrition coach to elite athletes and regular folk alike.

Whether working with Olympians and professional CrossFitters or everyday people who just want to get fitter, stronger, or slimmer, Molloy's coaching is all about striking a healthy balance with longevity in mind, rather than taking extreme, unsustainable measures.

And this is the same approach that Molloy takes in his own life.

While public interest in longevity has boomed in recent years, with Business Insider seeing more and more hunger for information on the topic, Molloy has always had his long-term health in mind.

He shared his health and longevity staples with BI.

1. Sleep

Molloy said his biggest non-negotiable is sleep.

"Sleep is the base of the pyramid of health and fitness," he said. "Everything you want to do in life is better or more optimal on an appropriate amount — seven-plus hours — of sleep per night."

Molloy cited research that linked sleep deprivation to increased appetite. "Your desire for those hyper-palatable, ultra-processed foods just goes through the roof," he said.

2. Strength training

Molloy said he makes it a priority to strength train a minimum of four times a week.

"The most important thing is being strong in some capacity and everyone's definition of strength is relative to themselves and their own situation, but I just think life is a lot easier and better and more enjoyable with a good bit of strength," he said.

Not only does being stronger make life easier, but strength training also improves bone density, which reduces the risk of bone fractures as one ages.

Research suggests that combining weight lifting and cardio helps you live longer, as BI previously reported.

3. A like-minded community

Molloy's third staple is, he said, an often overlooked aspect of health and fitness.

"It's just surrounding myself with people that are also of that same mindset, that health is an important aspect to them," he said. "If you're surrounding yourself with people that are making a lot of unhealthy choices on a day-to-day basis, it becomes very difficult to want to maintain your own independence and live the life that you are interested in living."

Socializing with people with similar values reinforces Molloy's own healthy behaviors, he said.

Having strong social connections is well-established as an important factor in longevity, and if your friends and family also encourage you to live a healthy life, all the better.