Today, I am going to show you how to change your lifestyle to live longer and healthier, body, mind and soul, inspired by the “longevity secrets” of the Nordic people.

By adopting new habits and implementing fundamental yet simple changes in your diet, movement, and mindset today, you can improve your life in the future, when you need it more.

Living a healthier and longer life is not a matter of fixing what’s broken when it breaks. It’s about preventing entropy from taking over and downgrading your body, mind, and soul.

Entropy is a fundamental concept in physics, but it applies to all things in life and explains why they wear out over time.

In the context of health, the body experiences wear and tear. Cells break down, systems become less efficient, and recovery slows down. The body’s ordered systems become more disorganised, and diseases may emerge (as a result of increased entropy).

Our bodies constantly fight back to maintain balance despite entropy pushing towards disorder. Although it’s a natural force, taking action and changing your lifestyle help counteract its effects.

And this is what people in the Nordic countries seem to do well.

The Nordic people consistently rank high in terms of happiness and health on a global level. Most people believe it’s about genetics or a superior healthcare system.

Although they both can affect the health and well-being of the general population, they are not the reason why the Nordic approach to longevity works exceptionally well.

It’s a cultural issue that integrates simplicity, moderation, and nature as the foundations of everyday life.

The Nordic approach is worth exploring because of its universality and simplicity. It’s a refreshing alternative to a lifestyle defined by fast food, unhealthy habits, and high stress.

By adopting the Nordic principles at home, you can cultivate a more healthful, balanced life.

The 3 Nordic Longevity Secrets

So, what lies behind the remarkable Nordic longevity?

It’s a holistic approach that blends the following three things:

• a nutrient-rich diet

• balanced physical activity

• a resilient mindset

These three elements are essential for building good habits and making positive changes to help you live longer and healthier.

You can’t remove one of them because then the equation collapses. You need to work on all three aspects to achieve a breakthrough and a longer, healthier life.

Improving your diet without moving more and fixing your mindset won’t cut it. More movement without a healthier diet and a more resilient mindset may help you lose some weight, but not achieve more long-term health and well-being benefits. Even if you eat healthy and exercise, your mindset plays a crucial role in making you healthier and more contented overall.

It’s common knowledge that Nordic people move a lot and are highly active. However, there’s a paradox with their diet. Although they eat healthy, they also consume a lot of ultra-processed food. Countries like Norway and Sweden rank high in relevant global indices.

Most people fail to understand that moderation and consistency matter. While the Nordics may consume a lot of candies, soft drinks, processed food from the supermarket, and potato products, the overall trend leans towards healthier food choices. They also exercise a lot, outweighing the negative consequences of unhealthy food to a great extent.

Binary thinking is never the solution to a problem. It’s not about eating junk food every day or avoiding it altogether. There’s a whole range of possibilities in between. If you can’t eliminate it permanently, the secret is to minimise its consumption (less junk food consumed less often) while doubling down on healthy habits, like exercise. This is more or less one of the secrets of Nordic longevity.

Let’s briefly examine its three pillars: diet, movement, and mindset.

The Nordic Diet – A Cornerstone of Longevity

If you travel to the Nordics, you will quickly realise that rye bread is a must. Indeed, one of the elements of the Nordic diet is the local, whole foods. They prefer whole grains (rye, oats, barley) and eat many nutrient-dense seasonal vegetables and antioxidant-rich berries (like blueberries and lingonberries). The latter are also a must.

Nordic people also eat a lot of fatty fish (like salmon, mackerel, and herring) and other protein sources that are naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, supporting cardiovascular and brain health.

Lastly, fermented foods are also very popular. But they also bear great health benefits because they aid digestion and bolster the immune system. You must have heard of the Icelandic yoghurt, skyr, cured salmon (gravlax in Swedish) and the notoriously famous fermented herring, surströmming, from Sweden.

Movement – Embracing a Life of Activity

Gyms are popular in the Nordics, but everyday movement is essential. People walk a lot and cycle to work or when they go out (especially in flat regions like most of Denmark, Finland, and Sweden). Structured gym routines are good, but ordinary movement is about consistency.

Another noticeable mindset element regarding physical activity in the Nordics is moderation. They prefer to stay active throughout life (even when they get older) rather than engage in high-impact bursts. Again, it’s about consistency.

Lastly, nature plays a key role, too. Physical activity is closely connected with the outdoors despite the mostly adverse weather conditions. The concept of friluftsliv (open-air life, if we could translate the word) is about time spent outdoors in nature paired with physical activity, be it walking, running, skiing, or simply wandering in the natural landscape.

Mindset – The Nordic Philosophy for Well-Being

We’ve already mentioned moderation concerning physical activity. However, moderation and balance are deeply ingrained into the Nordic people’s DNA. The Swedish concept of lagom is about “not too little, not too much, just the right amount” and focuses on balance in work, rest, and play, thus reducing stress and fostering longevity.

Another core element of the Nordic mindset for well-being is simplicity and mindfulness. Nordic people have a more grounded outlook on life. They tend to be more present when they do something (alone or with others) and appreciate nature’s rhythm (see Slow Living). The Danish concept of hygge, often mistakenly thought of as simply drinking coffee or wine with friends near the fireplace or surrounded by candles, is more about being grounded in the moment, with your loved ones (or even with your own thoughts, when alone).

As you probably noticed, good things in life (according to the Nordic lifestyle and culture) are usually shared with other people. Despite the popular concept of “Nordic loneliness”, strong social ties are a must. Togetherness is the glue that binds everything else together. Skiing in the mountains with friends, enjoying the Easter holidays with your family in the cabin in the Norwegian woods, dining together with hygge or the Faroese concept of heim (home in Faroese) are all examples of social cohesion that fosters a healthy mindset focused on togetherness and a deep sense of belonging.

5 Ways to Integrate the Nordic Longevity Secrets Into Your Daily Life

If you already feel hyped, here are a few actionable insights and tips on integrating the Nordic approach to longevity into your daily life for lasting benefits.

1. Eat like a Nordic. Add more whole foods, fatty fish, seasonal veggies, and berries to your weekly meal plans.
2. Move naturally. Opt out of driving as much as possible and choose walking or biking.
3. Reconnect with nature. Embrace the friluftsliv lifestyle and spend as much time as possible in nature. Even a short nature walk can make a difference if done consistently.
4. Balance your daily life. Find the beauty in moderation, reduce excess, and enjoy what is (usually) just enough.
5. Strengthen social ties. Connect with more people and foster deeper relationships with those you already know. Togetherness can be something as simple as cooking and sharing a meal with a friend (instead of ordering food online and eating alone) or as big as engaging with your local community around shared projects.

Instead of waiting until things break down, unlock the secrets of Nordic longevity to fight entropy head-on with simple yet transformative habits and reclaim your health, body, and soul.

Embrace a nutrient-rich diet, consistent natural movement, and a resilient, balanced mindset that mirrors the Nordic way.

This isn’t about perfection—it’s about making honest, small changes today that compound into a longer, healthier, and more vibrant life tomorrow.