Blue Zones Vitality Compass Longevity Calculator Review

This life expectancy test is quick and easy

Of all the longevity calculators out there, our tester who took the Blue Zones Vitality Compass says it's by far his favorite. The mostly multiple-choice test takes just three minutes to complete, and the design makes it really easy to use. Other longevity calculators predict my friend's life expectancy as 84; the Vitality Compass predicts 96.2.

Older women running outdoors
Paul Bradbury / Caiaimage / Getty Images

Description

  • A three-minute longevity test that uses data gathered from the world's longest-living people
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Vitality Coach programs help you make major lifestyle changes

Pros

  • Results give your biological age, life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and accrued years
  • Based on research of the world's longest-lived people

Cons

  • Must give an e-mail address to use the longevity calculator 

Review

The Blue Zones Vitality Compass is based on research conducted by Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow, and New York Times bestselling author. The Vitality Compass longevity calculator uses data collected from the world's longest-lived people in Blue Zones. Blue Zones are the five places in the world where people live the longest and are the happiest and healthiest:

  • The Italian island of Sardinia
  • Okinawa, Japan
  • Loma Linda, California
  • The Nicoya Peninsula, an isolated part of Costa Rica
  • Ikaria, an isolated Greek island

The longevity calculator takes a number of factors into consideration, including your height, weight, diet, physical activity, emotions and sleeping habits, among others. The Vitality Compass then calculates your biological age, life expectancy, the number of years you can expect to live healthily and the number of years you've accrued. That is, the number of years you've added to your life due to your habits.

Our tester who used Vitality Compass got a life expectancy of 96.2 and a healthy life expectancy of 88.3, compared to the Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator that gave him a life expectancy of 84 years. The Vitality Compass is by far his favorite longevity calculator because it's quick to take, easy to use, and it provides informative results.

Blue Zones also offers free, 6-week-long Vitality Coach programs. These programs aren't very in-depth, but they do offer some great suggestions that can help add years to your life. Programs include incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet and creating an exercise routine.Managing stress and getting more sleep also contribute to a longer lifespan. 

And yes, these programs are actually free. All you have to do is take the Vitality Compass test. You do have you give your email in order to take the test in the first place, although you can opt-out of emails. If you don't mind sharing your email, we highly recommend trying this longevity calculator because it's quick and easy to complete, and the Vitality Coach programs are completely free and might give you some helpful information.

5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: lessons from the world's longest livedAm J Lifestyle Med. 2016;10(5):318‐321. doi:10.1177/1559827616637066

  2. Pem D, Jeewon R. Fruit and vegetable intake: benefits and progress of nutrition education interventions- narrative review article. Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(10):1309-1321. PMID:  26576343

  3. Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW. Health benefits of exercise. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(7):a029694. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029694

  4. Epel ES, Lithgow GJ. Stress biology and aging mechanisms: toward understanding the deep connection between adaptation to stress and longevity. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2014;69 (Suppl 1):S10-S16. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glu055

  5. Mazzotti DR, Guindalini C, Moraes WA dos S, et al. Human longevity is associated with regular sleep patterns, maintenance of slow wave sleep, and favorable lipid profile. Front Aging Neurosci. 2014;0. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00134

By Mark Stibich, PhD
Mark Stibich, PhD, FIDSA, is a behavior change expert with experience helping individuals make lasting lifestyle improvements.