Quit bad habits: The bad habit that most commonly affects life insurance premiums is smoking, which can triple your rates. After just one year of quitting, you may be eligible for non-smoker rates. Additionally, giving up heavy alcohol consumption and other forms of substance abuse can result in lower premiums as well. 
 

Lose weight: Cutting back to a healthy weight and then maintaining it is one of the best ways to stay healthy. With a doctor’s note as proof of your achievements, you can often get lower rates because losing weight reduces your risk of many other related health issues. 
 

Manage your health: Health issues like high blood pressure or cholesterol, or being diagnosed with cancer, can cause your rates to skyrocket. Similarly, documented improvements that show that you manage your health and/or have gone into remission can reduce your rates. 
 

Tame your hobbies: Participating in skydiving, bungee jumping and other extreme activities significantly increase your risk of premature death, and therefore you may pay more for life insurance. Finding safer hobbies may, in turn, lower your rates. 
 

Work a safer job: People who work in the safety of a quiet office will pay less for life insurance than people with high-risk jobs, like a firefighter, police officer or construction worker.