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For the best life insurance rate quotes, save money by losing weight.

If you smoke, quit. If you drink too much, cut down your consumption or don’t drink at all.Get at least 30 minutes of exercise three times a week like the American Heart Association recommends. It’s not just good for your health—your insurance will cost less.

Smokers, for example, can pay up to three times the life insurance premiums nonsmokers do, and it isn’t enough to be enrolled in a smoking cessation program—you may have to prove you are not a smoker with a blood test. Even if you quit, it may take anywhere from one to five years before your insurance company considers you a non-smoker. Some life insurance companies may offer to reduce your rate once you have quit for some period of time, but this varies by individual company.

As for drinkers, consuming more than two drinks a day disqualifies you for the cheapest preferred rates—more than four and you disqualify for standard rates. Similarly, obese and overweight people fall into a high-risk category because a high BMI, cholesterol or blood pressure reduces life expectancy, according to Jim Toole, Managing Director of Life & Health at MBA Actuaries, Inc. in Winston-Salem, N.C.Whether you choose term life insurance, which typically has the cheapest beginning rates or whole life insurance, which has fixed rates, your rates will increase based on age, gender and lifestyle. Since you cannot get any younger or change genders, cut costs on your insurance with a healthier lifestyle.

To get the best insurance rate quotes, aim for a healthy BMI (body mass index), cholesterol levels and blood pressure—by maintaining a healthy weight. Your life insurance company may be interested to learn of any wellness, fitness or counseling programs you are enrolled in, but they will only give you lower insurance rates when they see the results.

This article was originally published at Life Quotes, Inc.

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