Longevity Exercises: Crafting Your Fitness Routine for a Longer, Healthier Life

Reviewing the Life Extension of Physical Activities

At this point, we've reviewed the basic categories of exercise, including aerobic exercise, High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT), walking, and Strength Training (ST), so let's go over an optimal weekly exercise plan for extending longevity and a healthy lifespan.

First, let's see how the various categories of exercise compare for extending life, using an example case of a 40-year-old man:

Hmm. Well, it looks like roughly a tie at ten extra years of life between walking and HIIT and a distant runner-up for Strength Training at a little under two additional years. Of course, other factors might give you a preference for one physical activity category over another. Let's go into the details of each of them to see what the optimal longevity workout would be.

Walking

By walking, I'm talking about the low-intensity physical activities you could do during your day. Walking is the most common example, and other examples include household chores, like cleaning, cooking, and gardening, or casual activities like a leisurely bike ride or playing in the water.

We already know that walking is good for reducing blood pressure, preventing strokes, and losing weight, but let's quantify how it helps longevity specifically. The benefits of walking are most significant for the first couple of thousands of steps, with diminishing benefits the longer you walk. Here's the ten-year benefit for walking broken down into the number of steps:

As you can see, about 70% of the ten-year longevity benefit is from the first 8,000 steps, with the additional 4,000 steps only giving an additional three years of lifespan. Although the chart only shows the longevity benefit of walking up to 12,000 steps per day, studies show that the apparent benefit from walking continues to increase at a low rate well beyond 12,000 steps. This is because Low-intensity Physical Activities are gentle enough that they don't wear out the body, and continuing them throughout your day provides an increased lifespan.

While the easiest from an effort perspective, walking is by far the most time-consuming of the physical activity categories. Walking 12,000 steps a day will take about 2-hours of time, which may be a challenge to incorporate into a daily schedule.

High-intensity Interval Training

HIIT is a critical component of aerobic fitness. We've seen before that HIIT improves lung and heart capacity and increases capillary density and mitochondria. By doing active rest intervals, such as jogging in between all-out runs, HIIT can provide the benefits associated with standard aerobic exercise plus the benefits from the high-intensity effort.

Here's the breakdown of the longevity benefits of continuous aerobic exercise and additional help from HIIT:

Over 75% of the longevity benefit from aerobic and HIIT activity is from the HIIT portion. Since they both can be trained effectively in the same workout, they provide a high return for doing HIIT for half an hour a week. The trade-off is that it's important to do it every week since just a few weeks off can cause a significant loss of fitness.

Strength Training

In addition to extending life, ST helps lower diabetes risk, reduces blood pressure, builds strong bones, and builds muscle and strength. From a longevity perspective, ST doesn't provide as much extension of life as HIIT but is comparable with just aerobic exercise and takes much less time than walking.

Best Exercise for Time Spent

While all categories of physical activity provide benefits, this blog is about quantification and prioritization. Let's look at which physical activity gives the most life bonus time for the least activity time.

At a minimum, I would want at least twice as much time back in extra life as I put into physical activity, and as you can see from the chart, all the physical activities meet that standard. HIIT, which includes the benefits of aerobic exercise, is the faraway winner. If continued, 20 minutes of HIIT per week can add over ten years of life, which works out to almost two days of additional life per 20-minute weekly workout. Unfortunately, the benefit from HIIT seems capped, so doing more than one workout per week doesn't add extra longevity, although other benefits may increase.

Even aerobics without HIIT intervals returns almost fifteen hours of extended life per 20-minute workout.

Next up is Strength Training, with a return of ten times as much time as put in, assuming you keep your total weekly workout time to about fifty minutes. Well worth the effort, but if longevity is your primary goal, be careful not to get carried away. After an hour of total weekly time, the longevity benefits begin to reduce, and if you're spending over two and a half hours a week on ST, then you'll live no longer than if you had never started.

Last is walking; although it has the lowest return factor, it has the benefit of being unlimited in benefit. Increasing daily steps to 6,000 over the typical 4-5,000 steps a sedentary person does gives a time return of about eight times the time spent walking. Additional steps past 6,000 steps add more life, but less than the first 6,000. At 12,000 steps, the increased life span is a little over double the time spent, and it seems this benefit continues past 12,000 steps, as well.

Getting Started

For any physical activity, it's best to start slowly. When the target is a long life, assume you'll have time to work into the exercises gradually you feel give the most benefit. For example, if you want to do HIIT, start with a jog or some other aerobic exercise for several weeks before beginning with the high-intensity portion to triple the gains. Likewise, starting easy and building for ST or walking is an excellent way to establish healthy habits for a long life.

FAQs

1. What are longevity exercises, and how do they contribute to a healthier lifespan?

Longevity exercises are physical activities specifically designed to enhance overall health and extend one's lifespan. They include aerobic exercises, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), walking, and strength training. These exercises promote cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, bone density, and overall well-being, ultimately increasing the chances of living a longer, healthier life.

2. What is the impact of different longevity exercise categories on lifespan extension?

Various longevity exercises yield varying degrees of lifespan extension. For instance, walking and HIIT offer about ten extra years of life, with strength training contributing to around two additional years. Each category has its unique benefits, catering to different preferences and fitness levels.

3. How does walking contribute to longevity?

Walking, including low-intensity activities like household chores, offers notable longevity benefits. The first 8,000 steps provide around 70% of the ten-year lifespan benefit¹, with additional steps continuing to increase life expectancy. Incorporating walking into daily routines can have a substantial impact on overall health and longevity.

4. How does High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) compare to other exercise categories in terms of lifespan extension?

HIIT is a standout exercise category for extending longevity. By combining aerobic fitness and high-intensity effort, it offers over 75% of the longevity benefits associated with both activities. Just 20 minutes of HIIT per week can potentially add over ten years to one's life, making it a highly efficient option.

5. What are the benefits of Strength Training (ST) for extending life?

Strength Training not only promotes muscle and bone health but also contributes to lower diabetes risk² and reduced blood pressure. While it may not provide as much lifespan extension as HIIT, ST offers comparable benefits to continuous aerobic exercise while requiring less time investment.

6. How can I optimize my exercise routine for maximum longevity gains?

To optimize longevity gains, consider the time return for physical activity. HIIT stands out as the most time-efficient option, with just 20 minutes per week potentially adding over ten years to life. Strength training provides significant returns for a moderate weekly time investment. It's crucial to strike a balance between workout intensity and duration to achieve optimal results.

7. Can I combine different exercise categories for a comprehensive longevity workout?

Yes, combining exercise categories can offer a comprehensive approach to longevity. For instance, incorporating walking into daily routines, adding occasional HIIT sessions, and engaging in strength training provides a holistic exercise regimen that addresses various aspects of health and extends lifespan.

8. How should beginners approach longevity exercises to avoid overexertion?
Beginners should start slowly and gradually build a routine for longevity exercises. For example, if planning to engage in HIIT, begin with aerobic exercises for several weeks before incorporating high-intensity intervals. Ease into strength training and walking as well to establish healthy habits and minimize the risk of overexertion.

9. Is it necessary to follow a specific exercise category exclusively for longevity benefits?

No, there's flexibility in incorporating different longevity exercises to achieve longevity benefits. The key is to find a balanced routine that aligns with your preferences and goals. A combination of walking, HIIT, and strength training can create a well-rounded approach to longevity-enhancing exercises.

10. Can I continue to increase my exercise intensity and duration beyond a certain point for more longevity gains?

While certain longevity exercises offer increasing benefits up to a point, exceeding that point may not significantly enhance longevity gains. For instance, with HIIT, the benefits seem to plateau after a certain level of intensity and frequency. It's important to strike a balance between exercise intensity, duration, and recovery to achieve sustainable and optimal results.

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1. ^{Walking 8K steps once a week can reduce risk of early death, says study. Here's how you can slowly make it a habit}

2. ^{Strength Training and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease}