We're living longer than ever before. Just a century ago, the average life expectancy worldwide was 32 years. Today, in some countries it exceeds 80. But the big question is: how many of those years are we actually living with health, energy, and independence?
It's not enough to simply extend our lives. The real goal is to add quality years, without chronic illness, pain, or limitations. This is called healthspan, and it represents the most valuable component of full longevity. To achieve this, we must take care of four fundamental pillars: exercise, nutrition, sleep, and mental health. Today we'll talk about the first, perhaps the one with the greatest impact on an individual level: exercise.
Doctors specializing in longevity agree that exercise is the most powerful tool for improving both the number of years lived and the quality of those years. And science backs this up. Going from zero to just 90 minutes of moderate exercise per week can reduce the risk of death from any cause by up to 14%. Physical activity delays the physical, cognitive, and emotional decline associated with aging. It improves cardiovascular function, strengthens muscles, protects the brain, stabilizes mood, and allows you to maintain independence for longer. But it's not just about "moving more"; it's about training with purpose and strategy.
When we talk about exercise focused on longevity, it's not about choosing between cardio or strength as if they were opposites. Both are essential and complement each other. The key is to combine different types of training to maintain and strengthen the multiple capacities the body needs over time. Because living longer isn't much use if you lose independence, mental clarity, or the ability to enjoy what you love.
A well-structured routine includes three types of exercise with distinct and complementary benefits. The first is moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (which can be sustained without becoming breathless, but which requires effort), for example, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or jogging at a steady pace for 30 to 40 minutes. Performing this exercise for 150 to 200 minutes a week helps stabilize glucose levels, improves insulin sensitivity, and strengthens the cardiovascular and metabolic systems.
The second component is high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. This alternates brief periods of maximum effort with active breaks. It's ideal for those short on time, as short sessions of 15 to 20 minutes, twice a week, improve cardiovascular fitness, speed up metabolism, and effectively regulate insulin.
Finally, strength training is essential. It's not about increasing muscle size, but rather about maintaining functional muscles that allow you to move with agility, maintain balance, and perform everyday tasks without difficulty. Strength protects against falls, fractures, and surgical complications, and is key to maintaining independence in adulthood. Studies have shown that older adults with poor muscle strength have up to twice the risk of dying compared to those who maintain good functional capacity. Even in people with conditions such as hypertension or metabolic syndrome, maintaining strength helps significantly reduce the risk of complications. The best part is that you don't need sophisticated equipment or spending hours at the gym. You can lift weights twice a week, do five minutes of squats daily, perform planks, lunges, or wall push-ups, use resistance bands while watching your favorite series, or simply take an active break every hour with ten repetitions of an exercise in front of the computer. The important thing is to integrate movement with intention into your daily routine.
Thinking about this gives clarity: we don't train to perform better in the gym, but to continue living the way we want, with autonomy and dignity.
Furthermore, exercise offers measurable benefits. One of the most robust markers of longevity is VO₂ max (the maximum volume of oxygen the body can utilize during intense exercise), which assesses cardiorespiratory fitness. It is one of the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality. People with low VO₂ max are up to four times more likely to die compared to those with high levels. And best of all, this capacity can be trained and improved with consistent cardiovascular activity.
Exercise also acts like a medicine, benefiting the body on multiple fronts. It stimulates the production of substances in the muscles that strengthen the immune system, protect the brain, improve mitochondrial function, and optimize fat and sugar metabolism. All of this translates into a body that functions better, for longer, with fewer limitations.
A little-discussed fact is that, starting at age 65, muscle mass and physical activity decline rapidly, and this decline becomes even more pronounced after age 75. This is one of the reasons why so many older people lose mobility, become sedentary, and face rapid physical and mental decline. However, this is not inevitable. With a routine appropriate to each lifestyle, age, and condition, combining cardiovascular, strength, and balance exercises, it is possible to maintain a high level of functionality even in old age.
Conclusions
True longevity isn't a promise of living forever, but the ability to live fully for longer. Exercise is the most effective tool to achieve this. It doesn't require a prescription, but it does require commitment, consistency, and a clear vision of what we want for our future. No matter your age or current fitness level, what you do today will make a difference in how you'll live 10, 20, or 30 years from now.
Longevity isn't expected. It's designed. And it's built in motion.
Written by Dr. María José Pardinas Llergo, based on research and content published by Dr. Peter Attia and Dr. Andrew Huberman.
References:
Attia, P., & Gifford, B. (2023). Outlive: The science and art of longevity. Bloomburg.
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