The Exercise “Drug”
Written by Jon Bula: Masters Athlete, Cat 2 Cyclist, MSc in Exercise Physiology
“Exercise might be the most potent “drug” we have for extending the quality and perhaps quantity of our years of life” – Peter Attia MD
I love this statement and all that it speaks to. The human body is meant to move and when we do we remain healthy, but when we stop moving our bodies can quickly fall apart. Like most “drugs” there is a minimum dosage required for it to have an impact.
We mostly all want to live longer and healthier lives. This is evident when you look at all the marketing around things that make you look and feel younger. Take this supplement, do this meditation technique, take this pharmaceutical etc. You can cold plunge until you are blue in the face, infrared sauna until your skin melts, none of this matters however if you aren’t taking your minimum dosage of the exercise “drug”.
I like to think of exercise as the power switch that activates the circuit board for your health. If you don’t turn on the power you can’t adjust any of the other dials that fine tune things for you. You have to move first and then everything else will follow.
How big does the exercise dose need to be? I’m going to recommend what you should consider striving to achieve on a weekly basis.
- 3 to 4 hours of lower intensity (Zone 2) aerobic exercise – walk, jog, bike, hike, golf (walking not power cart), yard work
- 2 x 20 minutes of higher intensity (Zone 5) anaerobic exercise
- 2 strength training sessions – lifting weights, some mobility exercises, and some balance/stability exercises – 30-60 minutes each
This is the volume of exercise that needs to be done for the exercise ‘drug’ to have a real and meaningful impact on your health and longevity.. Now some weeks may differ and if you need to sacrifice something on any given week I would suggest the higher intensity (Zone 5) be the first to go. But if you don’t use it, you will lose it, so don’t make skipping the harder work a habit.
311 ‒ Longevity 101: a foundational guide to Peter’s frameworks for longevity