Strength is more important than muscle mass. Muscle mass is a good proxy for strength, but if you just focus on strength, that's the metric that matters. It's about a three-fold reduction in all-cause mortality when you compare high strength to low strength. It's not like how much you can squat and deadlift. It's like grip strength, dead hang, how long can you do an air squat.
You know, like, what's your quad strength? How quickly can you do five reps up and down from a chair? I mean, it's relatively simple stuff.
Dr. Peter Attia has performed hundreds, if not thousands, of peer-reviewed research on the best exercises for longevity. And in this video, I'm going to share the only six exercises you need to focus on if you actually want to live longer than 99% of people. The exercise on our first list is Farmer's Carry. The Farmer's Carry is a deceptively simple, yet... highly effective exercise that works your entire body.
This exercise is one of the best strength training exercises out there because it trains real-world functional strength that is actually crucial for daily activities. There's a 2017 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that proves that farmer carry builds grip and core strength, which are key predictors of overall health and longevity. Your grip strength activates your forearms and hands, which is essential for tasks like carrying groceries, luggage, or other heavy objects.
Tasks that always become a big problem as you age. While your core stabilizes your body's entire movement, it also enhances balance and posture, reducing the risk of falls and injuries by engaging your shoulders, traps, and upper back. Additionally, it promotes cardiovascular health by elevating your heart rate during the walk.
This simple yet... Powerful exercise ensures your body stays functional and resilient throughout your entire life. Farmer carries are extremely simple, and you can start doing it now by choosing a weight you can carry comfortably but still find challenging. The weight doesn't necessarily have to be dumbbells or kettlebells. You can use any heavy household items that you can safely carry around.
One, stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grip a weight in each hand. letting your arms hang naturally by your sides. Two, engage your core, roll your shoulders back, and maintain a straight posture. Three, walk forward, taking deliberate, controlled steps in a straight line for 20 to 30 seconds.
Rest briefly and repeat for three to five rounds, three to four times a week. Longevity exercise number two is dead hangs. The ultimate longevity exercise with its benefits extending far beyond just building muscle.
Dead hangs have been recommended by thousands of longevity experts because they improve grip strength, which is directly linked to a reduced risk of falls and injuries. Studies have also shown that individuals with greater grip strength tend to live longer and have a lower risk of chronic diseases. They also enhance shoulder mobility by stretching and strengthening the surrounding muscles and ligaments.
For many back pain issues, regular practice can help alleviate it completely. by gently decompressing the spine. This simple exercise is a powerful tool for maintaining your independence and functional strength as you age.
You can effortlessly start doing dead hangs by finding any sturdy bar in your home if you want to work out at home. Otherwise, the gym is a guaranteed place to find a strong bar. One, grip it with both hands, palms facing forward.
Two, relax your body completely, allowing your arms to fully extend. while your feet lift off the ground. Three, keep your shoulders engaged but not shrugged. Hold this position for as long as you can, aiming for 20 to 60 seconds.
As you gain strength, gradually increase the duration of your hangs. An even better exercise is hip bridges, a foundational exercise that targets key muscles in your lower body and core, making them vital for longevity. It drastically improves your posture by strengthening the glutes and lower back.
Hip bridges help stabilize your pelvis, reducing strain on your spine, leading to a reduction or complete elimination of chronic back pain. Another amazingly unexpected benefit of doing hip bridges is that because it mimics real-life waist movements like standing up, climbing stairs, or lifting objects, it makes your everyday activities easier without any pain. Now here's how to perform hip bridges correctly. 1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
About hip width apart. Position your arms by your sides with palms facing down. Two, press through your heels and engage your glutes to lift your hips toward the ceiling. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees at the top of the movement.
Three, at the top, pause for a second and squeeze your glutes tightly. 4. Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement. 5. Perform 10 to 15 reps, increasing as you build strength. Longevity exercise number 4. Step-ups. Step-ups strengthen your lower body, like the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, the muscles responsible for movements like walking and climbing stairs.
This exercise reduces the risk of injuries or death from falls, improves mobility, and enhances the ability to perform daily tasks like walking, stair climbing, or navigating uneven terrain. Here's a simple guide on how to do it. 1. Stand in front of a sturdy bench, step, or elevated surface that is about knee height. 2. Step your right foot onto the surface, pressing through your heel to lift your body up. Bring your left foot up so you're standing fully upright on the surface.
Aim for 10 to 15 repetitions per leg. Now listen. Keep your torso upright and core engaged throughout the movement.
Avoid using momentum. Focus on controlled, deliberate movements. If needed, start with a lower surface and gradually increase height as you build strength. Next is planks.
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for building core strength and stability. Your core isn't just your abs, it includes the muscles around your abdomen, back, and pelvis. A strong core is essential for supporting your spine, which helps reduce the risk of lower back pain, a common issue for seniors. What 99% of people don't know about planks is that they strengthen the deep muscles of your core without putting pressure on your spine, unlike crunches or sit-ups.
This reduces the risk of injuries while enhancing stability and balance. Strong core muscles also make everyday activities like bending, lifting, or reaching much easier and safer. Additionally, core strength improves posture, balance, and coordination, all of which are vital for maintaining independence and preventing falls. Planks engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making them a highly efficient exercise for overall functional fitness and longevity. Here's how to effectively do a plank.
Begin by lying face down on the floor. 2. Place your forearms flat on the ground, with your elbows directly under your shoulders. 3. Lift your body off the ground, keeping your weight supported on your forearms and toes.
Ensure your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels, avoiding sagging your hips or arching your back. 5. Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button toward your spine. Six, hold this position for 20 to 60 seconds, depending on your current strength level, and gradually increase the time as you progress.
Exercise number six is squats. Research published in the American Journal of Physiology, 2019, confirms that squats are one of the most effective exercises for improving mobility and building muscle mass, especially in aging adults. Squats target large muscle groups, including the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, which are essential for daily movements. Additionally, they promote bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, a common and dangerous disease as we age. Here's how to do a squat in a fairly simple manner.
One, stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Two, lower your hips back and down as if sitting in a chair, ensuring your chest remains upright and your knees stay aligned over your toes. Three, push through your heels to return to the standing position.
Four. Start with bodyweight squats and gradually add weights as you build strength. To get the most out of these longevity-boosting movements, aim to perform each of them two to three times per week.
For example, dedicate one day to strength exercises like squats and farmer carries. Another day to core stability with planks. A third day to focus on dead hangs for upper body strength. You can combine them into a 20 to 30-minute workout session or spread them out over several days. depending on your schedule.
The key is progression. Start with what feels comfortable and gradually increase your intensity or duration. If this video helped you in any way, do your best to share it with the people you care about.