How can I live longer? Dr Peter Attia shares secrets to longevity
This is the one thing you need to do every week to live longer and reduce early death by 50% – as longevity doctor spills his five secrets
- Longevity doctor shared the secret to living longer
- Dr Peter Attia claims exercising for just three hours weekly is key
- He endorsed both strength training and cardiovascular fitness
A doctor specialising in the ‘science of longevity’ has shared the secret to living longer – and it’s simpler than you might think.
Dr Peter Attia, a U.S.-Canadian physician, says exercising for just three hours a week is not only essential for better health, but can reduce your chances of an early death by 50 per cent.
‘Exercising is the most underutilised change we can make to effect the length and quality of our life,’ Dr Attia said.
He encouraged the inclusion of both strength training and cardiovascular fitness into regular exercise routines – and said eating enough protein was also important.
‘You want to make sure you’re covering all your bases and that means both lifting weights, because strength is one of the most highly associated features with longevity, but also doing cardiorespiratory fitness,’ he told the Sunrise breakfast show.
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Dr Peter Attia (pictured) says exercising for just three hours a week is essential for better health and longevity
In simple terms, if you’re starting from zero, exercising for just 30 minutes a day, six days a week can half the death rate and boost benefits
In simple terms, if you’re starting from zero, exercising for just 30 minutes a day, six days a week, can half your death rate.
But the ‘right’ amount of exercise done weekly is dependent on a person’s level of fitness.
According to Mayo Clinic, strength training can not only help prolong life, it can also help develop strong bones, manage weight, enhance quality of life, manage chronic conditions and sharpen thinking skills.
While cardio exercises causes the heart and lungs to work harder, thus pump more blood and oxygen around the body to make you stronger.
Dr Attia also shared the positive impact exercise has on brain health.
‘What we know is exercise is the single biggest elixir for brain health. And it’s amazing how much more powerful it appears to be than nutrition, even sleep. And those things are very important, but exercise is on a league of its own,’ he said.
‘And we studied this question extensively about eight years ago, and I didn’t, I initially just refused to believe this was the answer because it seemed too simplistic.
‘I thought there had to be something more powerful. But as important as sleep [and] nutrition are, exercise kind of takes the cake.’
He went on to explain he suspects this is the case because exercises impacts a number of systems – including glucose disposal, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and it produces growth factors for neurons.
Not only should you exercise daily, it’s also essential to practice good eating habits to maintain nutrition levels.
Dr Attia says you should aim to consume a minimum of 120g per kg of body weight daily – and potentially up to 200g per kg of body weight daily if you’re already active.
In addition to this, your diet should also be rich in fruits and vegetables, fibre-rich carbohydrates and healthy fats.
In a YouTube video, Dr Attia was also asked ‘What’s the number one recommendation or habit you would suggest every person should add to their daily regimen for wholesome health?’
But he wasn’t fond of this type of question.
Dr Attia said it’s difficult to answer the question ‘without sounding glib’, but recommends getting a lot of sleep, exercising daily, not eating bad food, not eating for long periods of time and meditating.