Sunshine, good vibes, balmy summer nights: Embrace the beautiful season as an opportunity to integrate more movement into your daily life because the right cardio training paired with weekly AURUM training is the perfect formula for longevity! Let us show you how it's done!
Have you ever heard of Zone 2 training? If not, it's time you did because it's the ideal complement to AURUM training and a key component of the Longevity Formula coined by Dr. Peter Attia. He is known for his Medicine 3.0 practice, where he helps patients extend their lifespan while improving their health. He is also the author of “OUTLIVE,” the latest book on longevity. Cardio training in the so-called Zone 2 is performed at a low intensity, between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. This zone is defined as the highest metabolic performance level and ultimately promotes your health and fat burning by optimizing mitochondria. Need more convincing? Then listen to two podcast episodes by Tim Ferriss:
#661 Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity
#660 Dr. Andrew Huberman — The Foundations of Physical and Mental Performance
To reach this zone, there are various activities you can engage in, such as running, cycling, swimming, rowing, or even hiking with a backpack. From now on, make sure to pack more nuts, apples, and bananas – carrying heavy weights properly is actually beneficial. Ensure that the weight is distributed more on your hips and less on your shoulders.
To truly train in Zone 2, you can perform a simple check (Dr. Peter Attia's trick): How do you breathe during exercise? If you can still breathe comfortably through your nose despite exertion, then everything is perfect. Breathing through the nose has enormous positive health effects and is natural, but we have forgotten it: Breathing through the mouth is associated with many health problems, which you can read about in the book “BREATH.” Another trick is to ask yourself if you could still have a phone conversation. If the answer is yes, then you're training in Zone 2. It's also important that the activity can be sustained for a longer period, ideally at least 45 minutes. So, engage in movement at a comfortable pace where you breathe through your nose but don't feel like having a conversation, even though you could.
Dr. Peter Attia, an expert in longevity, recommends a total of three hours per week, which means four 45-minute training sessions as a minimum. Of course, you can do more if you like because the more and the longer, the better. And if you train with AURUM, you have both the time and the endurance for it.
In addition to cardio training, the Longevity Formula emphasizes the importance of strength training. Dr. Attia has built his training sessions on four main principles:
1. Grip strength: Grip strength is an indicator of overall strength and resilience of the body. At AURUM, grip strength is particularly strengthened in these three exercises: Exercise No. 2 - Seated Row, No. 4 - Torso Extension (Seated Deadlift), No. 5 - Seated Pull-up.
2. Concentric and eccentric loading: During strength training, both the lifting and lowering movements should be performed with control. The eccentric loading, which involves slowing down and controlling the movement, is particularly important, such as when going downhill or climbing stairs. Unfortunately, many people lose the ability to maintain this eccentric control as they age. This is where AURUM training comes in: the training device with software-controlled biofeedback ensures optimal stress at every joint angle, making it both concentric and eccentric muscle training.
3. Pulling movements: These movements, such as lifting groceries out of the trunk, are part of our daily lives. Therefore, it makes sense to train these movements that make our everyday life easier. AURUM incorporates both pulling and pushing movements into its exercises.
4. Hip extension movements: Hip extension movements like deadlifts, squats, hip thrusts, and their single-leg variations are also important components of strength training. However, Dr. Attia points out that these exercises are not suitable for everyone, as they can pose an increased risk of spinal injuries, especially when using heavy weights. In fact, we believe these exercises are quite dangerous. Therefore, AURUM training offers a safe alternative: the time-under-tension principle, where the muscles are maximally stressed for one minute instead of using weights. Additionally, a coach ensures the correct execution of the exercises, and since they are performed in a seated position, the risk of injury is lower.
Summer is finally here, along with the season for swimming pools, biking, and strolling. Use the long days and beautiful weather to cultivate good habits.
Enjoying the sun and being active together is twice as fun because the sun is known to improve your mood. The concentration of serotonin, also known as the happiness hormone, increases in your body with the sun's rays. Make this effect your own and meet up with friends for hiking and chatting or to swim together in the pool. Engaging in physical activities with friends or family has even been correlated with a healthy life expectancy in a Japanese study. So, the social aspect of moving together seems to have more impact than just fun!
Feeling down? Learn more about serotonin and exercise: How the 6 Minute Workout increases neurochemicals of happiness and reduces depression
Data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study reveals 7 sports that can extend your life, with some providing nearly 10 extra years. Impressive, right? The following activities can increase life expectancy compared to being inactive:
Tennis → 9.7 years
Badminton → 6.2 years
Football → 4.7 years
Cycling → 3.7 years
Swimming → 3.4 years
Jogging → 3.2 years
Calisthenics → 3.1 years
Traditional gym workouts → 1.5 years (quite low, isn't it?)
If you want to live long and self-determined, you need a healthy body and the strength to enjoy life. That's where the combination of everyday movement and weekly AURUM training comes in: brief, high-intensity workouts with AURUM and more time to be active outdoors (low intensity) – that's the Longevity Formula. Dr. Attia also emphasizes this in his podcast episode “Exercising for Longevity.” By regularly training in Zone 2, you optimize your mitochondria and thus enhance your longevity. AURUM focuses on strength training, which results in strong muscles, stable bones, and gives you the power to do exactly what you want, even as you age. The combination is perfect.
Start your Longevity Formula today:
1. Book your AURUM training session. Click here to make a reservation.
2. Seize the opportunity in summer to incorporate more movement into your daily life. Take short walks, listen to a podcast episode, invite a friend along, and keep the positive feeling that arises in mind to stay motivated even in autumn and winter. Make your body addicted to more movement!
3. Use your newfound strength and power to enjoy life, regardless of your age.
I have a deep passion for movement and sports, and an insatiable curiosity for understanding human nature. While researching the connections between physical vitality, mental acuity, and the pursuit of longevity, I care to share valuable insights and practical tips that can easily be incorporated into our daily lives.
See All Posts
