Why strength & stability are essential for longevity | Peter Attia, M.D. & Beth Lewis

Lately, I’ve become obsessed with “longevity”. I just turned 48 years old.

I hike, jog and sprint woods and forest trails regularly. “Hiking” is a fantastic way to improve and maintain dynamic stability. I lift heavy weights, do pushups, heated and non-heated yoga, sprints, hike, run and both barbell & air squats regularly, every week. I also incorporated walking on an under-desk treadmill just to get out of my computer seat more often.

I’m getting stronger with more endurance as the years go on.

I wonder if I did in fact peak physically at 25? I wonder, did I waste my time focusing on “powerlifting”? Or did I unknowingly do something great by building all the muscle my body could build when I was young, so I could retain more as I grow older.

At one point though, at 5′ 7″ I weighed in at 212lbs. Massive but not healthy. Strong muscles but 0 flexibility, 0 endurance. I now weigh around 167.

I did no cardio, yoga, walking, hiking or any of that when I was in my 20’s. Now, at 48, I can bench 100lb dumbbells one day, do 600 air-squats the next, sustain 90 minutes of 110 degree yoga the next and a 1/2 marathon a day later! How is this possible?

I’d love to hear a scientific take on this because I’m doing something right now that I feel is amazing. Maybe it’s not. Maybe (probably) I’m just an average person who is really dedicated and seeing great results. Maybe you can do the same thing if you really wanted to. (it’s fuckin hard!)

Maybe it’s the food and my eating schedule? Here’s some of my food tips, tricks, habits:

I mostly stopped drinking alcohol. (but still love my weed)
I mostly cut out sugar, except for fruit & dark chocolate.
When I eat fruit it’s usually berries, melons, bananas & small amounts of apple.
I’ll never eat at fast food or chain restaurants ever again.
I’ll never eat processed food ever again.
I eat organic / Non-GMO when possible.
160g protein minimum every day but usually closer to 190g. (I weigh 168).
I eat a variety of animal protein and vegan protein every week.
I eat 2x per day most days with a 19/5 intermittent fast.
When I do a 3rd meal, it’s usually some kind of grain free granola, bananas and almond milk at night. I usually do this if I have a rigorous weight workout planned for the am.
I do hot Yoga fasted.
I run up to 7 miles fasted.
I will eat a banana, peanut butter & collagen protein 1-2 hours ahead of a 7+ mile run.
I take a low dose of creatine daily. (with breaks every 2 or 3 months)
I take a high dose of turmeric daily.
I quit eating “seed oils” and only cook with avocado oil.
I keep my calories to around 1900 with the 3rd meal days going closer to 2700.
There’s more, I’ll really get into it in the future.

All I’m saying is I’m on to something here via the FREE education from wellness doctors and scientists like Peter Attia, Rhonda Patrick, Andrew Huberman, David Sinclair and several others. They are teaching people about longevity, for free! I’ve spent 1000’s of hours dialed in over the years.

My goal for a post like this and my whole wellness presence is to be one of the gateways from your current unhealthy feeling to a new feeling of abundant energy, strength and vitality. I became aware of these people through the Joe Rogan podcast. He was my gateway to knowing this. Bringing these doctors and scientists (and the motivational personalities) to his audience is the single most important thing he’s done with that show, in my opinion.

In my 20’s I followed guys like Mike Mentzer but the information, motivation and inspiration came from “Muscle & Fitness” or old books. It’s not like it is now. Much of it was left to intuition and much of it was just plain wrong.

For me personally, it’s not about living to be 120. It’s about being comfortable, active and vibrant for the remaining years of my life.

*I go periods of 2-4 weeks between drinks now and over time, I seek it out less and less

I'm a hands-on health coach, strength trainer, yoga teacher and 25 year work from home digital professional in Orange, CT and I live the lifestyle I talk about.

Certified Yoga Teacher

Certified Health Coach

25 Year WFH Professional

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I ran 16 miles in 2 hours and 21 minutes training for the 2024 NYC marathon yesterday and my legs, body are pretty smashed. This 30 minute class is designed to stretch the affected areas, sooth and lengthen the muscles and aid in a speedy recovery.

Active Recovery is essential to prevent injury!

Yoga-inspired stretching as part of active recovery can significantly benefit recovery from marathon training in several ways:

Improves Flexibility: Yoga stretches target multiple muscle groups, including some that may be neglected in typical marathon training. Improving flexibility helps to prevent injuries by maintaining a range of motion and reducing muscle tension.

Enhances Blood Circulation: Stretching exercises enhance blood flow, which is crucial for recovery. Increased blood circulation delivers more nutrients and oxygen to tired muscles and helps in flushing out metabolic waste products accumulated during intense training.

Reduces Muscle Soreness: Active recovery through yoga can help in reducing the onset of muscle soreness (DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) after long runs. Gentle stretching helps to relax the muscles and alleviate tightness and pain.

Promotes Relaxation: Yoga incorporates breathing techniques and mindfulness, which aid in relaxation and stress reduction. Mental recovery is just as important as physical recovery in training for endurance events like marathons.

Supports Joint Health: Yoga helps in strengthening the muscles around the joints, thereby providing better support and reducing the load and impact on joints during running.

Incorporating yoga-inspired stretches into your recovery routine can speed up the recovery process, enhance overall performance, and decrease the risk of injury.

I am a certified e-RYT 200 Yoga Teacher with 15 years of experience. My goal is to make the benefits of yoga more accessible to people who say "I'm not flexible so I can't do yoga". You do yoga to get flexible. I avoid overly complex poses, feminine / "dancey" movements, "sanskrit", anything cosmic. I like to get into deep holds and target specific muscle groups for specific reasons and leave any narrative out of it.

I am keeping a daily training log of my 2024 NYC Marathon Training here:
https://learn.getupearlier.com/t/nyc-marathon-2024-training-diet-log-tips-and-information-april-1-nov-3-tcsnycmarathon/149

I am also there to answer any questions or help in any way.

This is video one of a lengthy series, stay tuned and good luck with the running!

Ultimately, I am training for life or as Peter Attia @PeterAttiaMD calls it the "centenarian decathlon". Every day, working toward a goal of enhancing and maintaining strength, muscle mass, endurance, mobility and flexibility to be a kick-ass 85+ year old.

Michael Baker
e-RYT Male Yoga Teacher, CHC, 25 Year #WFH Digital Pro
Actively training for the Centenarian Decathlon
www.GetUpEarlier.com
#Run #Lift #Hike #Yoga #Strength #Flexibility #Nutrition #davidgoggins

NYC Marathon: 30 Min Yoga Stretch Class After Hard Training Run - Active Recovery #nycmarathon #run

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