by Peter Diamandis: Imagine you’re a hunter-gatherer, circa 20,000 BCE.
You wake before dawn, track game until dusk, gather berries, haul water, build shelter. Repeat.
Your daily step count? About 28,000 steps.
And your life expectancy? That’s complicated by factors like infant mortality and predation, but your muscles, heart, and mitochondria? They’re singing.
Now, fast forward to today. The average American takes 3,000 steps daily, most of those between the bed, the car, and the office chair. Our bodies, fine-tuned by millions of years of constant motion, are crying uncle. But here’s the plot twist: we’ve got the data to prove it.
In 2023, a landmark study published in The Lancet tracked over a million people to answer a single question: What happens when we move?
The results were staggering.
Just 150 minutes of moderate weekly exercise—the equivalent of a brisk walk around the block during your lunch break—slashed death risk by 28%. Bump that number to 750 minutes? You’re looking at a 42% reduction in mortality.
Let that sink in. A 42% reduction in your chances of death.
No pharmaceutical company has ever created a drug with that kind of impact. If they did, it would be worth trillions. Yet here’s the kicker: This miracle drug is free. It’s built into your DNA—it’s called movement.
But here’s where the story gets interesting.
For those over 65, the math becomes even more dramatic.
Low muscle mass increases death risk by 50%. A simple fall leading to a hip fracture? That carries a 21% mortality rate even with surgery. Without it, the number skyrockets to 70%.
Yet just two resistance training sessions per week can cut all-cause mortality in halfand reduce cancer risk three-fold in seniors.
The solution isn’t complex, but it is specific. Think of it as a four-part formula. In escalating order, do as much as you can. Every bit helps:
Level-1 Effort: Walk or bike during your Zoom meetings. Here’s the reality, “Sitting is the new smoking,” and most of us are sitting on our butts on Zoom after Zoom after Zoom. Remember those hunter-gatherer ancestors? Channel them. Walking meetings, treadmill desks, cycling while emailing and zooming—your minimum target is 4,000 steps daily. Hit this number and brain scans show more tissue volume, better memory, enhanced cognitive function. Don’t wimp out, take your Zoom calls on your phone and get some fresh air and sunshine.
Level-2 Effort: Get to the gym and lift some weights! Think of muscle as your body’s insurance policy against time. Three to four weekly sessions of resistance training help to build your buffer against mortality. I put on 10 pounds of muscle last year by making it consistent for 5 days per week. You can too.
Level-3 Effort: Try to incorporate Zone-2 training in your life: This is where your mitochondria—the power plants of your cells—get their optimal workout. Calculate your target heart rate: 220 minus your age, then take 60%-70% of that number. Three to four 45-minute sessions weekly is your sweet spot.
Level-4 Effort: Ready for more? Try High-intensity intervals: This is where you hack your metabolism. One minute all-out, one minute recovery, fifteen minutes total. It’s the biological equivalent of a software upgrade for your mitochondria.
Want to dive deeper into the science?
Check out my new book, Longevity Guidebook: How to Slow, Stop and Reverse Aging – and NOT Die from Something Stupid. Available on Amazon, but available at cost here: www.LongevityGuidebook.com (NOTE: All profits support the XPRIZE Healthspan initiative.)
The mathematics of human motion don’t lie. We evolved to move. When we stop moving, we start dying. The good news is the solution is built into our biology.
We just have to use it.
In health,
Peter
