Fitness

Exercise: The Most Powerful Longevity Drug

Published

2 years ago

August 19, 2024

Exercise: The Most Powerful Longevity Drug

Want to live longer? Get moving!

“I think most often people think of exercise as a tool to lose weight and get in shape, and it certainly is, but I’d argue that more importantly it can help you live BETTER, LONGER!” says Dr. Cliff Wonsettler, one of the Physical Therapists at Wonsettler Physical Therapy and Specialized Health.”Most people would love to increase their lifespan, but only if they can maintain a good quality of life-and that’s what we call healthspan. Exercise not only helps increase lifespan, but more importantly, it dramatically improves healthspan.”

According to the CDC, only 23% of Americans getsufficient exercise. 77% of the U.S. population does not exercise. And going from no exercise to just 90 minutes per week can reduce your risk of dying from all causes by 14%, as found in a study published by the Lancet. The beauty is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. “When we’re working with clients, they often feel overwhelmed because they don’t know where to start. A common question is whether they should focus on cardio or strength training. The data is clear-it really needs to be both. But the key is to start and stick with something, rather than getting trapped in analysis paralysis, or worse, thinking ‘I’ll start next month or next year.’ The challenge with exercise is that it requires a long-term commitment with no shortcuts. We all want quick fixes and instant gratification, but that’s not how living longer and living well works. It requires consistent good choices that won’t always feel rewarding in the moment.” Improving your cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to the ability of your heart and lungs to efficiently deliver oxygen to your muscles during physical activity, allowing your body to sustain exercise over time and avoid fatigue. This level of fitness, often measured by VO2 max, is a powerful predictor of overall health and longevity. In fact, according to Peter Attia, MD, poor cardiorespiratory fitness carries a greater relative risk of death than smoking. “VO2 max may be the single biggest predictor of longevity we have,” says Wonsettler. “The data is so strong on this. Someone who’s in the bottom quartile of VO2 max is 4 times more likely to die than someone in the top quartile, according to a study published by JAMA. The evidence clearly shows that improving your cardiorespiratory fitness can significantly enhance your quality of life and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Conversely, strength is also a huge predictor for how long someone will live, and how well. According to the American Journal of Medicine, there was a large study done looking at 1400 people with an average age of 74. They found that within 12 years, 50% of those in the bottom quartile for lean muscle mass were dead compared to just 20% in the top quartile. “This isn’t meant to be a scare tactic. It’s a call to action. It’s never too early to start, and it’s never too late,” says Wonsettler. Reaching out to a professional trainer or a physical therapist can help you build your confidence and ensure you’re incorporating the correct exercises to meet your goals.

“That’s where we come in. We can really help a person identify workouts that will be most powerful,” Wonsettler said.

“Challenging yourself now will help you live the life you want to lead as your golden years progress,” Wonsettler said.

“As we age, it’s natural for our strength and fitness levels to change. But by focusing on a variety of exercises now, you can set yourself up to stay active and independent well into your later years. Imagine being able to walk up and down the stairs with ease when you’re 80 or 90 – it’s absolutely possible with the right approach!”

Sponsored content brought to you by Wonsettler Physical Therapy.

Fitness

Put the fun back in your fitness routine with this 10-minute follow-along workout from The Curvy Girl Trainer Lacee Green

Published

11 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

Put the fun back in your fitness routine with this 10-minute follow-along workout from The Curvy Girl Trainer Lacee Green

Ever feel like beginner-friendly workouts are anything but?

That’s how BODi Super Trainer Lacee Green felt, so she devised a three-week, entry-level program designed for genuine newcomers to exercise—or those just getting back into it.

“My beginner-only plan is for every body and everybody,” Green tells Fit&Well.

Green’s program combines low-impact cardio, strength, core and mobility workouts for a total of five sessions a week and 30 minutes a day.

One of the routines she loves—that she says will provide a flavor of the plan—is a total-body cardio workout inspired by seven different sports.

“There is no repetition, it’s all bodyweight and super fun,” she says. “We do basketball, we do pickleball, we do soccer, and it’s really going to get your heart rate up.”

It will all count toward the CDC’s recommended 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, while incorporating resistance training elements to strengthen your bones and muscles, she explains.

And Green has provided the full 10-minute routine below for you to try.

10-minute cardio workout for beginners

Press play on the video above and Green will guide you through the workout, or keep reading to see what’s in store.

Green’s 10-minute beginner-only cardio workout is inspired by seven different sports that she says will help channel your inner athlete.

Each sport links to an exercise during the routine. Follow the short warm-up, then perform each move for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds, for one round per sport.

In the video, another trainer demonstrates variations of each exercise so you can make it slightly more challenging as desired. The workout concludes with a short cool-down.

Here’s a brief breakdown of each exercise.

1. Basketball catch and shoot

Step to your side, then reach up into full extension as if shooting a three-pointer. Repeat by shuffling from side to side.

2. Quick football feet

Lower into a quarter squat with your feet wide apart and alternate quick stepping onto either foot. On Green’s cues, switch the direction you face from center to left and right.

3. Skater side-step

Step side to side as if skating, hitting an imaginary hockey stick across your body.

4. Soccer kick-up

Keeping light on your feet, hop from side to side as if juggling a football with your feet.

5. Pickleball shuffle

Lower into a half squat with your hands together in front of you. Keeping low, step or jump forward, then shuffle back to the start position.

6. Boxing jab cross

Stand side on with slightly bent knees and your guard up. Alternate throwing jabs with your left and right, switching your stance after 20 seconds.

7. Baseball squat to high plank

With your feet wide apart, lower into a deep squat with your hands up like a catcher. Place your hands on the floor and step back into a high plank, then back to the low squat.

About our expert

Lacee Green

Lacee Green is a BODi Super Trainer, certified personal trainer (CPT) and coach with more than 10 years of experience. She hosts a number of BODi on-demand fitness programs that are designed to challenge and motivate you while also providing a supportive and inclusive environment.

Fitness

Higher fitness levels linked to lower risk of depression, dementia – Harvard Health

Published

23 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Higher fitness levels linked to lower risk of depression, dementia – Harvard Health

research review

People with high cardiorespiratory fitness were 36% less likely to experience depression and 39% less likely to develop dementia than those with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Even small improvements in fitness were linked to a lower risk. Experts believe that exercise’s ability to boost blood flow to the brain, reduce bodywide inflammation, and improve stress regulation may explain the connection.

Fitness

These 20-Minute Burpee Workouts Replaced His Entire Gym Routine – and Transformed His Physique

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

These 20-Minute Burpee Workouts Replaced His Entire Gym Routine – and Transformed His Physique

While many swear by them, most people see burpees as a form of punishment – usually dished out drill sergeant-style by overzealous bootcamp PTs. Often the final blow in an already brutal workout, burpees are designed to test cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance and mental grit. Love them or loathe them, they deliver every time.

For Max Edwards – aka Busy Dad Training on YouTube – they became a simple but highly effective way to stay fit and lean during lockdown. Once a committed powerlifter, spending upwards of 80 minutes a day in the gym, he was forced to overhaul his approach due to fatherhood, lockdown and a schedule that no longer allowed for long, structured lifting sessions.

‘Even though I was putting in hours and hours into the gym and even though my physique was pretty good, I wasn’t becoming truly excellent at any physical discipline,’ he explained in a YouTube video.

‘I loved the intentionality of training,’ says Edwards. ‘The fact that every session has a point, every rep in every set is helping you get towards a training goal, and I loved that there was a clear way of gauging progression – feeling like I was developing competence and moving towards mastery.’

Why He Walked Away From Powerlifting

Despite that structure, Edwards began to question whether powerlifting was sustainable long-term.

‘My sessions were very taxing on my central nervous system. I was exhausted between sessions. It felt as if I needed at least nine hours of sleep each night just to function.’

He also noted that his appetite was consistently high.

But the biggest drawback was time.

‘I could not justify taking 80 minutes a day away from my family for what felt like a self-centred pursuit,’ he says.

A Simpler Approach That Stuck

‘Over the course of that year I fixed my relationship with alcohol and I developed, for the first time in my adult life, a relationship with physical training,’ says Edwards.

With limited time and no access to equipment, he turned to burpees. Just two variations, four times a week, with each session lasting 20 minutes.

‘My approach in each workout was very simple. On a six-count training day I would do as many six-counts as I possibly could within 20 minutes. On a Navy Seal training day I would do as many Navy Seal burpees as I could within 20 minutes – then in the next workout I would simply try to beat the number I had managed previously.’

This style of training is known as AMRAP – as many reps (or rounds) as possible.

The Results

Edwards initially saw the routine as nothing more than a six-month stopgap to stay in shape. But that quickly changed.

‘I remember catching sight of myself in the mirror one morning and I was utterly baffled by the man I saw looking back at me.’

He found himself in the best shape of his life. His energy levels improved, his resting heart rate dropped and his physique changed in ways that powerlifting hadn’t quite delivered.

‘It has been five years since I have set foot in a gym,’ he says. ‘That six-month training practice has become the defining training practice of my life – and for five years I have trained for no more than 80 minutes per week.’

The Burpee Workouts

1/ 6-Count Burpees

20-minute AMRAP, twice a week

How to do them:

Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart
Crouch down and place your hands on the floor (count 1)
Jump your feet back into a high plank (count 2)
Lower into the bottom of a push-up (count 3)
Push back up to plank (count 4)
Jump your feet forward to your hands (count 5)
Stand up straight (count 6)

20-minute AMRAP, twice a week

How to do them:

Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart
Crouch down and place your hands on the floor
Jump your feet back into a high plank
Perform a push-up (chest to floor)
At the top, bring your right knee to your right elbow, then return
Perform another push-up
Bring your left knee to your left elbow, then return
Perform a third push-up
Jump your feet forward
Stand or jump to finish

Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.