Study reveals exactly how much exercise can double your lifespan

Good morning!

How many of you are looking forward to the weekend to finally take a break and recover from a stressful work week?

For me, it’s the opposite—I need the workweek to recover from the weekend!

That’s what life looks like when you’re a dad of two, and the weather is too hot to enjoy being outside.

Thankfully, I’m in good shape because chasing after kids is a whole different sport!

Many of my clients tell me they struggle to keep up with their kids, often out of breath after a few minutes of play, let alone lifting them up in the air.

Here’s the thing: exercise is the only thing that offers a multidimensional return on investment—in the short, medium, and long term.

I recently came across a groundbreaking study that made me do a double-take:

“Improving from above average to high fitness gives the same risk reduction as quitting smoking.”

Here are 5 facts about exercise that will get you moving tomorrow:

1. Going from 0 to just 3 hours of exercise/week can cut your risk of dying by half.

2. Nothing beats exercise when it comes to preventing diseases of any kind.

3. There’s no upper limit to how much exercise can benefit you.

4. Exercise greatly improves mental and emotional health.

5. You can’t live a long life without exercise.

Let’s dive into a mind-blowing study:

In a study of 120,000 people, participants were divided into five fitness levels based on a treadmill test:

• Low (bottom 25%)

• Below average (25-50%)

• Above average (50-75%)

• High (75-97.7%)

• Elite (top 2.3%)

Key findings:

• Smoking increases the risk of death by 41% compared to non-smokers (hazard ratio 1.41).

• Diabetes increases the risk of death by 40% compared to non-diabetics (hazard ratio 1.40).

Fitness level insights:

• People in the low fitness group are 400% more likely to die than those in the elite group (hazard ratio 5.04).

• Moving from low to below-average fitness (just 3 hours of exercise a week) cuts the risk of death by half (hazard ratio 1.95).

• Improving from above average to high fitness gives the same risk reduction as quitting smoking (hazard ratio 1.42).

I am opening two slots in October to join The Lean Executive and be coached personally by me Click here to apply and book a free introductory call with me

Another study of 750,000 men, with over 8 million person-years of follow-up, used a treadmill test to measure fitness and tracked their health for over 10 years. The participants were divided into six fitness groups:

• Least fit (bottom 20%)

• Low fit (20-40%)

• Moderate fit (40-60%)

• Fit (60-80%)

• High fit (80-98%)

• Extremely fit (top 2%)

Key takeaways:

• The fitter you are, the lower your risk of death next year. There’s no limit to the benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness.

As we age, we lose:

• Muscle

• Strength

• Flexibility

• Aerobic capacity

What should you focus on?

• Mobility routines: 10 minutes/day

• Strength training: 40 minutes, 3x/week

• VO2MAX or HIIT cardio: 20 minutes, 2x/week

PS. That’s 1.7% of your week.

I’d like to share a wonderful recommendation from one of my dear students, a doctor and medical director that addresses what most executives struggle with.

“What impresses me the most is Diego’s ability to seamlessly integrate wellness into my demanding professional life.”

I find it easy to relate because I’ve been there. As a father of two, a busy executive, and a company owner, I stay in shape and teach from experience—not just from a textbook.

That’s it for today, until the next time!

P.S. When you are ready, there are 2 ways I can help:

1) For executives who want to work directly with me, we will fix your health markers, optimise your hormones, and improve your body composition Click here to apply and book a free introductory call with me

2) Take my free 2-minute science-based quiz that will give you clear guidance on the dos and don'ts for your body type, including what workout split to follow and which food groups to avoid Access it here for free