Longevity: 4 pillars (2024)

If you're familiar with AURUM, chances are you've heard the term Longevity tossed around. Even beyond the realm of AURUM, Longevity is a mega-trend. But what does it actually mean? And how does it aid in leading a long and healthy life? Let's dive in and uncover it here.

Longevity research: Why is everyone talking about it now?

Thanks to incredible strides in science and improved living conditions, life expectancy continues to rise. According to David Sinclair, a Genetics Professor at Harvard Medical School, the first person likely to reach 150 years has probably already been born. But what good are 150 years if health falters, leading to, say, being bedridden due to a hip fracture from Osteoporosis at 90? Not very promising, right? Researchers have recognized this, shifting focus from simply a longer lifespan to an extended period of good health. To achieve this, one needs to prioritize and optimize four essential "pillars" in everyday life. Otherwise, all other health tips and tricks become moot. In short, without considering these four influencing factors—sleep, exercise, nutrition, and stress management—it's futile. And if you think nutrition is the primary pillar for a long and youthful life, this article is just for you. You'll discover three more aspects crucial to optimizing to maximize both your lifespan and quality of life.

What's our aim at AURUM?

At AURUM, we're not only aiming to extend our customers' lifespans through muscle training. Strong muscles not only enhance metabolism but also improve cell health, optimize cardiovascular functions, strengthen the immune system, and increase stability. We're all about comprehensive well-being!

What does longevity mean?

When we translate the term "Longevity," it means longevity. But it entails much more—it's about prolonging the span of good health. Modern medicine makes achieving a long life easier, but the added years often come towards the end rather than the middle of life. It's during this time that people are frequently ill or weak, reaping little from the additional years. Longevity aims to enhance the quality of those gained years, allowing for a healthy, active, and independent life well into old age.

Longevity had its first surge in 2013 when Google founded Calico, a biotechnology company focusing on researching health, well-being, and longevity. Other scientists have also aimed to halt aging. In 2013, around 2,500 scientific studies on Longevity were published on PubMed, a scientific database. By 2022, the number had almost doubled to 4,900, marking the progress in research that yields initial insights applicable to lifestyle. Recommendations against aging processes, promoting better health, and enhancing life quality in old age can be derived from these studies. Just recently, on 19th November '23, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung published a full-page article on Longevity, illustrating the relevance of the topic and how the findings from Longevity research are increasingly reaching society.

These 4 things you must do to live long and healthy

To halt the aging process and add healthy years to your life, there are four pillars you can influence: sleep, exercise and strength training, nutrition, and stress management. The goal of each of these factors is cell health, muscle and strength building, and reducing body fat.

"If you have the aspiration of kicking ass when you’re 85, you can’t afford to be average when you’re 50.”

So says Longevity researcher Peter Attia, M.D. In simple terms, now is the right time to start with Longevity.

1. Sleep as the foundation of your health

Sometimes, it's the little things that wield enormous influence—sleep being one of them. Duration and quality dictate your energy levels during the day. But beyond that, while we sleep, the body does some serious maintenance work. Not just in the brain but throughout the entire organism. During sleep, bones, muscles, and internal organs renew, the immune system strengthens, inflammation reduces, and much more occurs. There's an overall rejuvenation that reduces cancer risks, improves cardiovascular systems, and impacts weight control—a crucial factor in preventing diseases and countering premature death.

What helps you achieve healthy sleep?

1. No blue light before bedtime --> Activate blue light filters on screens
2. Real darkness --> Eye masks, roller blinds, etc.
3. Lower body temperature by about -1 degree to fall asleep and -2 degrees to stay in optimal REM and deep sleep --> Suitable bedding and sleepwear that regulate temperature
4. Prepare your body for rest --> Reading, relaxation exercises, improving sleep routines using aids like the Oura Ring.

Learn more about healthy sleep in the video. Julian Massler and Philipp Andris, the co-founders of AURUM, delved deep into this fascinating topic and share their insights with you:

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2. Exercise & strength training: Combine HIIT and cardio

According to research, exercise and sports play a more critical role than nutrition in Longevity. Strength is one of the crucial biomarkers, linked to better body composition, joint health, an improved metabolism, hormone balance, and more. So, it's not about whether strength training is necessary, because the answer is a resounding yes, but more about what kind of strength training is optimal.

The training should be high-intensity, as it sets the necessary stimuli for muscle and bone growth. This is crucial because muscle loss, also known as Sarcopenia, is often an initial sign of aging. Targeted muscle building helps stall this decline and can even generate new strength. Additionally, muscle tissue releases health-promoting compounds and hormones. Bones also deteriorate and become more brittle over time. Osteoporosis and resulting bone fractures like hip fractures or vertebral fractures significantly reduce the quality of life in many cases.

The challenge is to fit training into your life. Spending several hours a week at the gym isn't feasible for many. Hence, we developed the intensive AURUM training, consisting of 6 exercises, each trained for 1 minute. Our vision is to have more time to live today and in old age.

However, strength training alone isn't enough for Longevity. It needs to be combined with an active lifestyle. Every additional movement counts: taking stairs, walking, hiking, biking, swimming, ice skating, or skiing in winter, to name a few. The combination of intensive strength training and cardio outlines the Longevity formula. For a more active lifestyle, four types of movement should be included: strength training, stability exercises, Zone 2 (light cardio—can hold a conversation while doing it, around 45 min), VO2max training (which means getting close to the limit of cardio training—more on that in upcoming blog posts).

3. Healthy nutrition for more life

Surprisingly for some, nutrition forms only the 3rd pillar of Longevity. Training supports a good metabolism, making it easier for the body to process consumed food.

So, what's part of a Longevity diet? - We've listed three simple fundamentals for you that have a significant impact:

1. Proteins aid in muscle building and maintenance and are also satiating, helpful for weight management.
2. Antioxidants from fresh vegetables and fruits neutralize free radicals attacking cells and causing damage.
3. Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and support muscles.

4. Stress management: Aiming for serenity

One of the toughest challenges of our modern era is stress. For a long and healthy life, achieving balance is essential as stress releases several hormones that negatively impact our health. The stress hormone cortisol, for instance, affects body weight and the sleep-wake cycle. This also links back to the first pillar of Longevity.

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So, what can you do for good stress management? How about trying one of these 3 ideas:

1. Box Breathing
2. Why be worry? Approach the situation like a monk with serenity and a bit of humor.
3. Short conversations with the store clerk, a remote colleague, or one of our AURUM trainers.

This is where AURUM training comes back into play: An AURUM Coach accompanies you during each session, motivates you, and can bring a smile to your face. Training for just 6 minutes once a week fits into even the busiest schedule, easing your work, friends, family, and training into harmony, thereby facilitating your scheduling/stress management.

Sounds intriguing? Seize the opportunity and test your free trial session at AURUM now.

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