Thrive With 5?

"Food for thought" about exercise for longevity.

This is a “food for thought” article about exercise for longevity.

At the end, I’ll list it out as a sample weekly routine with exact sets and reps.

Each point is written through a lens of effectiveness while being gentle and accessible.

1. I’d love to be able to run fast (when needed) for decades to come… andbe able to slow down easily.

Resisting the body forward and backward via sled or resisted treadmill is the safest and best bang-for-buck solution I’ve seen to achieve a good baseline of being able to scamper up a hill and go down it.

This has been the foundation of my mom’s routine for 8 years. At 71, she can break into a sprint, and go downhill with good control.

I asked her how long she spends per week on exercise, and she said 2 hours.

I also spend about 2 hours per week on exercise, freeing up lots of energy for playing with my toddlers and other shenanigans.

This is less than most exercise routines, but I’m not saying you have to limit yourself to 2 hours.

If anything, I hope this article helps you save time so you can add other things you enjoy.

NOTE: MANY DIFFERENT METHODS OF LOWER BODY STRENGTHENING CAN ASSIST THE GOAL OF STEP 1.

Wall calf raises, tibialis raises, slantboard stepdowns, and ham rollers are other examples I like to assist the goal of Step 1.

2. I’d love to have good strength in a deep squat for decades to come.

Heel elevation (as little or as much as feels good for you) plus counterbalanceis the gentlest route I’ve seen that works well for people who have lost or think they’ll lose this ability.

Control down, pause, then power up.

Progression could go from holding a plate far out in front of you, to holding a heavier dumbbell or kettlebell in front of you (and optionally: using a barbell on the body for even further progression).

I do a deep squat whenever I pick up both of my kids.

They’ll outgrow my ability to do this, but I think of this general quality as a good thing in life.

NOTE: MANY DIFFERENT METHODS OF MOBILITY & STRENGTHENING CAN ASSIST THE GOAL OF STEP 2.

A seated dumbbell deadlift is an exercise I like to assist deep squat mobility and goal #3 ahead…

3. I’d like my lower back to be able to handle an honest day’s manual labor as long as I live.

The simplest path I know to assist this ability is using a back extension, not in a rush, squeezing the glutes and abs at the top.

This was the key to helping my dad with his back pain, because he could start gently and gradually build ability.

NOTE: MANY DIFFERENT METHODS CAN ASSIST THE GOAL OF STEP 3.

4. I’d like to be able to pull myself up for as long as I live.

Rings make it easy to work on rowing at virtually any level, based on how far you stand back.

They also make it easy to work on pull-ups by setting them lower, using your legs to assist up, and fighting down.

NOTE: MANY DIFFERENT METHODS OF UPPER BODY TRAINING CAN ASSIST THE GOAL OF STEP 4.

The row is a relatively horizontal pulling motion and the pull-up is a relatively vertical pulling motion.

For balance, I like a push-up (horizontal pushing) and shoulder press (vertical pushing).

While simple, the 4 goals above would put you in rare territory for grandparent athleticism and resilience!

But I’d like to add a 5th category because I think modern hip-flexor (the muscles that attach your legs to your hips) stiffness is a significant issue.

A couch stretch and/or deep split squat can build and maintain good hip-flexor flexibility.

5. I’d like good hip-flexor flexibility and strength as long as I live.

The hanging knee raise is my go-to for hip-flexor strength.

NOTE: MANY DIFFERENT STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY METHODS CAN ASSIST THE GOAL OF STEP 5.

Now let’s list this out as an under-2-hour routine.

Workout 1 of 2

Resisted Forward & Backward 3 each to burn

Tibialis Raise 1 x 20

Hamstring Roller 2 x 10

Deep Split Squat 3 x 8

Seated Dumbbell Deadlift 2 x 10

Hanging Knee Raise 1 x burnout

Ring Row 1 x burnout

Full Push-up 1 x burnout

Workout 2 of 2

Resisted Forward & Backward 3 each to burn

Wall Calf Raise 1 x 20

Slant Stepdown 2 x 20

Deep Squat 3 x 5

Back Extension 2 x 10

Couch Stretch 2 x 30 seconds

Ring Pull-up 1 x burnout

Full Shoulder Press 1 x burnout

I will list this on the app for those wanting to work on the exercises, ask questions, and send form videos. For now, I’ll title it “Simple Longevity System” so it’s easy to find.

Thanks for reading this week!

I hope this article helps.

Yours in Solutions,

Ben

ATG Online Coaching

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