It is a fact repeated tirelessly: Physical activity remains the best medicine, both for prevention and treatment. The data is unequivocal: People who are not active enough have a 20% to 30% higher risk of death than those who are more active, reminded the World Health Organization (WHO).
Beyond simple longevity, the quality of life in one’s later years is a growing concern. This is called healthy life expectancy. For American longevity specialist Peter Attia, it means maintaining and improving our physical and mental functions. This guiding principle is developed in his book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, co-written with journalist Bill Gifford.
To achieve this, action must be taken early, Attia says, to delay or even avoid the onset of what he calls the “four horsemen”: cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and metabolic disorders. Among the five levers to achieve this, physical exercise is “by far the most potent longevity ‘drug’,” Attia emphasized. The other levers are nutrition, sleep, emotional health and, in some cases, medication. The goal is to act before one of the four horsemen sets in. He contrasts this preventive approach with a symptom-centered approach to medicine.
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