Dr. Eric Topol, longevity researcher, “Exercise is the only thing that we know that lowers our biological age”

The wellness industry has doubled over the last decade to $6.8 trillion and is expected to hit almost $10 trillion by 2029. This tremendous growth has been driven by people wanting to be proactive about their health and improving longevity.

While we cannot turn back the clock on our chronological age, we can dial back what is known as our epigenetic clock, or our biological age, and widen the gap between the two. Dr. Eric Topol, a leading American cardiologist and longevity expert, explained to Mel Robbins on her podcast how you can add 10 years to your life with 3 simple habits.

The key to turning back the aging clock

During the widely viewed interview from last year, over 1.2 million people have watched it so far, Dr. Topol said that there are three habits that are causing people to age faster that can easily be remedied. They include a poor diet, eating too much ultra processed food, not getting enough sleep, particularly deep sleep, and “not nearly enough exercise.”

This last habit, not getting enough exercise is key to turning back the aging clock. “Turns out that exercise is the only thing we know that lowers our biological age,” Dr. Topol said. “The gap between your real age and your biological age is widened.”

The longevity expert said that for example, someone whose chronological age is 70 but whose epigenetic age is 60 has “hit the jackpot.” But exactly how much exercise do we need? Robbins asked what the bare minimum is to lower the epigenetic clock.

“As long as you are getting at least 30 minutes of constant motion, getting your heart rate up taking your body out on the highway, if you will,” he explained. “At least 30 minutes five times a week, ideally everyday if you can do that, but getting five days a week.”

Dr. Topol shared that for years he’d been telling his patients to do aerobic exercises, walking, treadmill, bicycle, elliptical, “whatever,” but that he hadn’t realized the data that is “so striking regarding resistance training.” He now urges that people also include resistance training “just as much.” He says you should make this a part of your exercise routine “a couple, a few times a week.”

“There’s nothing that we can talk about that exceeds exercise for decreasing our aging process, our body wide aging process,” the cardiologist noted.

“Work on strength, work on balance, posture, and of course this aerobic exercise is, is also critical. So, get that as part of your life,” he said. “And you’ll notice quickly as you do this for weeks that, wow, ‘I am more fit than I’ve been in a long time. I have better posture. I have, you know, better balance. Everything.’”

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