Felipe Isidro, an expert in longevity: “Exercise doesn’t lengthen life, but it broadens it”

For decades, we’ve repeated a kind of modern wellness mantra: exercise helps you live longer. It’s been used to motivate people, sell healthy habits, and justify intense workout routines. But what’s actually true here?

Felipe Isidro, a professor of Physical Education and a longevity specialist, breaks it down on Uri Sabat’s podcast — and his take is surprisingly blunt. According to Isidro, exercise doesn’t make us immortal, and it doesn’t push back the moment of death.

“We have a confirmation bias around the idea that exercise makes you live longer, and that’s simply not true… Those of us who work out are still going to die, and we’re not going to die later than we would have without exercising,” he says.

The mix‑up between living longer and living better

Many of the observational studies linking physical activity to a longer lifespan compare groups that are fundamentally different: active people versus sedentary ones, athletes versus those who barely move. The issue, Isidro explains, is that exercise rarely comes alone. It’s usually paired with healthier eating, lower smoking rates, and better access to healthcare. “Among twins, the one who exercises doesn’t live longer than the one who doesn’t,” he adds.

Still, Isidro strongly recommends regular weekly exercise — not to extend your lifespan, but to improve your quality of life and lower the risk of dying prematurely. “Exercise doesn’t lengthen life, but it widens it,” he says.

In other words, working out helps you age with better physical function, sleep more soundly, feel stronger and more agile, and maintain a better mood.

So what does the ideal workout look like?

On Sabat’s podcast, Isidro explains that the best approach is to start with strength training and follow it with cardio. Aim for two to three sessions per week, keeping them short if needed.

“The cardiopulmonary system responds to the peripheral system. If you don’t condition the muscle first, the cardio will fail,” he concludes.

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