Every week, I break down a book, trend, or idea so you don’t have to.
This week: Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, the #1 bestselling book on longevity that has tech billionaires and everyone else trying to figure out how to live forever.
Outlive has been a bestseller for over a year because it flips the script. It’s not about cramming more years at the end. It’s about adding more life to the years you already have.
I read (listened to at 2x speed) the 400+ pages so you don’t have to. Here are the parts you need to know.
💀 The Four Ways You'll Probably Die
Let's be honest about the stats. Most of us will die from one of four things:
Heart disease
Cancer
Brain diseases (Alzheimer’s, dementia)
Metabolic diseases (diabetes, obesity)
You can’t avoid risk entirely, but you can change the way you age into your later years. It’s about healthspan (quality) more than lifespan (quantity).
The goal isn't avoiding death at 85. It's being able to ski at 85.
So, long story short, you have to train for the “Centenarian Decathlon,” a list of 10 things you want to be able to do at age 100 and work backward from there.
💯 The 100-Year-Old Test
Picture yourself at 100. What do you want to be able to do?
Carry your own groceries
Get off the floor without help
Travel somewhere new
Play pickleball
The concept is that these should be ten physical tasks you want to be able to do at age 100.
Now ask: What do I need to train today so future-me can still do those things?
Since we naturally lose strength and aerobic capacity as we age, whatever it is we want to be able to do at age 100, we need to be doing much more now.
For example, if you want to pick up a thirty-pound grandkid when you're eighty, you're going to have to be able to lift about fifty to fifty-five pounds now.
Every workout, every early bedtime, every hard conversation is a deposit in your “future mobility account.”
Everyone is encouraged to create their own personalized list based on what activities matter to them and what they want to be able to do, but here’s the one in the book:
Hike 1.5 miles on a hilly trail
Get up off the floor using a maximum of one arm for support
Pick up a 30-pound child from the floor
Carry two five-pound bags of groceries for five blocks
Lift a 20-pound suitcase into the overhead compartment of a plane
Balance on one leg for 30 seconds with eyes open. (Bonus: eyes closed for 15 seconds)
Have sex
Climb four flights of stairs in three minutes
Open a jar
Do thirty consecutive jump-rope skips
4️⃣ The 4 Things That Actually Work
Forget the gimmicks. Here’s what Outlive says actually moves the needle:
1. Move Your Body
Zone 2 cardio: Meaning, 3–4 hours per week at “I can still talk” intensity
Strength training: 2–3 sessions per week (muscle is like insurance for future-you)
Balance: Falling at 80 is often the beginning of the end. Practice not falling.
2. Eat Like an Adult
Prioritize protein and plants
Minimize the stuff that comes in crinkly packages
Get off the blood sugar roller coaster
Mediterranean, low-carb, intermittent fasting? Doesn’t matter, pick what’s sustainable for you.
3. Sleep Like It’s Medicine
7–9 hours. Every night. Non-negotiable.
Bad sleep is linked to almost everything that kills you sooner.
4. Fix Your Head
Chronic stress and loneliness are as deadly as smoking
Therapy is longevity medicine
Build a community. Be a friend. Strong relationships are one of the best predictors of a long life (backed by Harvard’s 80-year study.)
🔚 TL;DR
Don’t try to live forever. Try to live well for as long as you’re here.
Or, in one sentence:
Train today for the 100-year-old version of yourself
That’s it. This one was short and sweet.
👋 Before You Go
What’s on your Centenarian Decathlon list?
These are mine:
Climb two flights of stairs without huffing
Open pickle jars without asking for help
Get out of a low car gracefully
Carry my own suitcase through an airport without complaining
Sit on the floor and get back up without needing a crane
Dance at a wedding (badly, but with enthusiasm)
Remember everyone’s name (without having to whisper to whoever’s next to me)
Travel somewhere new and actually enjoy it (no “I’m too tired” naps)
Lift a cast-iron skillet
Balance on one foot long enough to put socks on without toppling over
Thank you for reading Extremely Helpful. I love that you’re here.
If you feel so inclined, share this with a friend who you want to be golfing with at 100.
And now… close this email and go do one thing your 100-year-old self will thank you for. Future-you is watching.
Thank you so much! This has been on my list!