Achieving lifelong fitness: Peter Attia's Centenarian Decathlon Concept

Healthy and fit in old age – that is what we all want. In fact, however, we have to work to maintain our strength, mobility and cardiovascular health, because as we get older, muscle mass, flexibility and some other physical abilities steadily decrease The good news is: you can do something about it every day. For example, using this concept from Peter Attia.

It's never too late to improve your physical and mental fitness. It doesn't matter whether you're 25 or 70, you can start any day. And if you haven't done so yet: why not today? In this article we would like to introduce you to a great concept from Peter Attia. In the last ten years of life, people usually lose a large part of their physical and cognitive abilities. Many things that were once self-evident are no longer possible - for example, climbing stairs, carrying grandchildren, transporting luggage and many other everyday things. This can lead to unnecessary injuries and restrictions, but also to social isolation or the loss of independence. However, if we set goals early on and train steadily towards them, we build up enough strength, resilience and flexibility to spend our twilight years as healthily and independently as possible.

Peter Attia's book "Outlive" is, in our opinion, one of the best books ever written on the subject of "longevity" thanks to his holistic medicine 3.0 approach. For the area of ​​physical health, Peter has developed a very practical concept that he calls the Centenarian Decathlon. It aims to maintain your physical health and fitness as you age by covering all the areas that are absolutely necessary for this. This approach encourages training for specific physical tasks in order to develop the necessary strength, endurance and stability for everyday activities and enjoyment of life even in old age. Don't worry, it's not about actually training for a decathlon.

By adopting this philosophy, you can redefine what is possible in your later years. You can become a true life athlete, enjoying your passions and maintaining your independence well into old age.

Become an athlete of life

Peter Attia draws inspiration from Olympic decathletes, who are considered the best athletes in the world because they are versatile and competent in a variety of disciplines. These athletes are generalists who train like specialists and excel in numerous disciplines. Decathletes could cover an enormous range of skills without likely placing in any of the individual disciplines. Compared to athletes who specialize in just one sport and focus all their training on it, they could impress with their enormous versatility.

The Centenarian Decathlon encourages people to become "athletes of life" and prepare to master the many physical activities that are essential for healthy aging. For example, stability is essential for survival in old age, as falls often lead to lengthy treatments and immobility, which indirectly greatly increases mortality.

Your goals for your personal decathlon

Which skills and aspects are particularly important to you in your life is very individual. What motivates one person enormously is of little relevance to another. So when it comes to listing your own “decathlon goals”, you can go by your personal preferences. Here are a handful of example goals from Dr. Attia's book - some of them have a clear sporting framework, others are completely normal life activities:

• Lifting a toddler from a squatting position
• Hike two and a half kilometers through hilly terrain
• 30 rope jumps in a row
• Climb four floors in 3 minutes
• Balance on one leg for 30 seconds

Sounds simple? Maybe it is at the moment. But remember: These are goals for your 90-year-old self. And if you want to achieve them, you should train more intensively NOW, because strength and mobility decrease significantly with each decade of life (between 8-17% per decade, depending on the study). The principle is: build up a healthy buffer today so that we can achieve our very personal decathlon goals tomorrow too.

Understanding the Centenarian Decathlon

The Centenarian Decathlon is not a real competition, but a framework that outlines important physical tasks for you to be able to perform throughout your life. These tasks range from sports activities to daily activities and help visualize and build the fitness needed to age beautifully. The goal is to maintain the ability to perform basic functions such as walking, carrying groceries or lifting a grandchild, even in old age.

This is what the Centenarian Decathlon is all about

The Centenarian Decathlon includes several essential components that are critical to healthy and active aging. Two of the most important aspects are muscular and cardiovascular health. Muscular health refers to the maintenance and strengthening of muscle mass and function, which is essential for completing everyday tasks and preventing injury. Cardiovascular health includes the function of the heart and blood vessels and is critical for endurance and overall vitality.

Cardiovascular health

Cardiovascular health is promoted by regular endurance training, especially what is known as Zone 2 training. This training takes place at an intensity that is around 60-70% of the maximum heart rate. As we age, it is important to choose this moderate intensity because it strengthens the cardiovascular system without putting too much strain on the body. Zone 2 training improves mitochondrial health and the body's ability to use fats as an energy source, which promotes endurance and general fitness.

Muscular health

Muscular health is crucial for an active and independent life in old age. Regular strength training can maintain and even build muscle mass, improving physical performance and reducing the risk of falls and injuries. Exercises such as squats, deadlifts and carrying weights are particularly effective for strengthening the main muscle groups.

The four pillars of your training plan

To stay fit all round and cover as many aspects of your physical performance as possible, Dr. Attia suggests concentrating on four basic pillars, which together create a mix of strength training, cardio training, stability and HIIT:

The 1st pillar: Cardio in Zone 2

Cardio training in the so-called "Zone 2" range, also known as aerobic training, should be regularly integrated into your training plan. Peter Attia recommends three to four times a week. Each session should last between 30 minutes and 1 hour. This training should be done at a moderate intensity to improve aerobic capacity, with a heart rate of 60-70% of maximum heart rate. For beginners, it is best to start with shorter sessions and then gradually increase the duration. This will also improve your cardiovascular health in the long term.

The 2nd pillar: strength training

Peter Attia recommends strength training three to four times a week. Each session should last about 45 to 60 minutes. The focus is on whole-body exercises to improve strength and stability. This not only builds valuable muscle mass for strength and stability, but also increases bone density. This is particularly important for women during and after menopause, as they are at greater risk of osteoporosis.

The 3rd pillar: HIIT / VO2max training

Peter recommends VO2max and HIIT training, i.e. high-intensity training at around 90% of your maximum heart rate, two to three times a week. A training session should last around 20 to 30 minutes. The training should consist of high-intensity intervals to improve your maximum oxygen uptake. And no, it's not necessarily pleasant, but it will significantly improve your cardiovascular performance and endurance.

The 4th pillar: stability training

Peter recommends doing stability training two to three times a week. Each session should last about 20 to 30 minutes. Examples of stability exercises include planks, standing on one leg, and exercises on unstable surfaces such as balance pads. The training improves your coordination and balance. This can help you prevent dangerous falls in old age.

An exemplary training plan

Here we show you what a weekly training plan could look like:

 

 

Of course, you can tailor your workout to fit your life best. The main thing is that you take the four important pillars of training into account.

Your personal decathlon training plan

Your personal Centennial Decathlon will be as unique as you are, tailored to your interests and physical abilities. The framework allows for flexibility and the integration of activities that are meaningful and fun. For example, someone might include events focused on hiking, weight lifting, or playing with the grandchildren. The goal is to ensure that you can continue to participate in your favorite activities as you age.

Where and how do you best start?

Even if you are a little older, you can still make improvements (in fact, this is always possible as long as you are alive). Like everyone else, you have individual strengths and weaknesses that your training plan should take into account. It is not about forcing exercises, but about choosing the exercises that serve your purpose best. If you are a member of a gym, you can use the equipment there accordingly - but you do not have to join a gym. Even with minimal equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells and a mat, you can do a lot of exercises. You will see that the Centenarian Decathlon is a great investment in your health that will pay off noticeably for you very soon, not decades from now.

Would you like to know more about it?

• Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity - New Book by Peter Attia https://peterattiamd.com/outlive/
• #261 ‒ Training for The Centenarian Decathlon: zone 2, VO2 max, stability, and strength | Peter Attia, MD - Peter Attia https://peterattiamd.com/training-for-the-centenarian-decathlon/