A longevity scientist who says he has reversed his age by 15 years shares his weekly workout routine

• A longevity scientist who claims he reversed his age by 15 years believes exercise had the most impact.
• A combination of strength training and aerobic exercise is linked to a longer life.
• Verdin does hot pilates four to five times a week.

A longevity scientist who claims to have reversed his biological age by around 15 years shared his weekly workout routine with Business Insider.

Dr. Eric Verdin, the CEO and president of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, has been using medical tests and wearable devices like smartwatches to monitor his health for the past decade, and tweaking his lifestyle accordingly.

Tests that measure biomarkers such as inflammation, blood pressure, and cholesterol indicate that while Verdin's chronological age is 68, his biological age is between 48 and 53. There's no consensus on the definition of biological age or how to measure it, so it differs according to the test he refers to.

Verdin said he believes exercising for an hour each day has made the biggest difference to his health.

"I rarely take a day off. On that day off, I just miss it because I realize it optimizes everything else," he said. "If you're looking for an anti-aging drug that the Buck Institute is going to come up with in the next few years, it is probably going to be 10 years before we have anything that comes remotely close to exercise and physical activity," Verdin said.

He works out every day, doing a mixture of cardio, strength training, and mobility exercises.

Hot pilates four to five times a week

"It hits all the notes that I need to hit," Verdin said.

It involves doing strength training exercises such as squats and pushups with small weights in the heat, which both challenge the muscles and make the heart and lungs work, he said.

Research suggests that doing a combination of weight lighting and cardio is best for longevity.

In a large 2022 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers from the National Cancer Institute examined data from nearly 100,000 older US adults. They found that participants who did resistance training once or twice a week as well as cardio, had a 41% lower risk of dying from chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease when compared to sedentary participants.

Those who did 150 to 300 minutes a week of aerobic exercise were, on average, 32% less likely to die from any cause during the course of the study. And resistance training was linked to 9% lower mortality rates.

Lifting heavy weights at home

Once a week, Verdin lifts heavy weights at home, which helps him build muscle.

Dr. Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in healthy aging, previously told BI that maintaining muscle mass and bone density as we age is essential for staying strong and mobile.

Muscles help us perform everyday movements, such as reaching for a book off a high shelf or standing up from a chair, but they naturally start to shrink around the age of 30.

Long bike rides in nature

The Buck Institute is in Novato, just north of San Francisco. Verdin takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings by going on a two to three-hour bike ride in the mountains every week.

Cycling is a form of cardio that has been linked to multiple health benefits, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol, better mood, and a lower risk of chronic disease.

Exercising in nature has also been found to have extra benefits for the brain, such as improved focus.