Issue #467: The Most Underrated Longevity Superpower
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, August 19th.
In today’s email:
Learn: Lung Capacity is a Longevity Superpower
Try: Use Your Diaphragm
Inspire: The Toughest Obstacle Course
In the News: Diaries of a Microplastics Scientist
Stat of the Day
The increased mortality risk from any cause for the bottom 20% of lung capacity compared to people in the top 20% of lung capacity - even adjusting for smoking, blood pressure, and obesity. (National Institute of Health)
Learn
Lung Capacity is a Longevity Superpower
I finally made it back to a yoga class over the weekend.
My intent was to focus on mobility - seems like that’s the workout I skip most often. But found that one of the things I’d really been missing was my focus on breathing.
Most of the headlines talk about muscle strength, protein, and blood sugar/insulin resistance when it comes to longevity (all super important). But one of the most overlooked predictors of lifespan is your lungs.
Imagine you are doing something wrong over 20,000 times every day.
That’s what’s happening for a lot of us - and one of the big reasons our health declines faster than we want.
Short, shallow breathing; holding our breath when we’re stressed; breathing through our mouth - these all affect our energy and our longevity.
The Science
Energy gatekeepers. We might not think of it the same way - but oxygen is fuel just like food. Every cell in our body needs it to function - especially our mitochondria. That’s why our lung capacity - the ability to move air in and out efficiently - directly affects our endurance, mental clarity, and resilience (and yes, lifespan too).
Take a Deep Breath. Those 20,000 breaths we take move 2,000 gallons of air. Our lungs contain about 480 million alveoli (tiny sacs where oxygen exchange happens). If spread out, our lungs actually have the surface area to cover a tennis court! But when these sacs lose their elasticity or when our diaphragm doesn’t function like it used to - we don’t get good oxygen exchange.
Long Decline. Lung function peaks in your 20s and then naturally declines by ~1% per year after age 30. By 80, most of us have a lung capacity of roughly half of what it used to be. It’s one reason older adults get tired more quickly - they have less oxygen getting to muscles and the brain.
The VO2Max Connection. VO2Max is another buzzword with longevity. What this basically measures is the maximum rate we can consume (use) oxygen when we’re going all out with exercise. The correlation between those with the highest VO2Max and longevity is real. Lung function is the front door to VO2Max: if your lungs can’t pull oxygen in effectively, your muscles and brain can’t use it.
Test Your Lungs. You might notice shortness of breath climbing stairs, or feeling winded after light exertion. More formally, doctors measure FEV1 (how much air you can forcefully exhale in one second). A steady drop in this number is an early signal of declining lung health.
How to Train Your Lungs
The good news: we can train our lungs like a muscle and slow down this decline.
Breathing Exercises. Structured practices like box breathing (4 sec in, 4 sec hold, 4 sec out, 4 sec hold) and more extreme deep breathing (like Wim Hof breathing we talked about HERE), improves the strength of our diaphragm and expands our lung capacity.
Hold Your Breath. Ironically, one of the best ways to improve our lung function is to breathe less. The longer we can hold our breath, the longer we can tolerate CO₂ in our body. This actually improves oxygen efficiency and expands lung volume. And don’t underestimate what’s possible - free divers have trained their lungs so they can stay underwater for minutes at a time.
Exercise. Even something as simple as swimming - without going full free-diver - forces us to breathe with intention. That’s what I felt when I was at yoga. My mobility’s still a work in progress, but slow, steady breathing turned that shaky Warrior 2 into something surprisingly strong. It’s not magic. It’s oxygen.
Diaphragm activation. Most of us breathe shallowly only into our chest. True diaphragmatic breathing pushes our belly out to the side as we inhale. This deeper inhale is what we need to maximize that oxygen exchange.
Stand Up Straight. We talk about this all the time - but rounded shoulders and a stiff thoracic spine literally compress our lungs. We need the right form of our body to get the most out of our lungs. So counter-balancing our sitting pose all day with stretches like - chest openers, backbends, and cat-cow drills can expand our ability to really access our lungs.
High Intensity. Going all out to be near breathless helps too. Doing high-intensity intervals (like sprint-rest repeats, running hills, or Tabata) puts stress on our lungs and heart in short bursts - but this good stress eventually raises our VO2Max (or slows down the decline).
We breathe without thinking about it - but think about how you breathe.
It’s the cheapest, most accessible hack to better longevity you can do right now.
Try
Use Your Diaphragm
Place your hands on the sides of your belly.
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
Try to breathe in deep so that you feel your hands move out wide before seeing or feeling your chest rise up.
Slowly exhale for a count of at least 5-7 seconds until your lungs are empty.
Repeat 10 cycles.
You’ll feel immediately calmer, more energized, and clear headed - and you’ll be strengthening your diaphragm for long-term health.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
The TMAC Fall 20-Day Challenge starts next Monday!
Are you looking to…
✅ Lose weight and build muscle in just 20 minutes a day
✅ Improve flexibility and lower stress with post-workout stretches + meditation
✅ Follow a proven plan that fits your busy schedule – no equipment needed
This is Max’s go-to morning workout - because he can sneak it in between the kids morning routine (ESPECIALLY OUTSIDE IN THE SUMMER!!). Take the first step towards a fitter, more balanced you!
Inspire
The Toughest Obstacle Course
When the heat index is over 100 (just about everyday this time of year in FL) - I sometimes need a reminder of what humans are capable of so I can get through my workout.
Here is the toughest competition no one knows about - the Army Ranger “Olympics”.
Most of the headlines talk about how we can find enough recruits to fill the ranks of the military - but these soldiers are the top 0.1% and they are incredible.
Check out what they do over 3 days of competition at Fort Benning, GA:
March/run ~35 miles
Burn 30,000+ calories
Take on a mix of endurance, strength, tactical skills, and mental tests
Day 1 starts before sunrise:
7-mile run - the last few miles while carrying a 60-lb sandbag!
Cold-water swim across Victory Pond (~400m)
Urban-assault course: throw grenades, do 20 burpees, shoot “enemy” balloons, avoid civilian targets
Malvesti Obstacle Course:
6 chin-ups
30-ft rope climb
Log ladder (6 ft gaps)
Monkey bars over water
Crawl through the infamous worm pit (see picture above)
Finish with more chin-ups and a sprint
Night march: carry two 45-lb water jugs with no rest allowed
Day 2:
Stadium strength circuit with 6 brutal stations:
Tossing 100-lb med ball + burpees
Carrying a 290-lb yoke 50m
10 rope climbs each (15 ft up)
First aid + casualty drag (~50 yds)
Axe throwing & grenade toss
Night navigation: 5 hours to find 5 swamp checkpoints, no trails/tools allowed
Day 3:
Darby Queen Obstacle Course - 24 wooden/rope obstacles across a mile of terrain, some 3 stories high
Combat Water Survival Assessment:
Walk across a log 35 ft up, rope shimmy, plunge/swim
Zipline drop from a 70-ft tower into water
Raft + boat mission: build raft from gear, paddle inflatable boats, rappel tower
Final event: a 4.1-mile road race
These are some incredible men and women - now go finish your workout, it’s not that bad 😄.
Full story HERE.
H&L in the News
Eat to Dodge Cancer: Colorectal cancer is rising in younger adults. Learn how fiber-rich foods, probiotics, and cutting red meat and alcohol can reduce your risk - starting with what’s on your plate today. (NYTimes)
Tiny Toxins, Big Impact: A microplastics scientist reveals smart, simple ways to slash your exposure - from food swaps to vacuum hacks - without overhauling your life. Start small, live cleaner. (Washington Post)
Mind Meld Goes Mainstream: Neuralink vs. Synchron: the race to commercialize brain implants is heating up. Learn how BCIs are restoring digital autonomy - and redefining the future of mind-machine connection. (WIRED). Listen here on Apple Podcasts.
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.