#043 Healthy Habits. With Arie Boomsma.

00:00:00: People aim too high. For instance, they have never really run or ran and they say, "I'm gonna run a marathon."

00:00:07: "I'm gonna go to the gym six days a week."

00:00:10: And now there are no days. It's too big of a difference.

00:00:14: So I think people aim too high and it's just not something that's reasonable within their lives as they live it right now.

00:00:21: Welcome to "Hell's Wives", the Hell's and longevity podcast brought to you by Sunday Natural.

00:00:27: I'm Nils Berens and in this podcast we explore what it truly means to be healthy.

00:00:32: Together we will dive into topics such as medicine, exercise, nutrition and emotional well-being,

00:00:38: always with a wise perspective on what generally benefits us.

00:00:42: Developing healthy routines can be the foundation for our lasting well-being,

00:00:49: helping us to navigate the challenges of modern life with more resilience and balance.

00:00:53: By focusing on consistent small habits rather than fleeting motivation,

00:00:58: we can create a structure that supports both physical health and mental clarity, no matter our age.

00:01:04: Ari Boomsma is a well-known Dutch author, fitness expert and advocate for a healthy lifestyle,

00:01:11: particularly known for his focus on routines that promote long-term physical and mental well-being.

00:01:16: With a background in media and television, he has shifted his focus to health and fitness,

00:01:21: authoring several books that inspire readers to build strength and vitality through practical habits.

00:01:27: A warm welcome to you, Ari Boomsma.

00:01:29: Thank you, quite the intro.

00:01:31: Yeah, Ari, do you have the same routine for every Sunday?

00:01:36: On Sunday the most important routine we have, I live on a farm with my wife and kids and my mother-in-law.

00:01:42: And the most important routine on Sunday is the breakfast we enjoy together.

00:01:47: It's a little more extensive than the regular breakfasts, like with homemade croissants and nice fruits.

00:01:52: And we take our time and all the other routines are actually seven days the same, also on Sunday.

00:01:59: That one is most important on Sunday.

00:02:02: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. So I love this Sunday breakfast.

00:02:05: Honestly, I don't have croissants. I'm from Hamburg and in Hamburg we have something called Franz Brötchen.

00:02:11: Oh, I've no doubts.

00:02:12: Really, really, it's with cinnamon and it is really, really good, but it's a really good pleasure, you must say.

00:02:22: Oh, you have Sunday.

00:02:24: No, even not every Sunday having it.

00:02:26: I would say I have maybe five a year, so something like that.

00:02:30: But it reminds me of my childhood, it reminds me of my home and everything.

00:02:35: So this is the reason. And it's so typical from Hamburg.

00:02:38: Yeah, nice.

00:02:39: Yeah, nice, nice.

00:02:41: So what does a health routine mean to you personally?

00:02:45: So when did you starting to developing it for yourself?

00:02:50: I've always liked structure. I was a basketball player first in the Netherlands and Holland and later in the US.

00:02:57: Oh, really?

00:02:58: And so then you must have been really good.

00:03:01: Yeah, small school.

00:03:03: No MBA, no.

00:03:05: But I learned in early age how nice it is to pull back in isolation and train and get better and start thinking,

00:03:14: "Hey, I can shoot with left as well and get better at it."

00:03:17: And it translates to the game.

00:03:20: And I saw the Rocky movies in the 80s and I saw him train and I thought,

00:03:24: "Oh, that's wonderful. You could just work on yourself and get better."

00:03:28: And at this time I was 14, 15.

00:03:31: So my body started changing and the combination of seeing what training can do in movies.

00:03:37: There was no internet yet.

00:03:38: Yes.

00:03:39: And also training myself and seeing the body change and having some kind of influence on that.

00:03:45: It really triggered for me the love for structure and routines.

00:03:50: Three interesting how motivation comes from the movie because I think I've seen also the movies several times.

00:03:58: So like Rocky, I think it was one to four and also John Claude Van Dam movies and Karate Kid.

00:04:05: And it's all about routines and all about the people which have a challenge and then they are really strict and doing it.

00:04:13: But unfortunately, I would say I have done it with several things, but unfortunately not with my training, with my muscle training.

00:04:20: It wasn't so...

00:04:23: It wasn't also not that common in these days.

00:04:25: This is really interesting.

00:04:26: So we are more or less the same age and when we grow up in the 70s, early 80s, I would say going to a gym was only for bodybuilders.

00:04:35: Yeah.

00:04:36: And also I think it's the same in Germany, but also working on the body was more for like workers.

00:04:44: And then you had the intellectuals and the students.

00:04:48: It's like they sort of looked at it with some disrespect as well.

00:04:52: Definitely.

00:04:52: It's simple.

00:04:53: Yeah.

00:04:53: And I think that changed a lot, even though if you go way back into mythology and then or the Greek Empire and the Roman Empire, it was there.

00:05:02: Body and mind.

00:05:03: Yeah, definitely.

00:05:04: And we see it right now that when you listen to all the longevity experts, to all the doctors, to all the scientists, everyone is saying muscles are the biggest, the best, best insurance you can have for having a healthy long life.

00:05:18: That's what I like about your work as well.

00:05:20: And you know, you see what's going on in culture right now and then all the science to prove it.

00:05:25: When did you start working out like lifting weights?

00:05:29: Lifting weights, I would say it's approximately 12 years ago or something like that, but never so ambitious like I do it right now.

00:05:36: So because for me, it was always just to I always said, I want to look look good naked.

00:05:42: Yeah.

00:05:43: But due to the fact that I'm running a lot, it's just to have some muscles, but not really a lot of muscles.

00:05:50: So and now I would say my ambition to really gain more muscles just started, I would say a year ago, maybe two, something like that.

00:05:59: And now I really see by always having heavier weights.

00:06:05: So so normally I'm trying to not to stick to the same weight more or less at least on one exercise.

00:06:12: I'm trying to go one up every time when I'm training.

00:06:17: And so I see the improvement and I see that I'm gaining more now.

00:06:21: Wonderful.

00:06:22: Yeah. Yeah, it is really motivating right now.

00:06:24: And this is what I really like about it.

00:06:27: But I also so my daughter used to say that so for the amount of time you're spending on training,

00:06:35: you must look much more sporty.

00:06:38: No, you're fit and you're slim.

00:06:41: Yeah, good.

00:06:42: Yeah, foundation.

00:06:43: It's a little late.

00:06:44: It's never too late.

00:06:45: So many people say they want to live healthier life, but they often fail.

00:06:50: Why is it so hard?

00:06:51: And what makes your approach in your books different from other self-help guys?

00:06:56: Yeah, I think for most of us, our lives these days are full of priorities already.

00:07:02: We have so many things we have to do and we want to do and we can do.

00:07:06: And then all of a sudden this new priority usually something to do with health,

00:07:10: like eating better or working out more, sleeping differently.

00:07:14: Yeah.

00:07:15: And this new priority, it needs to come sort of shoved in between all those existing priorities already.

00:07:22: And there's no room for it.

00:07:23: So on motivation and adrenaline, you know, we stick to it maybe a few weeks, a few months.

00:07:30: But then life passes us again and there it goes.

00:07:34: I think that makes it really hard.

00:07:36: And also I think people aim too high.

00:07:39: For instance, they have never really run or ran and they say, I'm going to run a marathon.

00:07:44: Yeah.

00:07:45: I'm going to go to the gym six days a week.

00:07:47: Yeah.

00:07:48: And now there are no days.

00:07:49: You know, it's too big of a difference.

00:07:51: So I think people aim too high and it's just not something that's reasonable within their lives as they live it right now.

00:07:59: Definitely.

00:08:00: Definitely.

00:08:00: I totally understand what you mean.

00:08:02: And it is so funny because we are recording the podcast right now, but I have recorded two episodes today already.

00:08:09: And one of them was about Zivim Hof method.

00:08:12: Oh yeah.

00:08:13: So it's from your country.

00:08:15: Yeah.

00:08:15: And I've met him several years ago.

00:08:18: I think seven or eight years ago or something like that.

00:08:20: And since then I'm just showing cold.

00:08:22: Yeah.

00:08:22: But what I'm not doing at the moment on a regular basis is his breeze technique.

00:08:26: Yeah.

00:08:27: I really like his breeze technique.

00:08:28: But I'm not doing it at the moment regularly.

00:08:31: I used to do it, but now I started to start my day with a meditation.

00:08:36: Nice.

00:08:36: So and for me it is now a kind of, let's say conflict because even taking the time every day for the meditation means you have to stand up a little bit earlier.

00:08:48: And now I'm so motivated after this podcast interview to going back to the Vim Hof routine and starting my day with the breeze technique.

00:08:56: But honestly, I doubted that I can spend both.

00:09:02: So I spent my time for both of it.

00:09:04: So hard because I think when it comes to sticking to something that you want to do is always, of course, you have this goal.

00:09:13: You know, what do you want to do?

00:09:14: And then there's behavior like the breathing.

00:09:18: But there's also the surroundings like our lives around it.

00:09:21: And a lot of times we forget to change or make changes in this life.

00:09:26: For instance, if you want to do the breathing in the morning and you don't go to bed early, it's going to be hard to stick.

00:09:33: And I think the challenge for all of us is that if we can make small changes in the surroundings, in our lives to make some stuff fit.

00:09:44: Like, and I really believe in daily routines.

00:09:48: Like a lot of people say, I'll do it on Monday and on Wednesday and once in the weekend.

00:09:53: And but then you forget Wednesday or the child is sick or there's always something you're going to miss a day.

00:09:59: And then all of a sudden the whole week is gone.

00:10:02: So every day is easier.

00:10:04: A lot of times, and for instance, for the example of breathing, if you do the entire Vim Hof method, you know, it's 15, 20 minutes, maybe if you depending on how long your retent is.

00:10:17: But I would say so 12 to 15 minutes, I need always.

00:10:21: And now there's a day that's OK, you're stressed or you have to be somewhere.

00:10:26: But even if you do just a minute of breathing, you can still put that check in.

00:10:30: OK, I did breath work in the morning.

00:10:32: And I think I really believe in that type of routine building.

00:10:36: Like I want to do it every day.

00:10:38: If I miss a day, it's not a problem because I did it yesterday and I'll do it tomorrow.

00:10:43: And it's so interesting because on the same conference where I met Vim Hof, I also met the guy who invented the seven minute training.

00:10:50: You probably heard of it.

00:10:52: So I was at just a coincidence.

00:10:55: He was sitting next to me and then I said, hey, it's unbelievable.

00:10:58: I'm training to your program so for so many times, so many years already.

00:11:04: And then after that, I was really motivated to do it again.

00:11:07: And so I started and I did it for two years every single day, the seven minutes, two years.

00:11:14: And I was really, I was on a festival and it was so ridiculous because there was no place on the festival to do it.

00:11:21: But I had to do it.

00:11:22: And so I did it behind the toilet.

00:11:27: Toilet towers.

00:11:28: And the same, I was running early in the morning in Paris and then I just realized that I'm a little bit short on time.

00:11:36: And so I did it in front of the Eiffel Tower.

00:11:39: And so I really had some funny places where I did my seven minute training, but I did it every day.

00:11:45: And then after two years, I had an accident with my bicycle and I broke some ribs and something else.

00:11:52: And so I wasn't allowed to do any sports.

00:11:54: And so I stopped.

00:11:56: And now due to the fact that I have now already a track record of two years,

00:12:02: I'm not motivated at the moment to start again because I have the feeling the track record to break the record is so hard that I haven't started yet again.

00:12:10: Oh, yeah, so hard.

00:12:13: There's a, you probably know the book by James Clear, Atomic Habits.

00:12:17: And he has this wonderful example.

00:12:19: It's by an author named Jacob Reese.

00:12:21: He's a Scandinavian author.

00:12:23: And he has the example of a stone cutter.

00:12:26: And it's a theme of the book because he says the stone cutter.

00:12:30: If I don't know anymore, I go to the stone cutter and I watch him and I see him hit the rock over and over again.

00:12:37: And maybe a 99th or a hundred blow, the rock splits.

00:12:42: And then, uh, uh, Jeff, Jacob Reese says, and I know it's not that one blow, but all the blows before that made it split.

00:12:50: And that's a wonderful metaphor for building routines and doing stuff daily.

00:12:55: Yeah.

00:12:56: So you mentioned your book that routines are more reliable partners in your everyday life than motivation.

00:13:01: So have you experienced that also for yourself?

00:13:05: Yeah, because I love what we talked about the Rocky movies.

00:13:08: Everybody that loves the Rocky movies, when you hear the "I've the Tiger" or it's like, okay, here I go, motivation.

00:13:15: Which is funny that this was just the music from number three.

00:13:19: So we all think that it is all the time, but what is just the music from number three?

00:13:24: It was most famous.

00:13:25: Yeah, it is definitely.

00:13:27: And also you can watch certain videos of people training or doing certain exercise and you think, yes, here we go.

00:13:32: And it really gives you a good motivation, but motivation comes and goes.

00:13:37: So one day it will be there and the next day it won't.

00:13:41: And for the, for the people that just drive on motivation, you know, what are they going to do when it's not there during the day?

00:13:48: And I think if you build routines daily and you just want to put that check with, okay, exactly, daily, that's something I can lean on.

00:13:55: I really believe in strikes.

00:13:57: I really believe in strikes.

00:13:59: So this is for me the biggest motivation.

00:14:01: I thought, and this was also the biggest motivation for the seven minute training.

00:14:05: So because I don't, yeah, strikes are very motivating.

00:14:10: Oh, so nice.

00:14:11: Because if you say I want to move daily, sometimes it'll be a training in a gym for an hour.

00:14:17: Sometimes it'll be a seven minute training at home.

00:14:19: And if today it's going to be tough, okay, I'll walk to the first car in the street and back.

00:14:25: And I'll still put that check because I did a little movement.

00:14:28: Oh, it's so satisfactory.

00:14:30: Yeah.

00:14:31: So I had an interview some months ago and I took it over in many of my presentations right now.

00:14:37: It's the idea of making one push up a day.

00:14:40: So and because when you are already started to do a push up one push up a day isn't saving your life or health or anything.

00:14:48: But when you're starting to do one push up, most of the people don't stop.

00:14:53: Don't stop.

00:14:54: Do more.

00:14:54: Sometimes you're maybe in a bad condition.

00:14:56: Maybe you have a hangover or have enough sleep or maybe you don't feel that well.

00:15:00: Then you make maybe 10.

00:15:02: But normally you make, I don't know, an average maybe 40 or something like that.

00:15:06: So because, but when you say, Ari, just do one push up a day.

00:15:12: So have a strike with one push up a day and then you started just to have one.

00:15:17: So you make maybe a hundred or 200.

00:15:19: I don't know.

00:15:19: But but but nevertheless, you can check every day saying.

00:15:24: Wonderful.

00:15:24: I've done one.

00:15:25: Yeah, so nice.

00:15:27: Good.

00:15:27: So let's talk about the basics.

00:15:29: Sleep, nutrition, movement.

00:15:30: Yeah.

00:15:30: Why is it so important for the first stabilize these pillars to before we focus on more complex goals?

00:15:35: So I think it's the foundation.

00:15:37: You sleep well, you eat well, you move well, you manage your stress.

00:15:42: I think those four and and we live in a time of quick fixes and shortcuts.

00:15:47: So people, you know, they want the quick way there.

00:15:50: They want the six back, but not to do the work.

00:15:53: And and a lot of times people really run after all the trends, for instance, pre workouts with a lot of caffeine.

00:16:01: Like they don't eat well, they don't sleep well, but they take the pre workout and here they go.

00:16:05: And I think it's building on like loose grounds.

00:16:08: But if you build a solid foundation of the healthy pillars of sleep, movement and stress management and nutrition, then you can build and then you can start tweaking and use supplements.

00:16:20: And then it starts to work and to optimize your health.

00:16:23: But the foundation needs to be there.

00:16:25: It is so interesting because I what I brought here for you is Nicotinamide ribosyte.

00:16:31: So which is an NAD booster, NAD plus boost.

00:16:35: What is the NAD?

00:16:36: Because I read about this new supplement and I thought, hey, that's interesting also for me and my age.

00:16:42: Yeah.

00:16:42: But what is the NAD exactly?

00:16:44: So the NAD.

00:16:46: So I'm always explaining it like this because when you have your mitochondrial system, so this is where the energy is produced.

00:16:54: Yeah.

00:16:54: So and to produce the energy when you when you see it as a kind of power plant, then you need something like a fuel to put inside.

00:17:05: So and NAD plus is what is burned inside.

00:17:08: The problem is with NAD plus that when you when you imagine it as a kind of oven, then the wood you would like to put into the oven is too big.

00:17:20: It's like a whole tree.

00:17:21: So when you can't put the whole tree into an oven, you have to cut it before.

00:17:27: So and this is the reason why there are two other, let's say, pre NAD plus supplements.

00:17:35: So when you're taking NAD plus, it won't go into your cells.

00:17:39: But when you're taking either a nicotine amide ribosyth or NMN, this is the one which David Sinclair is promoting very much.

00:17:49: Then it is possible that it goes into your cells.

00:17:52: Then it will be converted into NAD plus and afterwards you can produce energy.

00:17:58: And the thing is that we, it was our 50 years old, we have just 50 percent of the NAD plus level, 30 years old have.

00:18:08: This is the reason why you're losing some energy when you're getting older.

00:18:12: And this is the reason why people are now so bullish to taking this kind of supplements to to produce more energy or have the same energy level like you have in the 30s.

00:18:22: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the thing like you said, what is the foundation?

00:18:27: Because at the end, when your mitochondrial system is not working well, then it is really useless to put good fuel inside.

00:18:35: Because when you have a broken oven, you have a broken oven, then you can have the best wood in the world.

00:18:41: It doesn't work efficiently.

00:18:46: And this is the reason why it is.

00:18:48: Yeah, I brought you one.

00:18:50: Yeah, nice.

00:18:50: Yeah, let's come back to the routines.

00:18:54: When you would say the top three routines that you have had in your life, what what had the biggest impact you would say?

00:19:03: If it would have to be three, because they come and go, you probably do the same thing.

00:19:09: You test things and they go with you for a few months or a few years and then maybe you change it again.

00:19:15: But the three that are most consistent for me are sleeping in the rhythm like a steady rhythm.

00:19:22: Same time to go to bed, same time to get up every day, daily movement and meditation.

00:19:30: I think those three really you're meditating every day.

00:19:33: Yeah, but that's also we talked about before.

00:19:38: I aim to meditate 10 to 20 minutes in the morning.

00:19:42: And a lot of times it's only eight or two even.

00:19:48: But the aim is there.

00:19:49: And I change my meditation around.

00:19:52: For instance, now I'm doing the breath meditation where I just sit down.

00:19:57: I have a spot in the house.

00:20:00: It's always there.

00:20:01: I don't want to do it in bed or I don't want to do it.

00:20:03: You know, I have to see the spot and know, OK, this is my appointment with me.

00:20:08: I sit there and I meditate and I stay quiet.

00:20:12: And I breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth.

00:20:16: And the thoughts come like like a carousel.

00:20:20: You know, they present themselves and I think, OK, thought, OK, back to the breath.

00:20:24: New thoughts, OK, back to the breath.

00:20:27: Sometimes I go on this train of thoughts a bit and I notice and I say, OK, back to the breath.

00:20:32: And it's just that's all it is.

00:20:33: It's so interesting.

00:20:34: So I have more or less the same and don't call it a carousel.

00:20:38: I call it clouds.

00:20:39: Yeah, really like clouds on the sky and you see that you're following a cloud

00:20:44: and you're following it and then you stop, stop, come back, back where you are.

00:20:47: And then there's another cloud.

00:20:50: But don't you feel like it translates so well to like everyday life when something happens

00:20:57: and you feel an emotion or something with it and meditation kind of trains me in not reacting right away.

00:21:04: So there's a thought.

00:21:05: I don't have to do anything with it back to the breath.

00:21:09: And the nature is more there's a thought.

00:21:11: Oh, I have to react.

00:21:12: I have to do something.

00:21:13: I have to.

00:21:15: So it's nice to train yourself in that sense.

00:21:17: It is.

00:21:18: And I just also get a very interesting hint from the person from the Mof trainer.

00:21:25: Because what I've realized when I really would like to have this piece of mind,

00:21:30: when I really want to meditate and just be and not think,

00:21:35: I must say that I have had it for the longest time always when I'm sitting in the ice bath.

00:21:41: Oh, yeah.

00:21:41: And it's so interesting.

00:21:43: And he said, try to feel yourself again in the ice bath.

00:21:48: And then you will see that your meditation improves.

00:21:52: Wow.

00:21:53: And I just learned it today.

00:21:54: I will test it tomorrow and I will tell you.

00:21:59: But I'm pretty sure that this will work because very often when you put yourself in a certain state of mind,

00:22:05: that it helps you.

00:22:07: And when you have experienced this really piece of mind in this situation,

00:22:12: then it could be helpful to come back into this situation.

00:22:15: Yeah, nice.

00:22:16: I really believe that.

00:22:18: And also when you talk about ice baths, I love it.

00:22:22: Also overcoming the hesitance.

00:22:25: Like you stand there and you see it and you it's cold and you know it's going to be cold.

00:22:31: Yeah.

00:22:32: And then to do it anyway, such a nice way to train yourself to overcome obstacles,

00:22:37: to overcome stress, to overcome fear.

00:22:40: It's a very nice metaphor.

00:22:41: It is.

00:22:42: It is definitely.

00:22:43: And definitely, especially when you have your ice bucket outside and when you even have snow

00:22:48: and maybe the surface is already ice and everything.

00:22:52: And then you say, it is so ridiculous to go into the water right now.

00:22:56: When you then sitting in there and after, I would say, mostly after 90 seconds,

00:23:03: you're getting getting used to it.

00:23:05: And then you're going down and then you feel so peaceful.

00:23:08: And what I really like about it is after approximately one hour,

00:23:12: so not sitting for one hour, ice bucket push.

00:23:15: So I mean, when you finish it after three minutes, five minutes, something like that.

00:23:18: And then one hour later, you have such a good mood.

00:23:22: So it is so unbelievable how uplifting it is.

00:23:26: Yeah.

00:23:26: Yeah.

00:23:27: It's the most wonderful thing to see when people do it the first time.

00:23:31: But first they have this feeling of they conquered something and they're proud of themselves.

00:23:36: And but then after a while, when the body starts heating up again,

00:23:40: and just every cell is alive and they feel so good.

00:23:44: It's nice to see.

00:23:45: It's so good.

00:23:46: I have to stop to talk about it because otherwise I definitely have to do it today.

00:23:50: But I don't think we have the opportunity to do it.

00:23:52: So uplifting for your mood might be also when I'm trying to to pronounce the name of your book.

00:23:58: So in your book, Training for Head Living.

00:24:02: Yeah, nice.

00:24:03: You focus a lot on aging and vitality.

00:24:06: So first of all, what does the title mean?

00:24:09: Second, what does a good aging mean to you?

00:24:13: Training for head living is like training for life.

00:24:17: Ah, so training for life.

00:24:18: Yeah.

00:24:19: OK.

00:24:19: And it was my dad is 82 and my mother as well.

00:24:25: And my dad had a brain hemorrhage, like a bleeding in the brain.

00:24:30: He was in the hospital and he got really weak, really weak.

00:24:34: So weak that my daughter, who was five at the time, ran towards him a few weeks later.

00:24:43: And usually he would just pick her up and hug her.

00:24:45: And he looked at me and he was like, I don't know if I can.

00:24:48: But she kept running and he picked her up and they fell.

00:24:51: Oh.

00:24:52: And he turned.

00:24:53: So she didn't get hurt.

00:24:54: He did.

00:24:56: But he was so he got so weak.

00:24:57: And at that moment when he got up and he said, I have to get strong again.

00:25:02: And we started training to get her weightlifting and and slowly but steadily.

00:25:07: He got stronger and more confident.

00:25:10: And we worked on daily moves, like sitting up and down from a chair.

00:25:15: And lifting like a plate, a weight above his head, tying his own shoelaces, walking with

00:25:23: kettlebells like their bags, just regular stuff.

00:25:26: But he got so much stronger, so much more confident.

00:25:29: And now a few years later, you know, he's so much more vital and energetic again.

00:25:33: And my mom and he he trained.

00:25:36: They trained together with me.

00:25:37: And they also train with a group of 70 plus people every once in a while.

00:25:42: So twice a week they train.

00:25:44: They get stronger.

00:25:45: They get more energetic and also more stable.

00:25:50: For instance, he was in the Metro in Amsterdam and he he tripped, but he didn't fall.

00:25:56: So he called me up.

00:25:57: He said, I tripped.

00:25:58: I didn't fall.

00:25:59: It's like my core stability is so much better.

00:26:01: So it's really they get their quality of life back.

00:26:04: And I saw this and I knew it from, you know, the science and the publications.

00:26:08: But I thought I have to write a book about it's like training methods.

00:26:12: What can you do to age well?

00:26:14: To get as old as you can, but to stay good as long as you can.

00:26:18: Yeah, definitely.

00:26:19: So this is what I what I really like about it because I have the feeling sometimes that

00:26:25: these whole longevity movement goes into a freak show in a way.

00:26:30: So maybe because of Brian Johnson and people like him.

00:26:35: And that's not what it's all about.

00:26:37: Because first of all, you want to stay healthy as long as possible, not to live as long as

00:26:42: possible, but healthy as long as possible.

00:26:44: And everything you do today to stay healthy as long as possible helps you also to feel

00:26:50: better right now.

00:26:52: Because lifting weights right now makes you more stable, more confident, more more active

00:26:59: in your daily life.

00:27:01: And so it helps you to stay healthy longer, but it also helps you today.

00:27:07: And this is what I like about it.

00:27:08: And this is why what is for me so important to bring the whole longevity movement out of

00:27:12: the freak show.

00:27:13: Yeah, definitely.

00:27:14: I like the work of Peter Atia.

00:27:15: Yeah.

00:27:16: Outlive is his book is wonderful, but he makes a difference between lifespan and health

00:27:24: span.

00:27:25: Yeah, a lifespan is just age, just years, but health span is pretty clear defined.

00:27:31: So there's a date of birth and date of death.

00:27:33: So and it's pretty extended.

00:27:35: But the health span, you know, how do you stay well?

00:27:38: It's wonderful, wonderful knowledge.

00:27:40: Yeah.

00:27:41: I totally agree.

00:27:42: I totally agree.

00:27:43: And this is what I like about it.

00:27:45: This is also where my motivation came from.

00:27:47: So and all the time when I'm listening to his podcast or his also even when you're just

00:27:55: following him on Instagram, it's really interesting to follow the snippets he is telling and.

00:28:00: About VO2 Max and about.

00:28:03: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

00:28:04: And this is really.

00:28:05: So you tell him all the catheter.

00:28:07: And especially when you say that is also this grip strength, for example.

00:28:11: So I just wrote an article about it about grip strength because some people understand

00:28:17: it stood it wrong in the wrong way because they said, okay, grip strength, grip strength.

00:28:21: I have to train my grip strength.

00:28:23: I said, no, no, it's just an indicator because normally when you have a good grip strength,

00:28:29: then it is very likely that you are overall in good shape.

00:28:34: But it doesn't help your longevity just to train your grip strength.

00:28:38: No, no.

00:28:40: Okay.

00:28:41: So you say it's not about staying young, but it's about aging strong.

00:28:46: So what would you say?

00:28:49: What kind of training can support us the most?

00:28:51: I think just a regular strength training.

00:28:54: Like a lot of times with the elderly, we kind of shove them to the margins of our society.

00:29:00: Like you're done.

00:29:01: You're finished.

00:29:02: You stop working.

00:29:03: You just die.

00:29:05: Okay.

00:29:06: And I think that's a waste because there's so much knowledge there and there, you know,

00:29:11: people get older because so they need to stay well.

00:29:13: And so strength training, I think is the most intricate part of aging well.

00:29:20: And just to see that the movements that we use in everyday life, sitting up, standing

00:29:25: down, sitting up from the bed, standing up from the floor, walking around with bags or

00:29:31: suitcases, picking up a grandchild that those movements are the same movements we use in

00:29:37: the gym.

00:29:38: A squat sitting down, a lunch tying your shoelaces, putting something in a cupboard is a shoulder

00:29:46: press and a deadlift or a squat you can use to pick something up from the floor.

00:29:52: Running around with bags is like a farmer's carry.

00:29:55: So all the movements from the gym are everyday movements in resistance.

00:29:59: So I think it's wonderful for the elderly to see, okay, how can we train the movements

00:30:04: we need in everyday life?

00:30:06: And it's very possible.

00:30:09: Every day is a word you said already.

00:30:12: So you are believing in doing something every day.

00:30:14: When you're following all the people which are telling you something about training, they

00:30:18: say you need rest days.

00:30:20: So what about rest days?

00:30:22: Yeah.

00:30:24: valuable. But I think you don't have to, you can train every day, even if you put the emphasis

00:30:32: on different groups of the body, for instance. For instance, my own training is, the focus today

00:30:39: was on legs, tomorrow it will be back the day after I will do only conditioning training,

00:30:45: so no strength training, but just VO2 max or Norwegian four by four, that type of training.

00:30:53: Then the day after might be just a mobility training, yoga, pilates or mobility movements.

00:30:59: And then the fourth day might be chest and shoulders. So I train every day, but I don't put

00:31:05: the stress of iron, of strength training on the body every day. Today was also my leg day.

00:31:14: And honestly, so first of all, I don't like leg days. But secondly, it's also so

00:31:22: a little bit, I would say disappointing in a way, because you're looking normally when you're doing

00:31:27: upper body training, afterwards you're looking really, really good in the mirror.

00:31:31: And you have your leg day, you're coming back from the gym and you're looking yourself in the

00:31:38: mirror. It's a little bit disappointing. But the muscle ache is stronger usually. Definitely.

00:31:42: It's also for me the day where I sweat the most, because the muscles are so big and

00:31:50: split squats and Bulgarian split squats and lunges and hamstrings are just firing up.

00:31:56: I love it. Definitely. So I was stood in this day, it was a little bit late. I'm doing everything

00:32:02: in Berlin with my bicycle. And you definitely see when you have your leg day early in the morning,

00:32:06: and then you are going on your bicycle. And then you also are a little bit late. It is pretty hard.

00:32:11: It is pretty hard after a leg day. But everyday movement, I understand it.

00:32:16: That's a wonderful example, because I think in everyday movement, like when you say you ride

00:32:20: your bike, like a lot of people will say, okay, I take the car or I take a metro or a bus,

00:32:25: and they miss so much daily movement. Like even if you do take the car, you can park

00:32:31: very far from the door that you have to be so you can walk a little bit.

00:32:34: In our society, where everything is convenient, it's so important to think, okay, how can I make

00:32:41: sure I get extra movement in my daily life? It's a wonderful challenge. Yeah. Really interesting,

00:32:48: because just before we met here, I went to the library here in Berlin, and there was a blood

00:32:55: donation day. And then I have seen after I finished my, after I donated my blood, I've seen that there

00:33:03: is a shortcut to the place where I parked my bike, but it looks a little bit like the emergency

00:33:09: escape. But it was open. It was open. Nevertheless, I could imagine that when I walked through it,

00:33:15: that someone would shout at me and saying, hey, it's not allowed, but I don't know.

00:33:19: And then I also thought about it and say, hey, do you really want to, don't want to have this

00:33:25: extra movement? So and so I decided to go the other way around. The long way. The long way.

00:33:30: Honestly, why do we do this shortcuts all the time when we don't have this time pressure? And

00:33:37: especially, especially honestly, after donating blood, it's maybe not such a bad idea to walk a

00:33:44: little bit before you start cycling. So I think we're programmed like evolutionary to always choose

00:33:51: the road of least resistance. Like if you don't make the appointment with yourself, I always use

00:33:57: the steps. And you're in the airport or in the metro station, and you see the regular steps and

00:34:03: the escalator. If you don't think about it, you'll take the escalator. But if you if you have that

00:34:09: appointment with yourself, that this is my rule, I take the steps always. And I always take the

00:34:14: elevator and people say, oh, yeah, but I work on the 12th floor. Okay, maybe you can make the

00:34:19: appointment. I always take the steps to the third floor. And then I'll take the elevator.

00:34:25: I have made an agreement because we are on the we our tower at Sunday has 10 floors and I made

00:34:32: an agreement with our CEO to always take the stairs. And I don't know if he's still doing it,

00:34:38: but I'm doing it. And then it's it's good. It's good. So 10 floors are really, really long.

00:34:45: It's a workout. It's a workout. It's a workout in a way. But but there's also Peter and Tia with

00:34:50: the exercise snacks and the galp. And several times a day, short movements, bursts like run

00:34:58: up the stairs in the hallway, or do some air squats 10 times. If you spread it out through

00:35:03: the day, it's the volume altogether is quite something. This is also what is really, I would

00:35:09: say in your books, you have a very pragmatic tone. So and why do you think that this

00:35:14: practice is something missing in our world today?

00:35:24: I think because in fitness, a lot of organizations, a lot of brands, a lot of people are trying to

00:35:31: sell a quick fix and try to sell quick fixes, you need new trends, you need the newest science,

00:35:38: you need and and it makes it very hard for people to say, okay, this is my path. Because the newest

00:35:45: theory on food is no carbs. Okay, everybody goes. And the thing when you make it simple,

00:35:53: you say, okay, let's sleep well, we go to bed at 10, we get up at six every day, also in the weekend.

00:36:00: We eat mainly vegetables, not too much meat, not too much fish, but every once in a while,

00:36:08: not too much processed foods, simple. And we move every day. I think that's three really basic

00:36:15: things. You make it really simple. And I think for most people, it's like, ah,

00:36:19: okay, so I don't have to run a marathon or do yeah, exactly. And I think

00:36:26: people think it's, it needs to be complicated in order to be successful. So if you give me this

00:36:34: theory, and it's really, you know, science there and science this and this is the new way, okay,

00:36:39: it needs to be complicated, then it'll work. But I think making things basic and making things

00:36:44: simple is like low hanging fruits, people can pluck it easier. Definitely, definitely. I'm

00:36:51: strongly believing in that because from my point of view, when you, so let's assume we really want

00:36:58: to, to have this longevity game and we want to also become 120. So that means for us,

00:37:03: it's another 70 years. So that's more years that we have lived on this life. We're not even mid-lifers.

00:37:10: We're not even mid-lifers then. No, not even then. No. So when you, when you say, okay,

00:37:15: you can achieve 120 years, but you can only achieve it if you stick to the healthy habits.

00:37:22: Then the healthy habits has to fit to you because at the end, when you have to do something that

00:37:28: you hate for the next 70 years, I don't want to become 120 if I hate it. But honestly, at the

00:37:34: moment, I love, I love cycling, I love going to the gym, I love running. I also prefer to have

00:37:42: healthy food instead of processed food. So these are things I really like. And I also

00:37:46: what you say about the sleep, I'm really now change my mind in terms of, especially on Friday,

00:37:55: Friday evening, very often when I'm staying at home, I have the feeling, okay, I can't go to bed

00:38:01: at 10 o'clock because I'm, it's weekend. I have to stay awake longer. But honestly,

00:38:08: I now see how much more valuable the time is when do you have in the morning at six o'clock in the

00:38:16: morning. So and honestly, when you're going for, I have a friend of mine, sometimes you go on a

00:38:22: very early bike ride at six o'clock in the morning and we're seeing how the day starts and the sun

00:38:30: is rising and everything is priceless, priceless, much better than I don't know, spending my time

00:38:36: from 10 to midnight watching Netflix. Yeah. Well, that's the thing. And I think we've all done it.

00:38:44: But we've all done it so many times that it's also interchangeable. Like it's nothing new. It's no

00:38:49: new experience. It doesn't feed you. And I think the moments in the morning when you go to bed early

00:38:55: and you have young kids. No, no, no, she's 23. 23. Nice also. Yeah, it's pretty good. It's pretty good.

00:39:03: My kids, I was late starting with kids and then my kids are really young. So I know

00:39:07: six, six, 30, they will be awake anyway. So it's also pragmatic. Yeah. But I just think you get so

00:39:17: much back for for energy. And I think for me, that's one of the main reasons you focus on my health

00:39:23: because I want to say yes to my kids. Like, if I come home after a long days of work and they say,

00:39:28: Dad, you want to, I don't want to say, oh, wait, I have to lay down. No, I want to say yes, let's go.

00:39:34: And that's sleep, movement, food. You can't miss it. It's really interesting that you say that you

00:39:42: also changing some things. And I'm pretty sure that doing these experience with your routines and also

00:39:49: you you have your program as a coach and also so is there anything you would do differently in

00:39:56: hindsight? I have made quite a few mistakes. So yes. But also I think the whole game is to try and

00:40:08: make errors to change. Maybe maybe I would have started with. I started with, like, like,

00:40:20: when I was quite young, I already tried creatinine and proteins. And I think you don't need those

00:40:28: things are wonderful. And I use them to optimize now quite quite often. But I think when you're young,

00:40:35: it's really easy to just use food and sleep and smart training and schedules and programming

00:40:42: to to make progression. Yeah. And I think I might have started just a little bit too soon with

00:40:49: external help. Really? Yeah. Okay. That might be one thing. But if I think about it longer, there

00:40:56: are quite quite a few things probably that I would do different now, at least. Yeah. Yeah.

00:41:02: Yeah. I would say I just would have started with my strength training earlier. Yeah. So this is

00:41:09: something and also more efficient in a way, because I've seen that I've I've done more or less the same

00:41:16: routine and the same weight more or less all the time. So it was quite, quite comfortable to do it.

00:41:24: So I don't have any motivation or program to going to the gym because it was so easy after a while.

00:41:30: So because you have to do three times 10 reps with this weight, easy, easy and boring.

00:41:36: Yeah. Easy and boring in a way, but also not really efficient. And I think also, that's probably

00:41:43: what people forget a lot of times that we think, okay, I have to work out because I want to lose

00:41:47: weight or I want to get stronger. They go to the gym and they put this pin in the machine and they

00:41:52: do 10 reps and the pin in this machine and 10 reps. And it's there's no thought behind it. Because

00:41:57: if we start thinking about our lives is like a professional athlete,

00:42:01: a professional athlete knows why they have to train and what they have to train for.

00:42:08: And we often don't ask ourselves the question anymore for what is my life, my work, my private

00:42:14: situation need in order to be lived in an optimal way and then to train for that. That's wonderful

00:42:21: that they want to be strong. I sit a lot, okay, then I have to compensate. I have a lot of stress,

00:42:26: okay, then I have to, you know, it's so nice to think about your life as if you're an athlete and

00:42:31: see how can sports and living healthy support my life instead of it being like a necessity and,

00:42:38: you know, just, it doesn't work that way. So at the end, it's you have to find your own way.

00:42:45: Yeah. And how would you say, have you found your balance between, I would say, this discipline

00:42:50: and this flexibility? Yeah. I think there's, you know, Jaco willing, the old Marine or a

00:42:59: Navy SEAL in America and he always says discipline is freedom.

00:43:04: Okay. And it sounds rough, but I think it's true because in discipline is rhythm. Like,

00:43:11: for me, it doesn't feel like, oh, you have to, you have to. I have two brothers that are

00:43:18: addicted to drugs and alcohol. Oh, really? And they're both sober now for 12 years. It's wonderful.

00:43:24: But it was a, it was a life of sorrow and of pain and of misery. And,

00:43:29: and to see when they picked up sports, attending AA meetings, like the structure and the discipline

00:43:38: of the routines, and it made them happier and productive and safer. So I've seen in many ways

00:43:47: when it's in sports, professional sports, or my family, or in other senses, the importance of rhythm

00:43:54: and the freedom it gives to make your own choices, to have the energy, to say no or yes to things.

00:44:01: It's all of those things are a gift from structure and routines. So for me, the discipline is the

00:44:08: freedom and the flexibility is in the fact that I know I'll do it. I did it yesterday. I will do it

00:44:15: tomorrow. If I don't do it today, it's not a problem. So it's not, that's where it's flexible. It's not

00:44:23: you have to, you have to. And otherwise, I don't feel good about myself. No, it's a gift and it

00:44:29: gives me back so much to live my life in the sense that I have the energy to do things, to love,

00:44:35: to be attentive, to be alert, to be strong, to live. Yeah. And know exactly what you mean. So in

00:44:42: my last office, I had a pull-up bar. And sometimes when I really had the feeling that I, I don't know,

00:44:48: I haven't done enough or haven't moved enough, or I just wanted to, I don't know, doing something else

00:44:54: because I was sitting so for such a long time in front of the computer or something like that.

00:44:59: I really just loved it and go to the pull-up bar. And even if I just made, I don't know,

00:45:03: five pull-ups or something like that, you feel the effect directly afterwards because it activates

00:45:08: so many muscles in your body. And, and not, yeah. Yeah. It's like a switch. It's like a switch.

00:45:15: So coming to the switch, let's talk about the importance of mental health. So how have you

00:45:20: found your way to mental health? Especially, I would say you as a TV presenter, you are,

00:45:27: you're a public person. I could imagine that isn't that easy all the time. It isn't. And for me,

00:45:36: meditation is a very important tool in it to train myself not to act on the impulse,

00:45:42: but to take time between what I see, what I feel and how I react. That's an important thing.

00:45:50: I've used therapy with a therapist to just to talk about my, my fears, my insecurities,

00:46:00: my obstacles in life. I really make a set of appointments with my wife to talk together

00:46:08: about life and the things coming at us and, you know, what's going well, what can be better.

00:46:13: And I also ask my, the people in my company, the work colleagues, every year I send them an email

00:46:23: and say, what are my blind spots? What are the things I'm not good at? And I don't see them,

00:46:28: apparently. So can you give me feedback on my weaknesses? It's a very hard thing to do because

00:46:34: the reaction when you get an email and you see these points, you go, no, that's not, oh, wait.

00:46:40: If you experience it that way, it's probably right. Yeah. So those are four things that I try to

00:46:49: build in my structure. That's pretty good. I had, I had it with my team. I don't know, we, we, we were

00:46:57: on a, on a after work beer, so some years ago. And then, so sometimes how would you say it,

00:47:05: alcohol is losing the tongue. And then they just told me that I'm used to,

00:47:12: takes the same frame. I'm saying the same frame very often. So ignoring often. And I said,

00:47:24: I've never heard me saying something like that. So because it wasn't, wasn't so, not familiar at

00:47:30: all. So when they told me, you're saying all the time these, I said, no way. And then afterwards,

00:47:37: I just explaining something to, to somebody. And then I said, immediately, I did it. I did it.

00:47:46: It was such a blind spot. It was unbelievable. It was really unbelievable. So did you change it?

00:47:55: I don't know. I'm not having the same team anymore. Maybe, but, but I think yes. I think yes,

00:48:04: because very often I'm, I realize that I'm saying it. And so I, yes, I think I change it. Maybe

00:48:09: I have something else because interestingly, the company I was working before, they just

00:48:16: saying that I'm using one word very often, very often. It was, it was interesting because it was

00:48:24: sensational. So, and I thought, how often could I use the word sensational? So,

00:48:33: because normally it's not, it's not, not a word you can, can use that often in your daily life,

00:48:40: but it seems to be, unless you're really enthusiastic. It's good. It seems to me that I'm

00:48:45: using it a lot. Okay. Yeah. But anyhow, so you often shifted readers to actively engage with life.

00:48:53: So have you always lived this way or was there a moment that you shifted your perspective?

00:48:59: I think I've always lived this way, but now it's more channeled towards,

00:49:06: it's more clear to me. Like I think as a, as a kid, I was often bored with situations and

00:49:13: started to look for adrenaline or, you know, doing bad stuff or just trying to, you know, get these

00:49:19: feedback from life, you know, exploring new areas or, and, and now I've channeled it more towards

00:49:29: life optimization. Like now I know I want to get new knowledge, new experiences, try new things,

00:49:36: get better at stuff. Because I know the self development is so important and it gives me a

00:49:42: lot of satisfaction to, to do it that way. Yeah. Yeah. It also changed your mind in a way, I think.

00:49:50: So because when you, when you're really so focused on these, let's say, healthy routines and also

00:49:57: eating well and everything. So after I had now today my blood donation, I get a bucket full

00:50:04: of sweets. So, and sweets I really loved in my, my past life and what I, what I, I, I, I don't want

00:50:12: to be rude and not taking it, but I really looked at it and I said it was pure sugar. So, and, and,

00:50:20: so I, when I entering the studio, I said, Hey, you've been so kind to me all the time. I have

00:50:25: so little present for you. That's how it goes. Yeah. So, okay. In a way, you have to say,

00:50:34: okay, I'm poisoned and maybe in a way with the sugar, but anyhow, maybe, maybe they will,

00:50:38: it seems to be that they like it. And we know more too. So, for instance, I was, as a kid, I

00:50:45: would love candy and I would just get it. Or when I was an adult, like experimenting with life,

00:50:51: using drugs and trying stuff. So I think it's also the exploring and starting to know more.

00:50:59: At one point you think, okay, this is not, this is not serving me. And this is, so now I make better

00:51:05: choices. And when I do choose sweets or less nutritional stuff, I know, and I also know how

00:51:14: to compensate. So I think that's a big difference in that. Have you observed that your health promoting

00:51:20: routine had also an effect on your relationship or social life? Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

00:51:26: Yeah, especially on the like in the 20s, going out to clubs and parties.

00:51:37: When that stopped, you lose friends. Like some friends did keep going into that. Or even when

00:51:44: their parents, they're still like, okay, put the kids with a nanny and we'll go party. And so

00:51:50: that changed. Also, I noticed when you're visible with health, a lot of times people

00:51:58: already expect that you will judge them. For instance, when they're a little bit too heavy,

00:52:04: and they'll say, oh, yeah, I need to go to the gym. And before they say anything, or you probably

00:52:09: never eat this. But so there's so much judgment when it comes to food or appearance. So that really

00:52:18: changed that I always try to be accessible and always try to say when it comes to health,

00:52:23: you have to be invited to the conversation. You don't want to be like an evangelist pushing

00:52:28: down the truck. Not like a typical vegan. So how can you identify a vegan? He was told you that.

00:52:35: I know. So yeah, so that changed, I think, in the in the relationships. But I think

00:52:42: it's also it presents the challenge as well to always make stuff accessible, always go from

00:52:48: fun. Like living like this will give you so much. It's not a sacrifice. It's fun. You get energy,

00:52:56: you get to do stuff, you get to explore and be strong and so much positives from it. So,

00:53:02: but it did change. Yes. So my personal hack sometimes when I'm going on an event and I

00:53:07: don't want to drink any alcohol, and it's like a cocktail party or something like that. I'm always

00:53:12: taking the glass of champagne. But I'm not drinking it. But it's much better to hold the glass of

00:53:17: champagne instead of having a glass of water because you're not drinking. So you're starting

00:53:23: some discussions. Yeah. And I'm sometimes not in the mood to have the discussion. And so I prefer

00:53:31: to have the glass of champagne. Exactly. Still drinking? You're still drinking, Niels? How many

00:53:41: is that? So what goals have you set for your own health and fitness in the coming years?

00:53:46: I want to keep up with my kids. Okay. That's good. Especially when they're pretty young. So

00:53:54: let's see. So the next 20 years are safe. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the goal. And

00:54:00: I want to up my VO2 mechs, I think. You want to make it better again? Make it better again.

00:54:11: How high is it? I don't know exactly how high it is. But I do notice that I haven't worked on it

00:54:17: enough. In my schedules before, it would always be real VO2 mechs training like the peteratia

00:54:23: stuff. And now I do quite a bit of endurance, but I don't do many sprints. So I have to first of

00:54:31: all test it again. So I know the marker. And then in the next two years, I want to see, okay, how can

00:54:36: I improve it? Same here. Same here. Because due to the fact that I was used to run, let's say,

00:54:43: at least four times a week, now I'm more two times a week. So really running. So I'm running also to

00:54:48: the gym, but it's just four minutes and then four minutes back. So in total eight minutes,

00:54:52: I'm cycling every day, but just for transportation. But I've seen that having these running routine

00:54:59: four times a week is much more beneficial for your VO2 mechs. But on the other hand, I took the

00:55:05: time I'm not running now for strength training. So that means due to this, I would say in total,

00:55:13: I have loose, I think three points of my VO2 mechs. But I was at 56 and now I'm at 53 right now. So

00:55:22: I'm still good, I would say, especially in comparison to our age group. And then nevertheless,

00:55:30: I'm also seeing that it's going down and if to work for it harder and when you get a little

00:55:35: older. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely. There's a real nice study in Norwegian four by four.

00:55:43: It's a VO2 mech set training. And you sit on a bike or a roller, it has to be steady or a running

00:55:50: machine. You can't be outside because it has to be steady. And you run or bike or whatever for four

00:55:57: minutes, at about 80% of your max, it needs to be stable, it can't go down or up stable four minutes.

00:56:04: And then you rest three minutes, and then you do this four times. So Norwegian four by four.

00:56:12: But it's a nice VO2 mechs booster day. It was actually from a study that was done in Norway.

00:56:18: That's why it's called Norwegian four by four. But that's the one I love.

00:56:22: What I did some years ago now, so in Hamburg, we have a river which is perceived as a lake.

00:56:29: It is the Alster, so in the middle, it's so and running around the Alster is 7.5 kilometer.

00:56:36: And as a 7.5 kilometer, so the goal is to run around in less than 30 minutes. So,

00:56:44: which means you have to run 15, 15 kilometer per hour, which is quite fast.

00:56:51: Steep. Yeah. And so I made a test and I've seen that my

00:57:00: lactate barrier was at 14.2 kilometer per hour. So 14.2. So I was one kilometer too slow.

00:57:11: So I made something like this training. So really an interval training, but I'm good on high altitude,

00:57:19: which was really, really good. And then after six weeks, we made a test again and I reached 15.2.

00:57:28: So that means it was good. And so on the first of December, some years ago, I don't know exactly

00:57:35: how many years ago, but I then passed it with 20 minutes and 48 seconds. But almost 30, but

00:57:45: nevertheless, it was unnecessary. It's so nice to put goals like that. Yeah, it's a measure.

00:57:49: Just loving it. And just loving it to having goals like this. And this is the same with,

00:57:55: for example, in my gym. I know that the owner of the gym is lifting on the one machine, 106,

00:58:02: and now I'm at 96. So my goal is to come on the same level. So like the owner of the gym.

00:58:09: So only on this one machine, but nevertheless. And then when you have that machine, there's another

00:58:16: machine. That's how it works. Exactly. Yeah. So finally, say one habit you would recommend to

00:58:23: everyone to positively change their lives. It's the sleep rhythm. Yeah, I think it's the most valuable.

00:58:29: Of course, strength training and food. It's almost impossible to disconnect them. But the difference

00:58:37: in health when people start sleeping in the set rhythm, going to bed at the same time every

00:58:42: night and getting up at the same time every morning, the difference in energies, unbelievable,

00:58:49: and in health and immune system and all those things. Yeah, that's, that's the game changer.

00:58:55: That's a game changer. Yeah. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your time, Ari.

00:59:01: It was very much fun. Yes. Yeah, I hope you visit me in my podcast as well. Oh, I would love to.

00:59:06: Which supplement is for you the most essential?

00:59:12: Only one. Only one. Oh, so hard.

00:59:17: There are there are a few supplements I've used pretty much all my grown up life.

00:59:24: Protein, creatin, vitamin D, omega three, magnesium. And if I have to, if you really

00:59:31: force me to choose on those five, I would be creatin. Interesting. Yeah, really. Yeah, it's,

00:59:38: I think it's the, it's the biggest difference. And for me, vitamin D is very hard to derive from,

00:59:45: from foods, of course, and definitely and in our climate, it's also very hard to make it.

00:59:50: But that one set aside, I think creatin for me is at least hardest to extract from foods. And I

00:59:59: still believe even though I'm a big fan of supplements, been using all my life,

01:00:04: but I really do believe that fresh foods and diverse foods are the basis of health.

01:00:10: So I optimize with supplements. And I think creatin for me is a cognitive muscle, endurance,

01:00:18: overall health, most important for me. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be thrilled if you

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