The one thing you’re avoiding that can help you live longer


A lot of people look at stress as a negative thing, and they would be right most of the time.

When it comes to longevity, certain stresses can actually be beneficial for you as your body is designed to adapt and grow stronger when faced with challenges. 

This is hormesis.

In the case of longevity, controlled stresses in small doses trigger powerful repair mechanisms that make you help you become more resilient and resistant to disease and inflammation, making you better equipped overall to fight aging.

This could be the micro tears that happen when you lift weights, the clearing of damaged cells when you fast or push yourself through a hard workout, or the way circulation and energy production improves from the survival pathways activated from exposure to heat and cold.

The most important factor is finding the right balance that activates your body to adapt to the stressor without burning it out.

The stress you need in your life

As we’re well aware, not all stress is beneficial - the key is to choose the stressors that challenge your body without overwhelming it.

You want your body to be able to adapt to controlled stress so that, as you’ll read below, you can activate your longevity pathways.

Heat exposure

Exposure to high temperatures activates heat shock proteins, which help to repair damaged cells, reduce inflammation, and enhance your overall cellular resilience.

A sauna is a great way to test your heat stressors.  In particular, sauna has been linked to lower risks of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and all-cause mortality.  And the sweat response also aids in flushing out toxins as we talked about here.

Cold exposure

As expected, cold exposure works the opposite way to heat, forcing your body to generate warmth by activating brown fat - the fat that keeps you warm while burning calories when exposed to the cold.

In this case, a cold sauna or cold plunge increases norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that enhances focus, reduces inflammation, and strengthens the immune system.  You benefit from improved circulation, stress tolerance, and mood regulation with consistent cold exposure.

Fasting - intermittent & extended

Your body shifts into repair mode when you take a break from eating, triggering a process called autophagy where damaged cells are broken down and cleared out.  Your cellular health benefits in this case as cells can function with greater efficiency when wasteful, damaged cells are removed.

When done properly, fasting can be one of the most powerful longevity tools as it improves insulin sensitivity, enhances metabolic flexibility, and promotes mitochondrial efficiency.

Strength and cardio training

While strength training stimulates muscle growth and prevents age-related muscle loss, cardio has profound effects on strengthening the heart, improving oxygen efficiency and overall mitochondrial function.

Even though all movement has a net benefit for you, when you challenge your body through resistance or cardiovascular training, you push your body to adapt, grow, and repair itself. 

These stressors lead to greater resilience, higher energy, and promote a longer, healthier life.

The stressor balancing act

Too much of anything eventually becomes a bad thing, hermetic stress is no different. 

Pushing your body too hard without proper recovery leads to all kinds of negative outcomes - from chronic fatigue and inflammation to burnout and unnecessary injuries induced by too much stress.

The goal is finding that balance between pushing yourself just enough and not overdoing it...

Start small and build gradually - if it’s your first cold plunge, you may only want to try for 15-30 seconds and then build from there.

Cycle your stressors - if you just completed an intense strength training session, it may not be a good idea to fast right after, give your body time to adapt.

Pay attention to overtraining - signs of overtraining may include feeling exhausted instead of energized, disrupted sleep, prolonged soreness, or brain fog.

Prioritize recovery - as much as the small doses of stress are helpful, so too is the time you spend recovering, whether it be through quality sleep or proper nutrition.

To simplify it, hormesis is essentially controlled discomfort followed by strategic recovery.  The goal is to push your body just enough to get it to adapt and subsequently evolve, without any negative impact.

TLDR TRIO

✨ Expose your body to short bursts of stress to spark repair and resilience.

🔄 Cycle heat, cold, fasting, and movement - don’t overdo it.

🛌 Recover like it’s your job - that’s when the real growth happens.