The average life expectancy across the world continues to increase. Whether that’s due to increased education around physical health, technological advancements or just a shift in cultural attitudes is open to debate. In truth, it is probably a combination of several factors. But how much can it continue to rise? And could we ever reach a point where humans are so healthy that they manage to live forever?
That may sound like a stupid question, and most would probably agree that it is. However, to a certain wealthy tech entrepreneur in the United States, it’s become a goal rather than a question. If you are not aware of Bryan Johnson and his outrageous mission to live forever, read on to learn all about the man who is trying to live forever.
Who Is Bryan Johnson?
Bryan Johnson is the focus of Netflix’s hit documentary, Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever. As you can probably gather from the title, it follows the story of a man who is trying to constantly stay ahead of death.
In 2013, Johnson sold his company to PayPal for $800m. While most people would be happy to ride off into the sunset with that hard-earned cash as they embark on a life of luxury, Johnson used his newfound wealth to improve his physical well-being.
He wasn’t always committed to living forever, and the shift was actually brought about by a period of poor diet and excessive alcohol consumption which followed the sale of his company. This a far cry from how he lives now which sees him follow an ultra-strict routine consisting of a healthy diet and zero alcohol. However, they are the more normal parts of Johnson’s routine. Here are 5 ways Bryan Johnson is trying to live forever.
5 Ways You Can Live Like Bryan Johnson
Strict Sleep Routine
He wakes up at 4:30am and goes to sleep at 8:30am, and he follows this religiously in order to get his recommended eight hours of sleep each night. As part of this routine, he also sleeps alone and is fiercely against any form of pillow talk which would probably explain why Johnson has admitted to finding it hard to find a life partner.
Studies show that quality sleep can help you live longer, although there are no studies to show that it can help you live forever. If you want to replicate Johnson’s approach to life, this is one of his easier commitments to replicate and explains why Johnson isn’t alone when it comes to securing his eight hours a night.
Healthy Diet
One of Johnson’s crazier parts of his routine sees him eat all meals before 11am. His diet consists of three meals a day and two of these are the same. As you’d expect, his diet isn’t the most exciting and greens, nuts and berries make up a large proportion of what he eats. As already discussed, his diet also contains no alcohol.
Johnson isn’t alone in cutting out alcohol; more and more people are becoming aware of the physical and mental hindrances that alcohol consumption can cause. In terms of nutrition, eating the same things every day doesn’t appeal to most people and you may find this harder to implement. However, generally speaking, swapping processed foods for whole food options should lead you to see many benefits including reduced risk of diseases.
100 Pills A Day
That’s not a typo, Bryan Johnson takes 100 pills every single day in his mission to live forever. Some of these are focused on increasing his protein intake to support muscle growth and repair while others focus on aiding cardiovascular health and cholesterol levels. As you’d imagine, there aren’t too many areas that aren’t supported when taking 100 supplements a day.
This is one of Johnson’s steps that you’ll likely not be able to follow. The first factor is the cost, 100 supplements a day don’t come cheap and probably explain why the tech entrepreneur spends an estimated $2m a year on staying healthy.
Varied Training Routine
Johnson’s gym routine is consistent but nothing too out of the ordinary. He spends an hour a morning working out and his routine consists of both resistance training and cardio activities, and allows himself one or two rest days per week. Along with this, he is known to enjoy participating in sports such as basketball and tennis.
While you may not be able to copy Johnson’s 100 pills a day, his workout routine is slightly more realistic. Working out in the morning can also allow see an improvement in your mood and focus throughout the day whilst also making it easier to fall asleep at night.
A personal Team Of Doctors
It’s important to remember that Johnson’s wealth facilitates such a disciplined lifestyle. There’s no better example of this than the team that surrounds Johnson, who are all tasked with keeping him alive forever. At the heart of this is daily tests, that are designed to offer constant feedback on Johnson’s experiment. From cholesterol to DNA, his body is measured to an incomprehensible level every single day.
If you can afford to surround yourself with health professionals then there’s nothing to stop you from implementing your own team of personal doctors. To most people, however, this is off-limits and you may have to make do with more regular hospital checkups.
Final Thoughts
While some people’s commitment to living longer is reduced to a healthy diet and cosmetic surgery is used as a shortcut to looking younger, it’s clear that Johnson goes far beyond this. To some, his methods are strict and disciplined while to others they are crazy and unrealistic. If you are considering living a similar life to the man who wants to live forever, it’s important to remember that there is no scientific evidence that supports the idea that humans can live forever. However, copying Johnson’s routine as much as your life allows will, on the whole, lead to a healthier life and enhanced vitality.
