There’s a quiet revolution happening in boardrooms across the world. It’s not about standing desks, adaptogens in your coffee, or the newest biohacker-approved gadget.
It’s something deeper, slower and infinitely more powerful. Longevity–once the realm of scientists, gerontologists and Silicon Valley optimisers–is now knocking on the glass walls of your office, asking to be let in.
We’ve reached a point in modern work culture where burnout is no longer a badge of honour. High performance isn‘t just measured in output but in sustainability–can you keep showing up at your best, mentally and physically, for years? Can your body support your ambitions? Can your brain sustain the load? That’s where longevity comes in.
Showing what this looks like on the ground is performance and rehab coach Matt Waterton, founder of Strength in Motion. He’s made it his mission to teach people–from elite athletes to high-achieving professionals–that the secret to long-term performance isn’t intensity, it’s consistency. And more importantly, it’s not just for athletes anymore. “We’re seeing a new era where executives, creatives and entrepreneurs are training more like seasoned pros–not to win trophies, but to stay in the game longer,” says Waterton.
Why the office is the new gym
You may not be deadlifting your bodyweight in your 11am WIP meeting (and let’s be honest, please don’t), but your office is becoming a new kind of training ground. We’re talking about proactive health–using daily routines to train for energy, resilience and, yes, longevity.
Companies are waking up to this too. Instead of pushing people to the brink and wondering why they break, the smartest leaders are investing in practices that extend the healthspan of their employees. Think movement breaks over midday marathons, quality sleep over late-night emails, and lower stress over inflated KPIs.
The idea? Take the same principles that keep athletes performing well into their 30s and 40s–and apply them to the workplace.
So, what exactly does that look like in practice? According to Waterton, it starts with a mindset shift and five deceptively simple habits.
The 5 longevity habits you should start building now
1. Slow Down to Speed Up
When Matt watches people train, especially those over 30, the most common mistake he sees is speed–too fast, too hard, too soon.
“People rush their reps like they’re being chased,” he jokes. “ But when you slow down your lifts and use time under tension–five seconds up, five seconds down—you build strength across your full range of motion, protect your joints, and activate more muscle fibres.”
Matt also stresses the point of how ‘slowing things down’ increases the strength, function, and stretch of your tendons. ‘Most people focus on strengthening their muscles, bones and cardiovascular health. Sure, these are all important, but what holds everything together? Your tendons. They’re the linking point of everything throughout your body, and by increasing your time-under-tension training, you increase the blood flow to the area around your tendons too. This will in turn improve the movement and function of your entire body.’
And here’s the kicker–this same principle applies to work. Slowing down tasks, being deliberate, and avoiding chronic rush mode protects your cognitive load. It’s a longevity tool for both body and brain.
2. Train in All Heart Rate Zones
“Not every day of your life is the same and, therefore, your training should reflect this,” say Waterton. “Most people go to the gym and do the same exercises or classes day in, day out. But real gains, especially when it comes to increasing your life span, is about training with variety. Getting your heart rate into its different zones with different types of exercises sets you up to take on the variety of challenges that life in general throws at you.”
Matt says we should be aiming for around 45 minutes of zone 2 & 3 a week, paired with a couple of high-intensity interval sessions as well.
Translation: a brisk walk, a bike ride, a light jog. Combine two sessions of high intensity with three to four zone 2/3 sessions each week, and you’ll improve your aerobic base, burn fat more efficiently and feel more energised—not wrecked. Now imagine bringing that consistent energy into every meeting at work.
3. Consistency > Intensity
Matt says it best: “People try to change everything in 6 or 12 weeks and wonder why they burn out.” Instead, aim for small, sustainable habits–10 minutes of mobility in the morning, walking meetings, strength training twice a week etc.
Longevity isn’t built in a single sprint. It’s the result of showing up, day after day, when no one’s watching.
4. Train Like You’re Extending Your Career
We all have a “field of play”–whether it’s a gym, a boardroom or wherever your real-life responsibilities play out. “As we get older, we’re less resilient to bad training technique, poor programming or ego lifting,” says Waterton. “Stop training like you’re in your twenties if you’re 45. Start training like you’re extending your career, not like you’re trying to step into a time machine.”
That means choosing exercises that suit your body, your history, your lifestyle. Matt’s advice: respect your injuries, skip the circus tricks, and move with intention. You don’t need to beat the 25-year-olds. You just need to outperform your own future decline.
“If we purely focus on performance every time we train, it can have a negative impact on our health. Whereas if we focus on consistency and health, we have a better platform for extended periods of high performance,” Waterton says.
5. Master the Fundamentals (and Forget the Fads)
Ice baths and massage guns might look cool on Instagram, but Matt says it plainly: “They’re not new, and they’re not magic. The most powerful recovery tool? Sleep. The best performance enhancer? Consistent training. The ultimate supplement? Real food.”
Wateron goes on to explain that these ‘fitness fads’ are the 2% add-ons that can help but are pointless if you’re not prioritising the 25% foundational lifestyle habits first. Longevity doesn’t live in gadgets. It lives in habits. In sleep, strength, low-stress states and well-paced days. Not trendy, just timeless.
The Takeaway
Longevity is no longer just for those chasing 100. It’s for anyone who wants to live–and work–with more clarity, energy and purpose for as long as possible.
Matt Waterton’s approach isn’t just about looking good or lifting heavy. It’s about being strong, present and adaptable–in your training, your work and your life. It’s about playing the long game.
So if you’re someone who’s felt the tension between performance and burnout, between hustle and health–maybe it’s time to train not for the next deadline, but for the next decade.
As Matt would say: slow it down. You’re in this for life.
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