Comfort is Killing Us

September is archery season here in Colorado, and I spent a lot of it deep in the wild.

Most mornings started between 3:30 and 5:00 a.m., hiking alone in the dark — cold, tired, and often uncomfortable.

But I was also happy.
And I believe I’m healthier because of it.

Now consider the opposite: infinite comfort.

Sleeping in. Driving everywhere. Never hot, never cold. Unlimited food. Constant dopamine from a screen.

Even much of today’s “fitness” has become comfort fitness — a counterfeit that steals what we’re really capable of.

A comfortable life is an unhealthy life.
Discomfort is what creates an antifragile body and mind.

Lately, I’ve been exploring what I call Performance-Based Longevity Training — a framework for living longer while keeping your body and mind sharp.

It’s about quantity and quality of life — maximizing both, not sacrificing one for the other.

I’ve been experimenting with:
• Strength and mobility through full-range-of-motion, weighted movement.
• Improving VO₂ max with Norwegian 4x4 intervals.
• Treating my information diet like my nutrition — no junk.

And I believe our Fitness Vital Signs — strength, endurance, mobility, recovery — may matter as much (or more) than the traditional ones your doctor measures.

As Starting Strength’s Mark Rippetoe quipped:
“Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general.”

Rucking fits perfectly into this idea — but we can go further.

Through imaginative training, seasonal challenges, and micro-doses of discomfort, we can improve performance and longevity at the same time.

It won’t be comfortable.
But it will make you alive — longer and better.

Vibe check: how does this hit?
Reply to this email and let me know.