The Norge Longevity Protocols

How to read this guide

Australians live long but spend about 12.1 years of that life in poor health, the second widest gap of 183 countries 1. This guide is about closing that gap. Every protocol carries a grade so you know how much weight to put on it.

A

Strong. Randomised trials or large meta-analyses agree.

B

Good. Large, consistent cohort studies. Association, not proof.

C

Emerging. Small trials or mechanisms. Promising, not settled.

D

Not supported yet. Popular, but human evidence is thin or negative.

The order matters. Fitness, strength, sleep, food and connection carry the heaviest evidence. Heat, cold and light are powerful rituals that support them. In a Cleveland Clinic study of 122,007 adults, the fittest group had an 80 per cent lower risk of death than the least fit, with no upper limit seen 2.

1. Know your numbers

You cannot manage what you do not measure. Take this list to your GP.

Test	How often	Why it matters	Grade
Blood pressure	At least yearly; home monitor if raised	The biggest modifiable driver of heart disease and stroke. Sauna does not cancel high pressure 20.	A
Lp(a)	Once in your life	Genetic and invisible on a standard panel. The 2026 US guidelines give lifetime testing a Class 1 recommendation, and the 2025 European update treats levels above 50 mg/dL (105 nmol/L) as a risk enhancer 38.	A
Lipids plus ApoB	Every 1 to 5 years, by risk	ApoB counts the particles that cause plaque and can reveal risk when LDL looks normal 38.	A
HbA1c or fasting glucose	Every 1 to 3 years	Picks up rising blood sugar years before diabetes.	A
Kidney function (eGFR), liver tests	With your bloods	Also needed before high protein or creatine if you have kidney disease.	A
Bowel screening (FIT kit)	Every 2 years, ages 45 to 74	Free through the national program. Ages 45 to 49 request the kit on 1800 627 701 39.	A
Skin check	Ask your GP how often	Australia has among the highest skin cancer rates in the world.	A
Fitness test	Yearly	A treadmill test, or a wearable VO2 max estimate to track the trend 2.	B
Sleep regularity	Track for a week, twice a year	Regular sleep timing predicted mortality better than sleep length 13.	B
Vitamin D, homocysteine	If your GP sees a reason	Useful in context. A homocysteine blood test tells you more than an MTHFR gene test 35.	C

2. Movement and cardio fitness

The evidence

Steps. A 2025 Lancet Public Health meta-analysis found 7,000 steps a day, compared with 2,000, was linked to 47 per cent lower mortality, 38 per cent lower dementia risk and 28 per cent fewer falls 3. B
Aerobic base. Guidelines recommend 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate activity, or 75 to 150 minutes vigorous 5. A
Intervals after 70. In Generation 100, a five-year trial of 1,567 Norwegians aged 70 to 77, two weekly interval sessions at about 90 per cent of peak heart rate improved fitness and quality of life more than moderate training. The mortality difference pointed the same way but was not statistically certain 6. A
After meals. Walking straight after eating blunts the glucose spike more than walking before or later 7. A

The protocol

Walk 7,000 or more steps daily. If you are at 3,000, add 1,000 a fortnight.
Three easy sessions a week of 30 to 60 minutes where you can still talk: walk hills, ride, swim, row.
One 4x4 session a week once your base is built: warm up, then four rounds of 4 minutes hard (breathing heavy, about 85 to 95 per cent of max heart rate) with 3 minutes easy between.
Walk 10 to 15 minutes after your biggest meal. Even 2 to 5 minutes helps.
Break up sitting every 30 to 60 minutes.

3. Strength, balance and power

The evidence

A 2022 meta-analysis found any resistance training was linked to 15 per cent lower all-cause mortality, with the largest reduction, 27 per cent, around 60 minutes a week 4. B
A 30-year study of 147,374 adults published in 2026 put the sweet spot at 90 to 120 minutes a week, with extra benefit when combined with aerobic exercise 5. B
Muscle and strength protect independence, balance and blood sugar as you age. Creatine adds to the gains (see protocol 12).

The protocol

Two to three full-body sessions a week, 30 to 45 minutes each, 60 to 120 minutes total.
Build around the big patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull, lunge, carry.
2 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps, finishing each set with 1 to 3 reps left in the tank. Add load or reps week to week.
After 60, add power (rise from a chair quickly) and balance work (single-leg stands, step-ups) most days.
Keep cold plunges away from strength sessions (protocol 9). Use the sauna after instead.

4. Nutrition

The evidence

Protein. The PROT-AGE group recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg of body weight daily after 65, and 1.2 g or more if you are exercising 8. PROT-AGE also suggests about 25 g per meal. A
Ultra-processed food. A 2024 BMJ umbrella review linked higher intake with 32 adverse outcomes, including about 50 per cent higher cardiovascular death 9. Much of the evidence is observational and graded low quality. B
Eating windows. A 2025 randomised trial found an 8-hour eating window did no better than simply eating 15 per cent less 10. Useful as structure, not magic. A

The protocol

Protein at every meal: 25 to 40 g, from fish, eggs, meat, dairy, legumes or tofu. For an 80 kg person, that is roughly 100 to 130 g a day.
Build meals from whole foods: vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, fish. Fill half the plate with plants.
Cut the packaged ultra-processed foods first: soft drinks, packaged snacks, processed meats, sweets.
Eat on a rhythm: most food earlier in the day, a finish two to three hours before bed.
Hydrate around heat and training. Water first.
If you have kidney disease, check protein targets with your doctor.

5. Alcohol and smoking

Australian guidelines: no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any day. The less you drink, the lower your risk 11. A
Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen. An estimated 7,804 Australian cancer cases in 2024 were attributable to alcohol 12.
Never combine alcohol with sauna or cold water. It raises the risk of low blood pressure, rhythm problems and sudden death 21.
If you smoke, stopping beats every other protocol in this guide. Quitline: 13 7848.

6. Sleep and light

The evidence

Regularity. In 60,977 UK Biobank adults, the most regular sleepers had 20 to 48 per cent lower mortality than the least regular, and regularity predicted death better than duration 13. B
Bright days, dark nights. In 88,905 adults wearing light sensors, the brightest nights carried 21 to 34 per cent higher mortality risk, while brighter days were protective 14. B
Warm water before bed. A bath or shower at 40 to 42.5 °C, one to two hours before bed, helped people fall asleep faster and sleep better 15. A

The protocol

Same wake time every day, weekends included, within 30 minutes. Aim for 7 to 9 hours in bed.
Outside light within an hour of waking, 10 to 30 minutes, longer on grey days. Respect the UV index.
Dim the house after dark. Warm, low lamps. Screens down or dimmed. Bedroom dark and cool.
Warm water or sauna 60 to 120 minutes before bed, then let your body cool.
Caffeine before midday. No alcohol as a sleep aid.
Loud snoring or gasping at night: ask your GP about a sleep apnoea test.

7. Stress and breath

The evidence

A Stanford randomised trial found 5 minutes a day of cyclic sighing, with long exhales, improved mood and lowered breathing rate more than mindfulness meditation over a month 16. A
A 2023 meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials found breathwork lowered self-reported stress 16.

The protocol

Cyclic sighing, 5 minutes daily: a full nasal inhale, a short second sip of air to top up, then a long slow exhale through the mouth. Repeat.
Use slow breathing to settle into the first minutes of a cold plunge.
Skip forceful hyperventilation and breath holds near water, and never do them in water.
Protect quiet time daily: a walk without your phone, a sauna without a podcast.

8. Heat: the sauna protocol

The evidence

Finnish men who bathed 4 to 7 times a week had fewer fatal cardiovascular events and deaths than once-weekly bathers over about 20 years 17. B
In an 8-week trial, 15 minutes of sauna after exercise lowered systolic blood pressure about 8 mmHg more than exercise alone, and improved fitness more 18. A
A 2026 Finnish study found steam (löyly) raises heart rate and core temperature independently of air temperature 19. C
Weekly sauna users in UK studies reported better wellbeing than monthly users, largely through belonging 37. C

The protocol

Frequency: build to 3 to 4 sessions a week, more if you enjoy it.
Dose: 1 to 3 rounds of 10 to 20 minutes at 70 to 90 °C traditional, or longer at lower infrared temperatures. Start with one round of 10 minutes.
Timing: after strength or cardio sessions, or in the evening, finished 1 to 2 hours before bed.
Steam: add water to the stones a ladle at a time. More steam, shorter round.
Between rounds: cool in air or a cool shower, sit for a minute, sip water.
Share it. Make one session a week social.

9. Cold: the immersion protocol

The evidence

A University of South Australia review of 11 studies (3,177 people, water at 15 °C or colder) found lower stress 12 hours later and better sleep and quality of life, with no clear effect on mood 22. B
The cold shock gasp habituates after about four immersions, and milder water trains it 23. A
Cold straight after lifting modestly reduced muscle growth in pooled trials 24. A
In 20 swimmers aged 45 and over, heart rate jumped about 40 beats per minute in 7 °C water, but rhythm events were no more common than on dry days 25. C

The protocol

Weeks 1 to 2: 12 to 15 °C, 1 to 2 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week.
Weeks 3 to 6: step down 1 to 2 °C a week to 8 to 12 °C, 2 to 3 minutes.
Ongoing: 2 to 4 sessions, about 10 minutes total a week. Colder is not required.
Entry: slow breaths first, legs, hips, chest. Head stays out.
Timing: non-strength days, mornings, or as the cool-down between sauna rounds.
Never alone while you are learning. Heart condition: see your cardiologist first.

10. Red light

Eyes: small UCL studies found a single morning exposure to low-power 670 nm light improved colour contrast in people around 40 and older for about a week 26. C
Glucose: 15 minutes of 670 nm light on the back cut the blood glucose rise after a glucose drink by 27.7 per cent in 30 healthy adults 27. One session, not a treatment. C
Skin: a controlled trial of 136 people using full-body red light devices twice weekly found higher collagen density after 30 sessions 28. B
Dose: light follows a biphasic curve. Low doses often beat high ones 29.

Protocol: 10 to 20 minutes, 2 to 5 times a week, at the device's recommended setting. Morning or post-training. Always wear eye protection with high-power devices. Photosensitive or on photosensitising medication: check with your doctor first.

11. Hyperbaric oxygen

The best-known ageing study gave 35 adults over 64 sixty sessions of 100 per cent oxygen by mask at 2 atmospheres in a medical chamber. Telomere length in some blood cells rose over 20 per cent and senescent cells fell. There was no control group 30. C
Mild and medical hyperbaric therapy are not the same thing. Pressure and oxygen level decide what a chamber does 31. C

Our position: promising science, not a proven longevity therapy. Wellness chambers are not medical treatment and we make no treatment claims. Ear, sinus, lung or seizure history: medical clearance first.

12. Supplements, graded

Supplements fill gaps. They do not replace protocols 1 to 7. Check interactions with your GP or pharmacist.

Supplement	Evidence	Typical use	Grade
Creatine monohydrate	With resistance training, adds lean mass and strength in older adults and has a strong safety record 32. Brain benefits are emerging.	3 to 5 g daily	A
Protein powder	A convenient way to reach the targets in protocol 4 8.	20 to 40 g when meals fall short	A
Omega-3 (EPA and DHA)	In the DO-HEALTH trial of adults over 70, 1 g daily modestly slowed several epigenetic ageing clocks over three years, a post hoc finding 33.	1 g daily, or oily fish twice a week	B
Vitamin D	Useful if you are low. DO-HEALTH used 2,000 IU daily; its combination with omega-3 and exercise showed additive effects on one clock 33.	Test first; dose to your level	B
NAD+ precursors (NMN, NR)	They raise NAD+ in blood, but a 2025 Nature Metabolism review found limited efficacy in human trials 34.	Not recommended as a priority	D
MTHFR testing and methylation stacks	Medical geneticists found minimal clinical utility for MTHFR polymorphism testing 35. Measure homocysteine instead if your GP sees a reason.	Not recommended	D

13. Connection and purpose

The WHO Commission on Social Connection estimates loneliness contributes to about 871,000 deaths a year, around 100 every hour 36. B
Shared ritual builds belonging. UK sauna users who felt the most ritual felt the most connected 37.

Protocol: one shared ritual a week (a sauna, a walk, a meal). One real conversation a day. Something you are working towards that matters to you. If you are struggling, Lifeline is on 13 11 14.

14. The Norge week

Everything above, in one week. Daily: 7,000+ steps, morning light, protein at each meal, 5 minutes of cyclic sighing, same wake time.

Day	Train	Recover	Evening
Mon	Strength, full body	Sauna 15 to 20 min	Walk after dinner
Tue	Easy cardio 40 min	Cold 2 to 3 min	Red light 10 to 20 min
Wed	Strength, full body	Sauna	Warm water 90 min before bed
Thu	4x4 intervals	Cold 2 to 3 min	Walk after dinner
Fri	Strength, full body	Sauna	Red light 10 to 20 min
Sat	Long walk, ride or swim with friends	Shared contrast: sauna, cool, repeat	A meal with people you love
Sun	Rest, mobility, balance	Breathwork 10 min	Warm water, early night

First month: two strength, two sauna, two short cold sessions, and the daily habits. Add a layer each month.

15. The experts' protocols, graded

Huberman, Attia, Walker, Patrick, Hyman, Sinclair, Brecka, Chek and Kresser have shaped how millions of people think about longevity. Here is each one's signature protocol, what the research says, and where it lives in this guide. We grade the protocol, not the person.

Where they all agree

Bright light by day, dark nights, a regular wake time.
Train for fitness and strength, including hard intervals.
Eat whole foods, prioritise protein, cut ultra-processed food.
Use heat, cold and breath deliberately.
Measure, then adjust.

Where they disagree

Exact caffeine timing.
NAD+ boosters and resveratrol.
Methylation gene testing.
Grounding and hydrogen water.
How much fasting helps.

Andrew Huberman: light, caffeine timing, NSDR, breath

His protocol	What the evidence says	Grade	In this guide
Sunlight soon after waking, about 5 to 10 minutes on clear days and longer when overcast, without sunglasses and never staring at the sun 40	Brighter days and darker nights tracked with lower mortality in 88,905 adults 14.	B	6
Delay caffeine 90 to 120 minutes after waking to avoid an afternoon crash 41	The logic is plausible, but the specific delay is a hypothesis rather than a proven effect. Keeping caffeine early in the day is the part that matters most.	C	6
10 to 30 minutes of non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) or a nap when tired in the afternoon 40	Low risk and relaxing. Research on NSDR as a named practice is still early.	C	7
Physiological (cyclic) sighing	His lab's randomised trial found 5 minutes a day improved mood more than mindfulness 16.	A	7
Hot bath or sauna in the evening, cool bedroom	Warm water 1 to 2 hours before bed improves sleep onset and quality 15.	A	6
About 11 minutes of cold and 57 minutes of heat a week	Describes a small group of young Danish winter swimmers. A sensible start, not a tested dose.	C	9
Sleep supplements: magnesium threonate, apigenin, theanine 41	Human evidence for these as sleep aids is limited. Fix light, temperature and caffeine first.	C	12

Matthew Walker: regularity, temperature, caffeine and alcohol

His protocol	What the evidence says	Grade	In this guide
Same sleep and wake times every day, weekends included 42	Sleep regularity predicted mortality better than duration in 60,977 adults 13.	B	6
A cool bedroom, around 18 °C 42	Consistent with how core temperature falls before sleep. The ideal number varies by person.	C	6
No caffeine after midday; no alcohol near bed because it fragments sleep and suppresses REM 42	Both are well established effects on sleep quality.	B	5
If you cannot sleep after about 20 minutes, get up and do something calm until sleepy 42	Stimulus control is a core part of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia.	A	6
7 to 9 hours of actual sleep	Well supported. Note that some specific risk statistics in Why We Sleep have been challenged by other researchers 43; the core case for sleep stands.	B	6

Peter Attia: zone 2, VO2 max, strength, stability, early testing

His protocol	What the evidence says	Grade	In this guide
Around 3 to 4 hours a week of zone 2, conversational cardio 44	Sits at the upper end of the 150 to 300 minute guideline 5.	A	2
Weekly VO2 max intervals, such as 4 minutes hard, 4 minutes easy	Fitness is one of the strongest predictors of longevity 2, and intervals improved fitness most in Generation 100 6.	A	2
Strength and stability as separate pillars 44	Resistance training tracks with lower mortality 4. Balance work protects against falls.	B	3
The Centenarian Decathlon: list what you want to do at 100 and train backwards from it	A planning framework rather than a tested intervention, and a useful one.	F	14
Test early and treat ApoB and Lp(a) seriously	Now reflected in the 2026 US guidelines 38.	A	1

Rhonda Patrick: omega-3, vitamin D, multivitamin, sulforaphane, sauna

Her protocol	What the evidence says	Grade	In this guide
Omega-3 at about 1.5 to 2 g a day to reach a high omega-3 index 45	1 g a day modestly slowed epigenetic ageing clocks in DO-HEALTH 33.	B	12
Vitamin D at 2,000 to 4,000 IU, aiming for 40 to 60 ng/mL 45	Sensible when levels are low. Test first and dose to your result.	B	12
A daily multivitamin 45	In the COSMOS trials, a daily multivitamin benefited memory and slowed cognitive ageing by the equivalent of about two years in older adults 46.	B	12
Sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts 45	Strong mechanism, limited long-term human outcome data.	C	4
Regular sauna and hard exercise	Matches the Finnish sauna data and trial evidence 17 18.	A	8
On grounding	She has said the evidence linking grounding to lower inflammation remains limited 49.	D

Mark Hyman: the Pegan diet and functional medicine

His protocol	What the evidence says	Grade	In this guide
Pegan eating: mostly plants, quality protein, healthy fats, low starch and sugar, no ultra-processed food 47	Aligns with the ultra-processed food evidence 9 and protein targets 8.	B	4
Personalised testing through functional medicine	Standard tests (lipids, ApoB, Lp(a), HbA1c) are well validated. Many specialty functional tests are not.	C	1
Detox programs	Your liver and kidneys do the detoxifying. Food changes help for other reasons.	D	4

David Sinclair: NMN, resveratrol, eating less

His protocol	What the evidence says	Grade	In this guide
NMN to raise NAD+ 48	Raises NAD+ in blood, with limited efficacy in human trials so far 34.	D	12
Resveratrol 48	Human results are inconsistent, and a meta-analysis of 11 trials found no meaningful glucose benefit in people without diabetes 48.	D	12
Metformin and other prescription drugs for ageing	Not approved for longevity. Only under medical supervision.	D
Eat less, skip meals	Eating less works for weight. A restricted eating window did no better than simply eating less 10.	A	4

Gary Brecka: sunlight, breathwork, cold, grounding, methylation

His protocol	What the evidence says	Grade	In this guide
Morning sunlight 50	Supported by the light and mortality data 14.	B	6
Hyperventilation-style breathwork with breath holds	Can shift stress responses, but carries a blackout risk. Never practise it in or near water, or while driving.	C	7
Cold plunge or cold shower, 3 to 6 minutes	Short, regular cold is supported for stress and sleep 22. Longer is not required.	B	9
Sauna then cold, repeated	Consistent with the heat evidence 18.	B	8
Grounding (barefoot on earth) 50	Evidence is limited to small pilot studies 49. Time outside barefoot is pleasant and harmless.	D
MTHFR gene testing and methylated B vitamins	Medical geneticists found minimal clinical utility in MTHFR testing 35. Test homocysteine and B12 instead.	D	1
Hydrogen water	Human outcome evidence is thin.	D

Paul Chek and Chris Kresser: whole-person and ancestral frameworks

Their protocol	What the evidence says	Grade	In this guide
Chek's four doctors: Dr Happiness, Dr Quiet, Dr Diet and Dr Movement	A whole-person framework. Each maps to evidence-based protocols: connection and purpose, sleep and breath, food, and training.	F	13 6 4 2
Kresser's ancestral, nutrient-dense whole-food template	Aligned with the evidence against ultra-processed food 9.	B	4
Root-cause, functional medicine investigation	Valuable when built on validated tests. Treat unvalidated panels with caution.	C	1

F marks a framework: a way of organising a plan rather than a single intervention to test. Summaries reflect each expert's public material as of 2026 and may not capture every nuance.

Safety, before anything

No sauna with unstable angina, a recent heart attack or severe aortic stenosis 21.
Heart condition, high or low blood pressure, pregnancy, or new to hard exercise: see your GP first.
On blood pressure medication or diuretics, sit for a minute before standing after heat.
No alcohol with heat or cold. Never plunge alone while learning. Eye protection with red light.
Stop and seek help for chest pain, fainting or unusual breathlessness. Emergency: 000.

Sources (50)

General information, not medical advice. It does not replace care from your doctor, and nothing here claims that a Norge product treats, cures or prevents any condition. Reviewed September 2026.

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The Norge Longevity Protocols

The Norge Longevity Protocols.

Get the protocols, free

How to read this guide

1. Know your numbers

2. Movement and cardio fitness

3. Strength, balance and power

4. Nutrition

5. Alcohol and smoking

6. Sleep and light

7. Stress and breath

8. Heat: the sauna protocol

9. Cold: the immersion protocol

10. Red light

11. Hyperbaric oxygen

12. Supplements, graded

14. The Norge week

15. The experts' protocols, graded

Safety, before anything

Planning heat and cold at home?