The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey

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Mark Sisson: The Japanese Walking Hack That Outperforms 10,000 Steps A Day : 1287

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Jun 3, 2025

Guest

Mark Sisson

Mark Sisson, bestselling author and primal health pioneer, shares insights on innovative walking techniques that can outperform the traditional 10,000 steps a day. He highlights the benefits of the Japanese walking interval method for longevity and fat burning. Sisson emphasizes the critical connection between foot health and overall well-being, advocating for barefoot shoes and minimal footwear. He reveals how effective movement and training for just 20 minutes a week can enhance performance without compromising mitochondrial health, urging listeners to embrace smarter exercise strategies.

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INSIGHT

Importance of Foot Health

Foot health is the lowest hanging fruit in longevity space and critical for total body function.
Our feet are the connection with the environment and crucial for brain-body coordination in movement.

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ANECDOTE

20 Minutes Weekly Training Story

Mark Sisson trains just 20 minutes weekly using AI guidance, achieving 80-85% of genetic potential.
Minimal effective dose training avoids excessive pain and sacrifice while maintaining fitness.

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ADVICE

Walk Frequent Short Segments

Walk often throughout your day in short 10-minute segments instead of one long session.
Frequent movement maintains health and counters atrophy, supporting longevity.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Navigating the Health Landscape

03:01 • 19min

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Hydration and EMF Management: Enhancing Well-Being in a Modern World

21:37 • 3min

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Rethinking Exercise: The Power of Movement

24:37 • 11min

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Finding the Right Fit: A Journey in Footwear

35:20 • 6min

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The Evolution of Footwear for Health

41:06 • 6min

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The Comfort Revolution: A Journey Towards Versatile Footwear

47:00 • 3min

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The Importance of Comfortable Footwear for Longevity

50:00 • 2min

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The Power of Barefoot Walking for Foot Strengthening

51:51 • 2min

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The Evolution of Footwear and Its Impact on Foot Health

54:12 • 3min

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Fashion Meets Function: The Evolution of Footwear

57:18 • 2min

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Footwear's Impact on Health and Cognition

59:31 • 24min

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Exploring Longevity and Personal Agency

01:23:10 • 3min

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Heavily Meditated

8 Steps to Remove Your Triggers and Upgrade Your Mind

Dave Asprey

In 'Heavily Meditated', Dave Asprey combines ancient wisdom traditions and practices with modern technology and cutting-edge methods. The book is based on his immersive program '40 Years of Zen' and provides an 8-step approach to help readers remove their triggers and upgrade their mental well-being. Asprey draws on his extensive experience in biohacking and human performance optimization to offer practical advice for improving mental clarity and resilience.

Born to Walk

Mark Sisson

Brad Kearns

Born to Walk challenges the prevailing notion that running is the optimal form of exercise for health and longevity. The book delves into the negative consequences of the running boom, including overuse injuries, ineffective weight loss strategies, and the promotion of an unhealthy lifestyle. It contrasts this with the natural human imperative to walk, highlighting the numerous benefits of walking for both physical and mental well-being. The authors present a comprehensive approach to fitness that integrates walking with strength training, sprinting, and other primal movements. Ultimately, Born to Walk advocates for a more balanced and sustainable approach to fitness, emphasizing the importance of listening to your body and prioritizing overall health.

Most people think 10,000 steps a day is the gold standard for health, but it’s outdated, inefficient, and often damaging. In this episode, you’ll discover a smarter, faster way to walk for longevity, fat burning, and total body resilience.

Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience:

https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR

Host Dave Asprey sits down with Mark Sisson, bestselling author, primal health pioneer, and founder of Primal Kitchen. With over 40 years at the forefront of fitness and ancestral health, Mark has helped millions rethink everything they thought they knew about cardio, running, metabolism, and movement. He was one of the first to challenge the chronic cardio myth, helped popularize ketosis and fat-adapted performance, and now returns with a new message: walking right, not more, is one of the most powerful biohacks for human performance and aging.

They dive into the Japanese walking interval method that outperforms 10,000 steps, and explore the critical link between foot health, barefoot shoes, and the brain-body connection. Mark also shares why he trains just 20 minutes a week, why too much saturated fat might backfire, and why performance should never come at the cost of your mitochondria. You’ll learn how to build muscle and endurance with less effort, how to reverse foot dysfunction with every step, and how to age with strength, intuition, and freedom.

This episode hits hard on biohacking, functional movement, longevity, self-quantification, and the real science of walking smarter, not longer. It’s also packed with insights on ketosis, nootropics, sleep optimization, and why perfectionism ruins health gains.

If you’re serious about Smarter Not Harder strategies, tuning into your body, and reclaiming your natural performance potential, don’t miss this one.

You’ll learn:

• Why zone 1 walking beats zone 2 training for longevity

• How foot dysfunction leads to systemic breakdown

• The hidden brain-glute-big toe connection no one talks about

• Why Mark no longer runs or eats ribeyes

• The minimum effective dose for strength, mobility, and fat burn

• Why perfectionism in wellness is toxic and what to do instead

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.

Episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.

**Go to www.peluva.com and use code ‘DAVE’ for 15% off **

SPONSORS:

- LMNT | Free LMNT Sample Pack with any drink mix purchase by going to https://drinklmnt.com/DAVE.

-Quantum Upgrade | Go to https://quantumupgrade.io/Dave for a free trial.

Resources:

• Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/

• Mark’s Website – www.peluva.com

• Mark's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearpeluva/?hl=en

• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com

• Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com

• Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey

• Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com

• Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com

• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com

• 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Trailer

• 00:43 – Intro

• 01:13 – Mark’s entrepreneurial journey

• 04:53 – The rise of health blogging

• 05:40 – Why cardio might be hurting you

• 17:53 – Foot health and performance

• 20:54 – Barefoot and minimalist footwear

• 33:30 – Launching PVA Shoes

• 42:59 – Diet’s role in foot recovery

• 43:38 – Why comfort matters in footwear

• 44:12 – Personal footwear hacks

• 45:03 – Building a footwear brand

• 46:21 – Fashion vs function in foot health

• 49:17 – Simple foot strengthening tools

• 52:35 – What history reveals about shoes

• 58:47 – Walking and brain optimization

• 01:06:41 – Protein, aging, and nutrition

• 01:19:50 – Longevity and biohacking wins

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