As one of the world’s most well-known (and well-respected) DJs, Steve Aoki is very talented at mixing EDM beats and hyping up crowds on stage. But outside of the dance clubs and music festivals, it turns out he’s also focused on something completely different: longevity.
In a recent tweet, Bryan Johnson of Rejuvenation Olympics, congratulated Aoki for ranking on the Rejuvenation Olympics speed of aging leaderboard, which proposes to measure biological age.
How does he do it? The famous DJ and music producer opened up about his longevity routine in an interview with Men’s Health. Spoiler alert: It’s not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of pushups, ice baths, and strict regimens involved. We broke down the key components of Steve Aoki’s routine below. As always, consult with your physician before starting any diet or exercise routine to ensure it is right for you.
The secrets behind Steve Aoki’s impressive longevity score
1. Passion and purpose
It sounds woo-woo but a positive mindset and life purpose could play a part in longevity. It’s a concept known as “ikigai” that comes from Okinawa, Japan, which is one of the blue zones (an area with some of the longest-lived people). Some experts believe that having a strong “why” or reason for being is the secret to living longer.
At 46 years old, Aoki is also accepting and even optimistic about the aging process. “It’s a beautiful thing to respect where you are, no matter your age, and to share what you’ve endured,” he said in the interview. Studies by the National Institute on Aging have shown that this kind of optimism is associated with a longer lifespan and improved well-being overall.
2. Daily exercise
Aoki’s workout routine rivals that of a professional athlete. Since he gets his cardio from his nightly performances, he mostly does strength training and weight lifting at home. According to the Men’s Health interview, “he’s not trying to get jacked but wants to look good, feel strong, and function at his best for as long as possible.”
His workouts start with a 15-minute warmup focused on mobility and joint opening, followed by six to eight full-body exercises, from chin ups to deadlifts. He also sprinkles in accessory moves—like bicep curls or bench press—targeting specific muscles. The goal is progressive overload, which means he tries for a PR (personal record) on the first rep of every exercise week after week. He’ll occasionally finish off the grueling workout with a 100-pushups-for-time challenge—as if all of the above wasn’t already enough.
3. Ice plunges
It seems like every wellness influencer these days swears by ice plunges—and Aoki has hopped on the bandwagon. “It feels so much better than a workout, so f**** good!” he told Men’s Health. He soaks in a 39-degree ice bath for up to six minutes at a time after his workouts.
He may be on to something. A study published in PubMed Central found that voluntary exposure to cold water may have health benefits, including regulating stress, reducing inflammation, and improving circulation.
4. Sleep
Sleep has become a hot topic in the longevity world, with experts stressing how important it is to overall brain health. But between late nights performing and traveling around the world, the lifestyle of a DJ isn’t exactly conducive to getting enough shuteye. While Aoki can’t control his schedule on the road, he can control his schedule at home—which is exactly what he does.
For starters, he sticks to a strict schedule of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, aiming for eight to 10 hours of sleep a night. He keeps his bedroom completely dark at a temperature of 68 degrees or lower. His other sleep hygiene habits include keeping devices outside of his bedroom, avoiding screens at least an hour before bedtime, and not drinking any caffeine after noon.
Fun fact: You can sync sleep data from the Health app on your iPhone or Android to MyFitnessPal to track your snooze sessions. Through the Sleep Insights feature, you can monitor the overall quality of your sleep and even determine how certain foods affect how well you drift off.
5. Nutrition
Unlike a lot of other biohackers, Aoki doesn’t follow a super specific or rigid diet. Instead, he eats mostly vegetarian with the occasional poultry and fish, and focuses on treating his body well, including when he celebrates.
“When you finish a challenge, why celebrate by eating bad food or getting drunk, doing violent things to your brain and liver? I’m trying to think about that more,” he said.
As for what that looks like: “I love my taste buds,” he told Men’s Health. “A perfectly seasoned piece of fish and some quality cheese.”
6. Other biohacks
Beyond the basics like working out and getting proper sleep, Aoki follows a few other popular biohacking practices. He has both an infrared-light bed and a hyperbaric chamber in his Las Vegas home. Red light therapy is believed to treat signs of aging and help with pain management, while hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) provides the body with 100% pure oxygen, which can promote new tissue growth and increase circulation.
It’s important to remember that longevity isn’t one-size-fits-all. What works for Aoki, for instance, might not necessarily work for you. It’s all about learning from those who have had success, and adapting their findings to your own life.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, simply tracking your food is a good place to start. What you eat can have a big impact on lifespan. Through the MyFitnessPal app, you can assess—and improve—the quality of your diet. We recommend trying to add more of these longevity-boosting foods into your daily routine.
