In his 20s, Surthrival co-founder Daniel Vitalis was a fitness trainer, and he hasn’t slowed down since then. But at age 44, he’s feeling stress on his body that he wouldn’t have experienced a decade or two ago. That gives him even more reason to follow a comprehensive workout and dietary supplement regimen designed to improve his health, fitness and wellness.

“My goal is to have an unrestricted, functional body and mind heading into my later decades,” Vitalis says. “I think of the work I do today as an investment for my 70s, 80s and beyond. Of course, there are tremendous benefits to be had now too, but I imagine it as playing a long game.” 

For the first time, Vitalis is sharing his daily exercise and supplements regimen with his fellow Surthrivalists. Here’s what helps keep Vitalis vital—now and into the future.

EXERCISE

Vitalis’ fitness goal is to work his heart through all of its five zones, and then balance that with strength and mobility training. 

• For Zone 1 cardio, he walks the circumference of his 30-acre Maine property with his dogs. The moderate stroll is one to two miles, and he tries to do this daily.

• For Zone 2 cardio, he works to reach his maximum aerobic heart rate (subtract your age from 180 to find your limit) four hours a week. Any aerobic activity will do—Vitalis likes biking, running, rowing, jumping rope and sled-pushing. He often does his workouts while listening to a podcast or book, or watching a documentary or movie. 

• For Zone 3, 4 and 5 cardio, Vitalis participates in a CrossFit class three days a week. This high-intensity combination of aerobics, strength and conditioning exercises is designed to promote maximum fitness. “You can almost define it as the sport of working out,” he says. “But CrossFit also checks a lot of boxes for me besides fitness.” Vitalis likes that each CrossFit class is a competition—participants are ranked against each other. And he enjoys the camaraderie with classmates. 

  Outside of his CrossFit classes, Vitalis also helps foster competition and 

  community through Accountabilibuddies, a text thread with his wife and   friends. The group members help motivate each other by posting fitness goals like heart-rate monitor graphs.       

• For mobility, Vitalis does 10 to 30 minutes of movement sessions that take his joints from one extreme of their range to the other extreme. The sessions are mostly done on the floor, and Vitalis will sometimes use tools like foam rollers or self-massagers. 

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

“Now that I’m in my 40s, I realize I need to be more regular with my supplement use,” Vitalis says. “They give my body and mind an advantage, and every advantage I can eke out is important.” 

Vitalis’ daily supplements routine includes:

• Surthrival Colostrum. Vitalis adds a third of a cup of tightly packed colostrum powder into his morning smoothie. “I start my day with meditation, drink my smoothie and then work out,” he says. Research shows colostrum can help maintain healthy joints, cartilage and musculature; shorten recovery time after exercise; balance immune function; promote healthy digestion and overall gut health, and support cognitive health.

• Surthrival Black Walnut Protein Powder. Vitalis’ morning smoothie also contains 30 grams of this plant-based powder, which supplies 17 grams of protein per serving.

• Surthrival Biamatrix Pre-Workout Drink Mix. Vitalis likes that Biamatrix is a precision formula of amino acids and plant extracts that naturally boost energy without added caffeine. “Biamatrix gives you all of the tingle you get from an energy drink with none of the jitters,” he says.  Before every workout, Vitalis blends two scoops of Biamatrix into a pint of liquid. 

• Surthrival Elk Antler Velvet Extract. Vitalis takes one dropperful of this powerful blend of growth factors, split up throughout the day. “It’s one of the best exercise recovery supplements,” he says. “To do workouts like mine, you have to maximize recovery.” 

• Surthrival Mushroom Elixirs. Surthrival’s Forager’s Quest Chaga Extract and Reishi Extract are powerful antioxidants that help quench the free radicals that intense training can produce. These mushrooms are also adaptogens that reduce the stress of exercise on Vitalis’ body. He takes one dropperful of each extract during the day.

• Surthrival Pine Pollen Pure Potency. Vitalis keeps this proprietary blend of wild-harvested pine pollen, organic nettle rhizome and organic eleuthero root by his bedside, and takes one dropperful upon waking. Research shows that pine pollen can help increase energy and endurance, and now that he’s in his 40s, Vitalis appreciates pine pollen’s ability to support and balance healthy androgen production.

“The fitness and supplements industry goes through fads, but I follow the longevity science and pull together all of the pieces into my wellness routine,” Vitalis says. “I approach fitness like an athlete—except my sport is life, and I’m going for longevity and function.”