At 35, Surface Warfare Officer John T. has redefined what health means. Discover how his journey with NOVOS helped him build a sustainable, science-backed routine focused on energy, longevity, and showing up fully for his growing family.
In This Article:
- Why John shifted from fitness to longevity
- How NOVOS fits into his daily routine
- Sustainable workouts, better sleep, and small swaps that add up
- His long-term health vision — and advice for others
What happens when a lifelong routine suddenly doesn’t feel built to last?
That’s the question John T., a 35-year-old active-duty Surface Warfare Officer, began asking in his early 30s. After more than a decade in the military, he was disciplined, fit, and goal-driven, but he started to notice the gap between short-term performance and long-term health. Surrounded by peers dealing with chronic pain, high blood pressure, and burnout, John realized that staying in shape wasn’t the same as staying well.
That shift in mindset led him to explore longevity—how to not just live longer, but live better. Since then, John has not only restructured his habits but also seen tangible results: his NOVOS Age test showed a pace of aging reduction from 0.87 to 0.77 in just one year. Today, with NOVOS as a core part of his daily routine, he’s investing in sustained energy, resilience, and a future where he can keep doing the things he loves, with the people who matter most.
Why John Changed His Approach to Health
“In my 20s, it was all about being in a healthy weight range, trying to look good… you feel kind of invincible.”
Surrounded by peers dealing with chronic pain, high blood pressure, and joint issues, he saw what a career of physical demands could do if it wasn’t balanced with a long-term health strategy.
“You meet a lot of folks with bad knees, just bad joints in general… they finish their 20 years in the Navy but they finish with high blood pressure, all sorts of other kind of medical issues.”
That realization pushed John to rethink what success really looks like.
“I want to find a way to make it sustainable so that when I get to retirement, I’m able to enjoy that retirement… have a long and fruitful life with my wife and kids.”
A Practical Approach to Long-Term Health
John first encountered the concept of structured longevity through an Economist article on Bryan Johnson, which eventually let him to discover NOVOS.
“NOVOS, when I looked it up, felt like a much more balanced approach. The more I read and watched Bryan Johnson—you admire him in terms of setting out to do what he said he would—but from what I found, it was more of a search for youth, not so much longevity. There are all sorts of things that folks do and say it’s to promote longevity, but when people start taking higher doses of TRT, you get to borderline anabolic steroid use. And when they start using growth factors, it starts to cross a line.”
What first drew John to NOVOS wasn’t just the product—it was the philosophy behind it. As someone looking for science-backed, practical solutions, he appreciated that the formulation wasn’t built around vague promises or proprietary blends, but rather rooted in data and clinical reasoning.
“It’s run by MDs who focuse on longevity—not just the generic, ‘healer of every ill’ kind of mindset, but someone with an evidence-based mindset. What are some key vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that can be found in food but are often hard to find in sufficient quantities? NOVOS gives your body the raw materials it needs to maintain a long and healthy life.”
Beyond the formulations, John found value in the broader NOVOS ecosystem—particularly the blog, which helped him understand how to build a routine around his specific needs.
“That’s kind of what drew me toward NOVOS to begin with. It wasn’t one magical pill that will solve everything. It wasn’t something you just take on faith—that a proprietary blend of X, Y, and Z is going to provide longevity. It was truly evidence-based. And I found the blog and resources online to be very helpful. Based on what I’m already eating, I can see what to supplement—and whether it’s observational or clinical trial data, there’s actual evidence that it promotes longevity.”
Inside John’s Routine
John’s routine is consistent, effective, and built for longevity—not burnout.
Morning Routine
- Home workouts five days a week, focused on compound strength movements
“I found that for me the big hurdle of getting to the gym every day was really just getting to the gym… All those sorts of things that kind of erect in your mind as a barrier of ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’” - NOVOS Core with breakfast
“I like the citrus flavored NOVOS Core. It basically takes the place of orange juice in the morning.”
Midday & Evening Routine
- Meal prep on Sundays for the full week
“Meal prepping has been very helpful… it saves money, and I feel more in control of my diet for the rest of the week.” - Built-in movement throughout the workday
“I try to focus on walking, minimizing use of the elevator. I try to get up away from the desk every hour. I’m not always successful, but I try.” - Cardio after work to reset mentally
“Cardio helps me de-work my brain… so that when I come home, I’m fully home.”
Fitness, Sleep & Small Swaps That Add Up
John’s approach to fitness is rooted in simplicity and consistency. He’s not chasing the latest trends—he’s building a routine that supports strength and mobility for decades to come.
“I try to prioritize compound movements that work multiple muscle groups.”
For him, it’s about function over flash. He intentionally steers away from training styles that could compromise recovery or cause unnecessary wear and tear.
“HIIT just sort of always felt counterproductive… wear and tear on the joints if you’re doing strength as well.”
Instead, he opts for low-impact cardio that fits easily into his schedule and supports long-term cardiovascular health.
“The elliptical is a great way to do cardio that’s whole body.”
Beyond movement, John has had to actively work to rebuild his sleep habits. Years of Navy life, particularly aboard ships, took a toll on his rest—something he refers to as “circadian scarring.”
Now that he’s on shore duty, he’s made real progress.
“Now that I’ve been on shore duty, I’ve been able to at least get seven plus a night.”
Another key adjustment? His relationship with alcohol. What started as an occasional glass of wine had quietly become a daily pattern—so he found a mindful way to shift the habit without sacrificing the ritual.
“One glass of wine with dinner can become three… it becomes kind of a ritual.”
“Non-alcoholic options have been a good way to kind of wean myself off… the ritual without the downsides.”
Taken together, these changes aren’t about restriction or perfection—they’re about building a life that feels good now and sets him up for a healthier future.
Measuring Progress with NOVOS Age
For John, progress isn’t just about how he feels—it’s about having data to back it up. That’s why NOVOS Age has become a key part of his longevity routine. It gives him a way to periodically assess how his habits are impacting his biological aging over time.
“One of the things with NOVOS is just with NOVOS Age—being able to check in periodically. I had my second test recently… a decent improvement from test one to test two.”
John first took the NOVOS Age test in January 2024, recording a pace of aging of 0.87. A year later, in January 2025, his pace of aging improved to 0.77, reflecting the positive impact of his longevity-focused routine, with NOVOS at its core.
What sets NOVOS Age apart, in his view, is its comprehensive approach. While many aging tests focus on a single biomarker or oversimplify biological age into one number, NOVOS takes a more robust view.
“There are all sorts of aging tests and this one marker that indicates how long you’re going to live… but what I like with NOVOS Age is that each of the markers that it tests—it’s not just testing one thing. It’s not just testing telomere length. It’s testing all other sorts of metrics. Because there’s no one metric that’s going to rule them all.”
For John, these check-ins serve not only as feedback—but also as motivation. They allow him to see the bigger picture, even when his habits aren’t perfect every single day.
“The nice thing is just kind of checking in with myself… it’s a nice motivator in that, hey—even though I fell off these two or three times for diet or exercise or what have you—overall, there’s been an improvement over time.”
It’s a reminder that longevity isn’t about all-or-nothing perfection. It’s about momentum, and measuring the benefits that add up over the long term.
“It’s never too late. Just being able to keep on going.”
What Longevity Success Looks Like
For John, health isn’t measured by how much he can lift or how lean he looks in his 30s—it’s about staying capable, mobile, and medication-free for as long as possible.
“As far as success in terms of numbers, I just think… hey, whenever it happens at the end of my life, I have my original joints, I don’t need to take any extra medications that I would otherwise be able to avoid.”
He’s focused on avoiding the slow creep of preventable chronic conditions—ones that limit not just lifespan, but life enjoyment.
“I’d like to stay off high blood pressure medication. A lot of side effects with that that I just don’t want to have to deal with ever in my life… I’d like to stay out of the pre-diabetes and diabetes category. One—for health reasons, and two—because I don’t want to lose the ability to enjoy things, even as occasional treats, because I overindulged.”
As someone about to become a father, his vision of health stretches far into the future.
“My wife and I are about to have our first. By the time she’s in college, I’ll be in my mid-to-late 50s. I don’t want to be limited when we go on a family vacation. We can’t go snorkeling in Maui because Dad has X, Y, or Z.”
His goals are simple but powerful: be present, be mobile, and avoid the common narrative of physical decline.
“At a certain age, you get preoccupied—especially in the male world—with your one-rep max or whether or not you have a six-pack. For me, long term, it’s more about: can I go on a long walk with my wife and our soon-to-be daughter? Or am I huffing and puffing after less than a mile? Do my knees hurt for days afterward?”
“Long-term success is not being limited in the things that I want to do in the long term.”
He’s aiming to sidestep the slow decline he’s seen others go through—whether due to injury, poor habits, or simply the gradual giving up of physical activity.
“There’s this long, protracted decline that can happen very easily—someone got injured in their 50s, never quite healed up, and just started doing less and less. And the enjoyment in life diminishes per year as the years go on.”
His ideal scenario? One where he stays sharp and active well into old age—and when the end comes, it comes quickly and without regret.
“If I can get to a point where I’m still older but mobile and active in my 80s-plus… and then I happen to not wake up one day in the morning—because our time comes eventually—that’s the goal.”
“It’s to have that drop be as late and as sudden as possible. Such that in the end, if it comes as a surprise to me, all the better. And if I approach it with the right mindset, then there’s minimal regret at the end for the things I could have done.”
Advice for Getting Started
As we wrapped up our conversation, John left us with one final message—especially for those who feel overwhelmed by where or how to begin.
“I’d say it’s never too late. I’m a recovering perfectionist, I guess you could say.”
He knows firsthand how perfectionism can become a barrier to action.
“Perfectionism can be helpful in a way—it drives you to do better—but it can also be a prison. You get to this point where, if I can’t do something perfectly, I won’t do it at all. And then you end up in a spot where, guess what… the years can fly by, and you still haven’t started.”
His advice is simple: take the first step, and give yourself grace along the way.
“What worked for me was just doing something initially—and then giving myself a little bit of leeway when I fell off. When I had a couple more drinks than I should have one day. When I fell off the exercise routine for a week or two.”
Progress isn’t about perfection—it’s about momentum.
We thank John for sitting down with us and sharing his personal, inspiring story.
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