The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance

Host: Dave Asprey
Episode: Remote Work Is Making You FATTER (Do THIS to Stop It) (#1340)
Date: October 5, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Dave Asprey dives into an unexpected dark side of remote work: its negative impact on physical health and hormonal balance. While remote working removes the stress of commuting and allows for more flexibility, it subtly erodes metabolism, energy, hormonal health, and overall performance, making people fatter, weaker, and more fatigued. Dave explains the physiological traps of the home-working environment and offers concrete, biohacker-approved steps to reclaim metabolic wellbeing and thrive in a remote setting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Hidden Dangers of Remote Work (00:00-02:20)

• Commuteless Comfort Comes at a Cost:
  Remote work's lack of environmental cues (like natural light, movement, and social interaction) quietly sabotages metabolism, hormones, and energy levels.
• Symptoms Noticed:
  Weight gain, energy crashes (especially afternoon slumps), reduced libido, and mental fog—even when diet hasn't changed.
• "Remote work tricks your brain and forces your body to store fat you shouldn’t be storing."
  — Dave Asprey (00:34)

2. How Environment Affects Hormonal Health (02:21-04:00)

• Environmental Signals Missing:
  Home offices lack movement, proper light, fresh air, and posture-promoting setups—all crucial for healthy hormone production.
• Testosterone drops (20-30% in men) due to reduced movement and poor light exposure.
• Cortisol shifts from rhythmic pulses to chronic elevation, driving anxiety and fatigue.
• Insulin sensitivity falls, leading to increased fat storage.
• “It gives you comfort, but it strips away the signals your primal system evolved to depend on.”
  — Dave Asprey (03:50)

3. The Hormones & Their Consequences (04:01-05:30)

• Hormonal Fallout:
  • Low testosterone → lower motivation, drive, and libido.
  • Poor insulin sensitivity → persistent fat gain.
  • Chronic high cortisol → inflammation, brain fog, and poor sleep.
• The problem is slow and silent: People are often unaware it's happening.

4. Fixing Posture and Movement (05:31-09:00)

• Why Sitting Is 'The New Smoking':
  • 8-10 hours of sitting causes glute deactivation, shortened hip flexors, and a collapsed diaphragm.
  • Poor posture leads to shallow breathing, spiking cortisol and keeping you in a "fight or flight" state.
• Impact on Recovery:
  • Stuck in a sympathetic (stressed) state, you produce less testosterone and growth hormone—even if you work out.
• Posture Correction Protocols:
  • Reset sitting posture every 25-30 minutes. Use multiple types of chairs if possible.
  • Daily two-minute "wall angel" stretches: stand with back, glutes, and head against a wall, arms in goalpost position, raise and lower arms slowly.
  • Morning and bedtime diaphragm resets: Deep belly breaths lying on back to reprogram the nervous system.
• “If you fix your posture, you stop sending the wrong signals… and allow testosterone to go up again.”
  — Dave Asprey (08:13)

5. Mastering Insulin and Eating Habits (09:01-12:00)

• The Silent Saboteur: Insulin
  • Frequent snacking and minimal movement spike insulin and worsen fat storage.
  • Insulin resistance leads to fatigue, crashes, cravings, and more fat gain—even if calories aren't increasing.
• Improving Insulin Sensitivity:
  • Eating Window: Compress to 8–10 hours (e.g., meals between 10am and 6pm).
  • Post-Meal Movement: Walk 10–15 minutes after each meal to blunt insulin surges.
  • Interval Walking Protocol:
    • 3 minutes slow, 3 minutes brisk, alternating for 30 mins. "It has more benefits metabolically than 10,000 steps a day."
      — Dave Asprey (11:20)
  • Stop Snacking:
    • Prioritize meals rich in healthy fats and proteins. If needed, opt for eggs, sugar-free beef jerky, olives, or a clean protein shake, not carbs.
  • REHIT Training (Reduced Exertion High Intensity Interval Training):
    • 20 seconds all-out effort (preferably with resistance), 3 minutes rest, repeat. Just a few cycles, under 5 minutes.
    • "More intervals produces less results."
      — Dave Asprey (11:48)

6. Light Exposure & Circadian Rhythm (12:01-14:00)

• Remote Work Ruins Rhythms:
  • Excessive artificial light, screen time, and lack of natural light break the circadian rhythm, leading to hormonal chaos.
  • "Your body doesn't just run on food and sleep. It runs on light."
    — Dave Asprey (12:19)
• Fixing Light Hygiene:
  • Morning: 10–15 minutes of direct sunlight within 30 minutes of waking (no windows/sunglasses).
  • Evening: Use dim red light / dimmer switches for 1–2 hours before bed. Consider “Truedark” glasses to block blue light from screens.
  • Sleep: Go to bed 2–3 hours after sunset; waking up close to sunrise synchronizes hormone production.
    • "An hour of sleep before midnight is worth more than an hour after."
      — Dave Asprey (13:00)
  • Midday: Go outside at lunch for natural light—boosts mood-regulating neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Remote work tricks your brain and forces your body to store fat you shouldn’t be storing." (00:34)
  — Dave Asprey
• "It gives you comfort, but it strips away the signals your primal system evolved to depend on." (03:50)
  — Dave Asprey
• "When your nervous system is stuck in that gear, you don't produce testosterone and you don't release growth hormones." (07:49)
  — Dave Asprey
• "It has more benefits metabolically than 10,000 steps a day." (11:20)
  — Dave Asprey, on interval walking
• "Your body doesn’t just run on food and sleep. It runs on light." (12:19)
  — Dave Asprey

Actionable Takeaways

Daily Habits to Offset Remote Work Pitfalls

• Posture: Reset every 25–30 minutes; use multiple types of chairs; daily “wall angels” and diaphragm resets.
• Eating:
  • Shrink eating window to 8–10 hours.
  • Walk after meals (10–15 minutes).
  • Try interval walking (3 min slow/3 min fast, alternating).
  • REHIT training (short bursts, low volume).
  • Avoid carb-heavy snacks; emphasize protein and healthy fats.
• Light:
  • 10–15 minutes outdoor morning sun (within 30 min of waking).
  • Red/dim lights in the evening; blue light blockers if necessary.
  • Outdoor midday walk, no sunglasses/glass in-between.
  • Go to bed earlier to optimize hormones.

Conclusion

"You can evolve or you can decay. There is no standing still." (13:55)
Dave Asprey makes a compelling case that while remote work offers undeniable benefits, it presents biological and metabolic pitfalls that must be tackled proactively. By optimizing posture, eating windows, movement patterns, and light exposure, remote workers can use their new environment for better health and performance than ever before—turning home offices into powerful biohacking hubs.