Lifestyle

Quick facts

Lorenzo Delano

Delano as a small boy with his mother, a home-video still

Delano leading a training workshop around a table

Delano on a cycle ergometer wearing a CPET mask, beside the Cosmed metabolic cart

Delano directing a MasterClass film shoot, holding a clapperboard

Delano gesturing while speaking on a panel stage in Dubai

Delano standing with Dr. John Demartini and a colleague in a hotel corridor

Delano in 2018 (Italy)

Photograph by Mardo Männimägi

Identity(See Story)

Born: Lorenzo Delano7 December 1987 (age 38)Krugersdorp, South Africa
Phenotype: Blue eyes and brown hairAverage height (176 cm)
Ancestry: Western European (Dutch)
Ethnicity: Afrikaner
Language: Afrikaans; English; Mandarin
Citizenship: South African

Professional(See Knowledge)

Occupation: Applied taxonomist
Industry: Education, health, and tech
Works: Design methodologiesPublished designs
Skills: Knowledge organizationPedagogyProduction
Education: Self-directed (since age 13)Certified coach and designerMandarin distinction
Residency: United States (since 2026)

Psychological(See Nature)

Intelligence: RIOT: Full-scale IQ 112
Worldview: Enlightenment humanist
Personality: HEXACO: Disciplined, honest, and curious
Values: PVQ: Autonomy, achievement, and universal-care
Beliefs: PWB: Good, safe, and improving
Interests: RIASEC: Investigative, artistic, and social

Personal(See Pages)

About: Every claim referenced
Lifestyle: 12 habits, all 24 hours
Health: Elite VO₂max, optimal labs
Wealth: Debt-free, top-tier credit
Network: Each seat benchmarked

Your days are what your years are made of.

Lifestyle refers to the three coordinates of a day: activity (what you do), time (when you do it), and space (where you do it). Your lifestyle predicts your capital: what your hours build, and what they drain.

Hours are fixed at twenty-four; how they are spent, scheduled, and housed is not. Each is best measured by a designed day held against the lived one. To master your lifestyle is to build days that run themselves, then keep them.

Activity (Habits)

What you do is a function of habits (chosen) and needs (fixed), the two best predictors of which capital grows and which drains. Mine: twelve habits, creative work first, hard training matched by recovery, shared hours that ask nothing back.



Knowledge depends on learning which problems matter, then solving them Work (4 hrs): I spend most of the day solving knowledge organization problems for myself and others, exercising my intelligence and skills to build works of enduring value Study (1 hr): If I’m not asleep, working, or exercising, you’ll find me studying, filling the many education and perspectival gaps necessary for progress

Physical resilience depends on hard loading matched by full recovery Exercise (1 hr): Breaking for exercise at the same hour each day sharpens the work rather than stealing from it, preserving functional integrity through improved performance Sleep (8 hrs): Getting enough deep sleep at the same time each night makes the other habits possible, consolidating learnings from yesterday while restoring balance for tomorrow

Peace of mind depends on keeping my affairs in order and my attention my own Maintain (1 hr): I give an hour to hygiene and ad-hoc upkeep (body, home, relationship, legal, and financial), balancing personal care with lifestyle efficiency Entertain (1 hr): I set aside an hour each evening to escape reality with a good show or indulge its extremes on YouTube, taking on others’ perspectives to expand my own


Wealth depends on serving people directly and coordinating resources at a distance Serve (2 hrs): Whether as employee, contractor, or coach, I set aside 10 hours weekly for client-facing activities, delivering the technical, pedagogical, or directorial solutions they need most Manage (1 hr): Coordinating others to manage my responsibilities is unavoidable; learning to do it well compounds my network- and wealth-building efforts

Physical vitality depends on balancing the energy I take in against what I spend Walk (1 hr): I walk twice daily (to the shops in the afternoon before exercising, and in the evening after dinner while studying), balancing a PAL target of 1.7 times my BMR Eat (2 hrs): I eat 2800 kcal within a 9-hour window each day — breakfast at 11 (eggs and fruit), lunch at 4 (yogurt mix), and dinner at 8 (meat and veg) — maintaining an insulin-sensitive, lean and muscular physique year-round

Emotional balance depends on hours that are shared and ask nothing in return Play (1 hr): While I love going to the theater or playing board or TV games, I enjoy engaging in physical challenges with others the most, practicing gymnastics or playing squash with friends Connect (1 hr): The days I serve clients or share a walk or a meal with loved ones are by far the most rewarding: a continued source of joy and growth

Time (Routines)

When you do things is a function of energy (rhythmic) and schedule (chosen), the two best predictors of what gets done and what keeps slipping. Mine: fresh hours for solo work, peak hours for body and people, evenings for loose ends.



The freshest hours are reserved for recovery and the deepest solo work 23:30–07:30: Sleep (8 hrs) — deep restoration alone at home 07:30–08:00: Maintain (0.5 hr) — morning hygiene, coffee, and a few stretches 08:00–11:00: Work (3 hrs) — uninterruptible deep work on personal or hired problems 11:00–12:00: Eat (1 hr) — eggs and fruit alone at home

Energy at its highest is spent on the body and on other people 12:00–14:00: Work / Serve (2 hrs) — solo design or client-facing delivery 14:00–15:00: Walk + Maintain / Manage (1 hr) — walking errands, quick admin, and phone calls 15:00–16:00: Exercise (1 hr) — total-body MSP workout of the day (see the weekly schedule) 16:00–17:00: Eat + Study (1 hr) — yogurt mix with the most relevant lecture of the day

The flexible hours: finish what’s open, then eat, connect, and switch off 17:00–19:00: Work / Serve (2 hrs) — solo design or client delivery loose ends 19:00–21:00: Maintain + Eat (1–2 hrs) — solo or social sauna, evening hygiene, and dinner 21:00–22:00: Walk + Study (1 hr) — treadmill walking with the science lecture of the day 22:00–23:30: Entertain / Connect (1–2 hrs) — social series or solo YouTube updates


The training split and standing commitments the daily blocks point to Monday (1): Exercise (the balance (opens in a new tab) and row (opens in a new tab) tracks at home) Tuesday (1): Exercise (the push (opens in a new tab) and bridge (opens in a new tab) tracks at home) Wednesday (2): Exercise (the run (opens in a new tab) complex outdoors); Maintain (periodic treatments or errands) Thursday (1): Exercise (the pull (opens in a new tab) and raise (opens in a new tab) tracks at home) Friday (2): Exercise (the cycle (opens in a new tab) complex and the invert (opens in a new tab) track or weightlifting press (opens in a new tab) complex at the gym); Play (movie/games night) / Connect (favorite restaurants)

Where variety, people, and next-week preparation get their room Saturday (2): Exercise (the shift (opens in a new tab) and lean (opens in a new tab) tracks); Connect (new shared experiences) Sunday (2): Play (squash, the dip (opens in a new tab) track, or the row (opens in a new tab) complex with friends); Maintain (preparatory administration and performance reviews)

Space (Resources)

Where you live is a function of conditions (given) and services (chosen), the two best predictors of what your life costs and allows. Mine: Austin, graded on land, market, and people; a home in five layers, from the shell to my bag.



The land’s givens: chosen once, then lived with daily Climate (4): Temperature (18–25°C), humidity (40–60%), sunshine (2,500+ hrs/yr), and seasons (mild winters) Air (3): Quality (AQI ≤50; PM2.5 ≤10 µg/m³), pollen (low counts), and wind (light; ≤20 km/h) Hazards (6): Storms (low tornado and hurricane risk), wildfires (low risk; smoke-free seasons), heat (limited 38°C+ days), pests (low mosquito and tick pressure), radiation (radon ≤100 Bq/m³; 2.7 pCi/L), and grid (reliable; backed up) Terrain (5): Landscape (hills; water views), water bodies (lakes; rivers), green space (within 300 m), nature access (wildlife; reserves), and elevation (low to moderate) Position (3): Centrality (mid-country), time zone (coast-bridging; family-overlapping), and flight reach (direct hubs)

What the market charges and offers at city scale Opportunity (4): Industries (health; education; tech), employers (HQ density), startups (top-10 VC metro), and wages (above national median) Costs (5): Housing (≤30% of income), property (price-to-income ≤5), living index (<100; US average = 100), purchasing power (real value of $100 ≥ $105), and insurance (competitive market) Taxes (3): Income (0% state ideal), property (≤1.5%), and sales (≤8.5%) Growth (4): Output (metro GDP +3%/yr), population (net inflow), investment (rising), and construction (supply keeping rents flat) Talent (3): Universities (research-tier), skilled inflow (net positive), and retention (graduates who stay)

The people of a place: who lives here, and how Safety (3): Crime (violent crime ≤350 per 100,000), policing (responsive), and emergency care (Level I trauma center) Livability (4): Healthcare (CMS four-star hospital in metro), walkability (neighborhood Walk Score ≥80), traffic (short average commutes), and community (founder and fitness scenes) Culture (5): Mindset (builders; health-conscious), friendliness (warm but direct), language (English-first), diversity (international mix), and cuisine (rich culinary influences; chef scene) Politics (3): State (business-friendly), city (competently run), and stability (predictable policy) Architecture (4): Character (a city that looks like itself), heritage (preserved districts), styles (layered eras), and streetscape (human-scale blocks)


Five layers by provider: the building’s shell down to my bag Building (6): Security (access), cleaning (housekeeping; laundry), waste (recycling), concierge (delivery), maintenance (plumbing; HVAC), and amenities (fitness center; sauna; pool) Infrastructure (6): Noise (neighbors; construction; traffic; nightlife), light (exposure; views; streetlights), air (windows; smokers; radon; damp; HVAC), water (pressure; hot supply), power (outlets; electric stovetop; backup), and internet (fiber; cell signal; routers) Spaces (6): Bedroom (closet; blackout curtains), bathroom (shower), kitchen (fridge; storage; bin; washer), dining/office (open area), living/gym (wall and floor (opens in a new tab)), and parking (bay) Furnishings (6): Furniture (bed; desk; chair; lounger; table; storage), electronics (TV; streaming; sound; lighting), appliances (air purifier; water filter; air monitor; vacuum; kettle), fitness (training station; mat), kitchenware (cookware; knives; dinnerware), and textiles (bedding; towels) Belongings (6): Apparel (clothing; underwear; shoes), toiletries (dental; body; skin; hair; grooming), devices (phone; laptop), documents (identity; legal; finance; health), training kit (calisthenics gear; jump rope; gym bag), and everyday-carry (bag; wallet; keys)

The market’s five deliverables, by the kind of provider I use Provisions (5): Grocery (supermarket; natural foods), coffee (roaster; subscription), department (general; pharmacy), online (marketplace), and hardware (local; big-box) Facilities (4): Clubs (athletic), gyms (24-hour), courts (squash), and studios (by the hour) Providers (4): Financial (bank; brokerage; insurer), technology (search; AI; email; storage; social), telecoms (carrier; budget plan), and health (primary care; dental; labs) Outings (4): Eateries (coffee; fast-casual; restaurants), markets (farmers), entertainment (cinema), and events (concerts; festivals) Travel (3): Accommodation (short-term rental; extended stay; last-minute hotel), transport (robotaxi; rideshare; car rental; airline), and connectivity (eSIM)

What only the city provides: paperwork, power, movement, institutions, and the outdoors Administration (8): Identification (SSA (opens in a new tab)), immigration (USCIS (opens in a new tab)), taxation (IRS (opens in a new tab)), driving (DMV), records (county clerk), courts (county), voting (county elections office), and business (secretary of state) Utilities (4): Power (city electric utility), water (city water utility), gas (gas company), and waste (sanitation department) Transport (4): Roads (public works), local transit (city transit authority), intercity rail (Amtrak (opens in a new tab)), and flights (airport authority) Institutions (7): Emergency (911; EMS), health (county hospitals), education (school district), police (city department), fire (fire department), libraries (library district), and mail (USPS (opens in a new tab)) Outdoor (4): Parks (national; state; city), trails (hiking; greenways), waters (pools; lakes; beaches), and recreation (community centers; fields)

References (Personal)

My lifestyle data derived from continuous and event-based tracking

Sleep: PPG, thermometry, and accelerometry (continuous); tracks overall sleep quality using heart rate, HRV, SpO₂, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and movement (Oura) • report (app)
Activity: Accelerometry and ECG (continuous); tracks overall physical activity levels using heart rate and movement frequency, intensity, duration, and direction (Apple Watch) • report (app)
Nutrition: Weighted food records (events); estimates overall energy and nutrient intake using food measurements against nutrition databases (Cronometer) • report (app)
Attention: Digital behavioral chronometry (continuous); tracks overall screen time for work, education, management, and entertainment using HCI informatics (Apple devices) • report (app)

My lifestyle’s impact on key measures of life capital

Health: Functional integrity status (2026); the effects of sleep, exercise, nutrition, walking, and maintenance activities on measures of integrity, balance, and capacity • health (page)
Knowledge: Applied intelligence status (2026); the effects of work, studying, service, management, and maintenance on measures of education, skills, and works • knowledge (page)
Wealth: Financial asset status (2026); the effects of service and maintenance on measures of security, efficiency, and growth • wealth (page)
Network: Social influence status (2026); the effects of service, management, play, and connection activities on measures of nurture, progress, and contribution • network (page)

Public guidelines for human wellbeing

Sleep: Watson, N. F., et al. (2015). Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult. Sleep, 38(6). Seven or more hours. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Activity: World Health Organization (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. 150–300 minutes moderate weekly. who.int (opens in a new tab)
Play and connection: World Health Organization (2025). From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies. Connection treated as a determinant of health; 871,000 early deaths a year attributed to disconnection. who.int (opens in a new tab)
Nutrition: USDA and HHS. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. dietaryguidelines.gov (opens in a new tab)
Alcohol: World Health Organization (2023). No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. No safe amount; less is better. who.int (opens in a new tab)
Smoking: World Health Organization (2003). WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The first treaty negotiated under WHO auspices; over 180 parties bound to demand- and supply-reduction measures. who.int (opens in a new tab)
Work: International Labour Organization (1962). Reduction of Hours of Work Recommendation, No. 116. The forty-hour week as the standard to progress toward, extending Convention No. 47 (1935). ilo.org (opens in a new tab)
Education: UNESCO (2015). Recommendation on Adult Learning and Education. Lifelong learning across literacy, professional development, and citizenship. unesco.org (opens in a new tab)
Climate: ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55. Thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy. ashrae.org (opens in a new tab)
Air: World Health Organization (2021). WHO global air quality guidelines. PM2.5 and related thresholds. who.int (opens in a new tab)
Radiation: International Commission on Radiological Protection (2007). ICRP Publication 103. Occupational exposure 20 mSv per year averaged over five years, never above 50 mSv in one; public exposure 1 mSv per year. icrp.org (opens in a new tab)
Radon: World Health Organization (2009). WHO handbook on indoor radon: a public health perspective. A reference level of 100 Bq/m³, the exposure that varies by where you live. who.int (opens in a new tab)
Green space: World Health Organization Europe (2016). Urban green spaces and health. The 300 m access recommendation. who.int (opens in a new tab)
Cost of living: US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The 30%-of-income cost-burden threshold. huduser.gov (opens in a new tab)

Public data derived from population surveys and public indices

Wellbeing: Gallup World Poll (annual); life evaluation on the Cantril ladder across 140+ countries: the base for the World Happiness Report and the income-to-happiness literature • worldhappiness.report (opens in a new tab)
Time allocation: American Time Use Survey (annual since 2003); how a national sample spends the twenty-four hours, by activity (BLS/Census) • bls.gov (opens in a new tab)
Health behavior: BRFSS (annual); the largest continuous health-behavior surveillance system, covering sleep, activity, smoking, and alcohol prevalence by state (CDC) • cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)
Health and nutrition: NHANES (continuous); interviews, physical examination, and laboratory work on a national sample; its What We Eat in America component is the intake base for the dietary guidelines (CDC/NCHS) • cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)
Cohort biology: UK Biobank (2006–, ongoing); 500,000 participants with genomics, imaging, and wrist accelerometry: the source behind most step-count and sleep dose-response findings • ukbiobank.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)
Adult skills: OECD PIAAC Survey of Adult Skills (decennial); literacy, numeracy, and problem solving among adults aged 16–65 across member countries • oecd.org (opens in a new tab)
Household wealth: Survey of Consumer Finances (triennial); family balance sheets — income, assets, debt, and net worth (US Federal Reserve) • federalreserve.gov (opens in a new tab)
Climate: NOAA 30-year normals; temperature, humidity, and sunshine • ncei.noaa.gov (opens in a new tab)
Air: EPA AirNow (daily); AQI and PM2.5 • airnow.gov (opens in a new tab)
Radiation: Life Span Study (1950–, ongoing); ~120,000 Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors with individual dose estimates: the primary source informing every international dose limit (RERF) • rerf.or.jp (opens in a new tab)
Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones; county-level screening potential from the national residential survey, read alongside a test of the specific address • epa.gov (opens in a new tab)
Cost of living: C2ER index (quarterly); US average = 100 • coli.org (opens in a new tab)
Growth: BEA GDP by metro (annual); with BLS wages and Census population • bea.gov (opens in a new tab)
Safety: FBI Crime Data Explorer (annual); offense and arrest counts reported by agency through the national incident-based system • cde.ucr.cjis.gov (opens in a new tab)
Healthcare: CMS Care Compare (quarterly); mortality, readmission, safety, and patient-experience measures reported by every Medicare-certified hospital • medicare.gov (opens in a new tab)
Walkability: Walk Score (live); 0–100 by amenity distance • walkscore.com (opens in a new tab)

Public evidence of lifestyle’s impact on longevity and wellbeing

Lifestyle (combined): Li, Y., et al. (2018). Impact of healthy lifestyle factors on life expectancies in the US population. Circulation, 138(4). Five low-risk factors; 14.0 years for women, 12.2 for men. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Sleep: Cappuccio, F. P., et al. (2010). Sleep duration and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep, 33(5). PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Activity: Arem, H., et al. (2015). Leisure time physical activity and mortality: a detailed pooled analysis of the dose-response relationship. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(6). 661,000 adults; benefit plateaus at three to five times the guideline minimum. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Play and connection: Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7). 308,849 participants; strong relationships raise survival odds by half. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Nutrition: Estruch, R., et al. (2018). Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts. New England Journal of Medicine, 378(25). PREDIMED; 7,447 randomized, a rare dietary trial rather than a cohort. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Alcohol: GBD 2016 Alcohol Collaborators (2018). Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016. The Lancet, 392(10152). 694 surveys and 592 studies; risk rises monotonically from zero. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Smoking: Doll, R., Peto, R., Boreham, J., & Sutherland, I. (2004). Mortality in relation to smoking: 50 years’ observations on male British doctors. BMJ, 328(7455). Smokers died about ten years younger; quitting at 30 recovered nearly all of it. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Work: Marmot, M. G., et al. (1991). Health inequalities among British civil servants: the Whitehall II study. The Lancet, 337(8754). 10,314 civil servants; health tracks job control, not just income. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Education: Case, A., & Deaton, A. (2021). Life expectancy in adulthood is falling for those without a BA degree. PNAS, 118(11). The educational divide in mortality more than doubled between 1990 and 2018. PNAS (opens in a new tab)
Wealth: Chetty, R., et al. (2016). The association between income and life expectancy in the United States, 2001–2014. JAMA, 315(16). 1.4 billion tax records; 14.6 years between the richest and poorest one percent. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Climate: Sterling, E. M., et al. (1985). Criteria for human exposure to humidity in occupied buildings. ASHRAE Transactions, 91(1). The 40–60% band.
Air: Dockery, D. W., et al. (1993). An association between air pollution and mortality in six US cities. New England Journal of Medicine, 329(24). The Harvard Six Cities study; the basis of the American fine-particle standard. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Radiation: Ozasa, K., et al. (2012). Studies of the mortality of atomic bomb survivors, Report 14, 1950–2003. Radiation Research, 177(3). The dose-response that sets the limits. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Radiation (occupational): Richardson, D. B., et al. (2015). Risk of cancer from occupational exposure to ionising radiation (INWORKS). BMJ, 351. 309,932 nuclear workers; risk persists at low dose rates. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Radon: Darby, S., et al. (2005). Radon in homes and risk of lung cancer: collaborative analysis of individual data from 13 European case-control studies. BMJ, 330(7485). 7,148 cases; 16% more risk per 100 Bq/m³, linear with no threshold. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Green space: James, P., et al. (2016). Exposure to greenness and mortality in a nationwide prospective cohort of women. Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(9). PubMed (opens in a new tab)

Lifestyle

Activity (Habits)

Time (Routines)

Space (Resources)

References (Personal)

References (Social)