Some doctors take a “do as I say, not as I do” approach to their patients’ care. They smoke, they drink, they rarely exercise, their diets revolve around red meat and highly processed food, they barely sleep—only to turn around and tell the people they treat to do the exact opposite. Lori Ann Musto’s ethos couldn’t be more different.
At work, Dr. Musto is a longevity specialist at Musto Medical, taking a holistic approach that prioritizes prevention and healthy living. In her off hours, Dr. Musto, who is in her sixties, embraces the same suggestions she advocates for with her patients—there’s no room for hypocrisy in her day-to-day routine. “I implement things with patients that I implement in my own life,” she tells The Daily Beast.
In a simpler world, we could all live long, healthy lives without adjusting our lifestyles too much—no telltale creaky knees, no lower (and middle, and upper) back pain. The truth, however, is one we’ve long known: the decisions we make daily can and do impact us for the rest of our lives. The good news is that it’s never too late to start living better, so if you’re looking to make changes (big or small) in your life, here’s how to follow her lead with everything from cold plunges and protein powder to PEMF mats and specific supplements.
What is a longevity specialist?
First, a quick rundown on Dr. Musto’s unique job title. “Every patient is an individual, so I try to incorporate all of their unique genetics in my practice. There’s no ‘one size fits all,’” Dr. Musto says. “I’ve done research in regenerative medicine and how the body works at a cellular level—things I didn’t learn in medical school, [my] internship or residency.”
As with any other specialty—plastic surgery, dermatology, mental health, relationship counseling—social media is filled with self-proclaimed longevity experts. Often, these influencers make unproven claims, offer broadly prescriptive advice (usually accompanied by a recommendation for their personal brand or one they’ve partnered with), and post dramatic declarations aimed at manipulating the algorithm.
Dr. Musto, on the other hand, is the real deal, having received her medical training from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. “I am a medical doctor—I’ve worked in city hospitals all over Philadelphia and New York,” she says. But after moving to Pacific Palisades, California, in 1992, her perspective shifted, expanding beyond traditional medicine.
The doctor maintains an up-to-date knowledge of technological innovations in the health and wellness space, emphasizing a consistent, all-inclusive approach to wellbeing. While she does still employ medications to patients who need them, of course, she also encourages people to “adjust their microcellular environment so that they can perform at higher levels and [become] the best version of themselves,” taking into account everything from hormone levels to inflammatory levels in the blood—tests she also regularly performs on herself to ensure she continues living her healthiest, strongest life.
A day in the life of a longevity doctor
For Dr. Musto, the day starts early, around 4:30 or 5 a.m. “I’ll drink water with lemon, then take my supplements, which can include super antioxidants to [protect myself] from the environment and inflammation,” she tells The Daily Beast. “I’ll also take a 5,000 international unit (IU) vitamin D, [specifically] with vitamin K to help with absorption.”
Vitamin C is another of the doctor’s favorite supplements, as it supports a high-functioning immune system, as well as DHEA supplements, which can help to “prevent adrenal fatigue.” To top off her morning routine, Dr. Musto takes a multivitamin that “has everything I’m not going to be able to take in nutritionally—through food—during the day.”
At lunch, along with a well-balanced diet high in vitamins and nutrients, Dr. Musto reaches for protein powder. “The whole idea is to [support] a great cellular environment with no inflammatory markers in it,” Dr. Musto tells The Daily Beast.
One of the most significant ways she avoids inflammation and myriad other health challenges is to refrain entirely from consuming substances that could endanger her health. Dr. Musto does not drink or smoke, nor does she use any illicit drugs. “That’s how I’ve lived my entire life,” she says. “I’ve never been inebriated, never done a drug, never smoked a cigarette—those are hugely important things [if you want to] stay young and healthy.”
Many of us grew up seeing back-and-forth studies on alcohol consumption—a glass of red at night was declared “beneficial to your heart,” only to be contradicted by a different study the following week. Now, though, the evidence is pretty straightforward: drinking, particularly binge drinking but even in low amounts, can be harmful for your health—and your appearance can suffer the consequences of a night (or several) out, too. “People can do all the procedures they want to do, but if they keep drinking, they’re going to keep regressing,” cautions Dr. Musto.
Short workout routine, longer life
Because “the secret to anti-aging is a low-calorie diet and a moderate amount of exercise daily,” Dr. Musto typically spends 45 minutes to an hour daily, five days a week, working out, usually on an elliptical, a treadmill, or her Peloton bike, or “old-school aerobics, just jumping around and dancing.” She also attends a weekly Lagree class, a low-impact, full-body workout that combines slow, intentional techniques from Pilates, yoga, and strength training. “The class is just 45 minutes, but it works every single muscle, even the tiniest ones.”
No matter your preferences or challenges, there’s a method of movement that is bound to work for you, and committing to it will have both short- and long-term payoffs. “Movement brings oxygen to all the tissues of your body and blood to your brain,” says Dr. Musto. “It gives me all those positive endorphins, which I need—especially because a doctor’s day is super stressful.”
The doctor’s favorite wellness treatments
Living well through nutrition and movement is her main priority, but Dr. Musto also incorporates a plethora of wellness techniques and treatments and science-backed skincare products into her routine.
In addition to more commonly known practices like cold plunges, the doctor is a wholehearted believer in the power of the PEMF mat ($1295, HigherDose). “At night, after dinner, I try to lie on the PEMF mat with infrared for about 30 minutes,” she says. “It helps get inflammation out of the body and just resets everything—afterward, my muscles feel really good and I’m relaxed for nighttime.”
On the note of muscles, Dr. Musto also swears by the Emsculpt Neo Treatment from BTL Aesthetics for “decreasing fat around the stomach area and increasing muscle tone, because I can’t spend hours and hours at the gym.” Once a break, either after hours or during a break from work, she does Emsculpt on herself.
Another BTL Aesthetics tool she uses at her own office is Exion, a device that combines radiofrequency microneedling and ultrasound technology to sculpt and tone the skin. “I do three sessions to start, and then every two months, I’ll do another ion microneedling to get the collagen moving in my skin—it’s microneedling at a deep level,” says Dr. Musto. “It’s a noninvasive procedure, [so] there’s not much downtime.” When I saw the doc’s incredibly radiant skin, I immediately resolved to try this treatment someday. Stay tuned for those results.
Dr. Musto’s must-have skincare favorites
As with the remainder of her outer routine, Dr. Musto prefers to keep her skincare simple, using cotton facial pads to remove makeup and oil. Her favorite product for taking the day off is Neova Radiant Wash ($47, Neova), a cleansing gel that features sodium lactate (an alpha-hydroxy acid) for gentle exfoliation, chamomile extract to reduce inflammation, and fruit extracts to help give the skin a more even texture.
After cleansing, Dr. Musto applies the brand’s DNA Total Repair serum ($125, Neova), which includes ingredients to support your body’s natural skin-repairing abilities, as well as the Daily Moisture cream ($120, Neova), which contains copper and an amino acid blend. “Many of Neova’s products have copper in them, which helps regenerate collagen,” Dr. Musto says.
Another brand she keeps in her rotation is AnteAGE, particularly the regenerative AnteAGE Serum ($150, AnteAGE). Its formula offers a potent blend of science-backed ingredients that help reduce inflammation and redness while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. “It’s got exosomes, which build up your skin at the collagen level,” Dr. Musto explains. In the mornings and evenings, she takes a pump of the serum, which she mixes with the brand’s Biosome Brightener (available in-office) plus its AnteAGE Moisturizer ($120, AnteAGE) and applies it directly to her face. “I don’t use the same skincare every single day, I try to mix different things, but Neova and AnteAGE are my favorites,” she says.
When spending time outdoors, Dr. Musto reaches for Skinbetter Sunbetter Sunscreen Lotion ($75, Skin Better). “I don’t use it in the daytime when I’m at work,” she says, “but whenever I’m in the sun, I apply it.”
Keeping fit in every facet of life
Spirituality, too, is an essential component of the doctor’s life. “I’ll add one more thing: I pray,” Dr. Musto tells me toward the end of our call. “It just centers me.”
For obvious reasons, it is difficult to measure the role prayer plays in people’s lives. Still, it is nevertheless an undeniably huge part of billions of day-to-day experiences, regardless of an individual’s religious beliefs, backgrounds, or methodologies. Plus, it can provide invaluable comfort during difficult times, like when the devastating Palisades Fire tragically destroyed Dr. Musto’s longtime practice on January 7, 2025. Through hard work, faith, and support from her loved ones and community, Dr. Musto was able to reopen her practice in Calabasas, demonstrating her dedication to healing on a whole new level.
“[My relationship with my creator] is like the key to my life,” Dr. Musto says. “It’s important for me to integrate that into my practice every day. That’s where my joy comes from.”
The post Everything a Longevity Doctor Does to Live Her Best Life appeared first on The Daily Beast.
