I am reading the NYT’s best selling nonfiction book, “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity” by Peter Attia. So far I’ve only read a tenth of the book, but I will comment on two important things.
Attia (M.D.) states that there was a time when he thought that nutrition was the most important factor in health and longevity. He has learned that that is not true. The most important factor is exercise. Furthermore, as we age we assume that we will be fully capable of doing the same activities in ten or twenty years as we do now, but unless we have a plan to challenge ourselves we will decline.
People of the upper midwest have lived long lives throughout the past century. A majority of them ate meat and potatoes and greasy diets and sugary desserts. Hmmm. What could it be? Perhaps they didn’t sit much. They were active and connected in their communities. Their food and water and the air that they breathed was clean.
Get moving. I am now Medicare age… and I’ve taken up yoga and ping pong. These two activities have been very positive in so many ways for me. They are social, they are both good exercise, they challenge me, and they keep my mind active. I’ve added these to the hiking and biking and 10k steps a day that I’ve always done. I’m adding aerobic challenges to my week, as well. It dawned on me that I have been doing my activities at my own pace instead of getting my heart rate up.
Come up with a plan, whatever age you are… 40, 50, 55, 60. Most of us sit TOO MUCH.
Pick something and do it. Start slowly and build up gradually. The last thing you want to do is hurt yourself. Avoid injuries and falls. If you exercise, you gain more energy, motivating you to exercise more. And the opposite is also true.
One Seeker's Story 