Longevity from strength
Specifically, older respondents to the survey highlighted that their top priorities in 2024 are to exercise more, improve their physical health, eat healthier and lose weight.
Coincidentally, Zoe, the health and nutrition research company, released a podcast earlier this week in which Dr Andy Gilpin from California State University talks about the importance of exercise in fitness and longevity and provides advice on which of the many forms of exercise are most effective. From ultra-marathons to a walk in the park, from Metafit classes to swimming classes, the choice is so huge it can be challenging to decide which works best.
There is no one-size-fits-all all fitness regime
Dr Gilpin believes our biggest misconception is that there is a single, magic, specific thing that all people must do to live a long and healthy life. He explains which exercises are best for your health and how much exercise you need to improve your health and longevity. He debates the relative merits of cardiovascular exercise and strength exercise and concludes that strength exercises are more likely to lead to a longer and healthier life.
“So strength training is very specific and different than cardiovascular training because the neurological demand of strength training is very, very high. Which means you continue to keep neurological pathways activated and healthy.
“You need those neurological pathways to make decisions and think and to keep your brain alive. So by challenging your ability to physically do something, that is either complex or complicated, or requires a lot of force, like a lot of strength. That requires neurological activation that requires those things to stay alive and healthy.”
Dr Gilpin also outlines a simple exercise schedule for people who are short on time – which most of us are.
Retaining a coach or trainer will improve your chances of success
There is another interesting item in the interview made by Jonathan Wolf, the interviewer, almost in passing. Wolf says, “I have a trainer who I try to see three times a week.” In other words, Wolf does not do it alone. He gets support, advice and accountability from his PT.
I have just finished reading Anthony Damaschino’s book The Empty Nest Blueprint. It’s a highly detailed, well-researched book that includes plenty of activities for empty nest parents to do to help them plan to live life fully after the children leave home.
However, if one thing struck me, it was the assumption that an individual, even a couple, could do this on their own. Like Jonathan Wolf and his fitness regime, retaining a coach or trainer to hold you accountable and point the way forward will likely lead to greater success – possibly why older people are no longer bothering to set resolutions and why getting the coaching I described in my January newsletter is more likely to lead to a healthy and long life.
ABOUT
I work with ambitious, family-oriented professionals transitioning to independent consultants to create a 3 to 5-year holistic plan so that they grow wealthy, make a difference and find meaning.
My clients are aged 35-50. They are in a long-term relationship with family and parents who are supportive but ageing. They wrestle with personal and financial responsibilities and dream of more control, wealth, time and purpose.
If this excites you, you are coachable, willing to change, and want to stop going around in circles, then find out more at jeremydeedes.com
Then, take your next step and explore your way forward with a Mapmaker, a one-off online coaching gig to help you decide your options, assess our compatibility, and determine whether we are the right fit. Mapmaker is excellent value, held in confidence and without further commitment.
Photo attribution
Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
Taking it further
The YouGov Survey
The Zoe podcast
https://zoe.com/learn/podcast-exercise-and-living-longer
The January 2024 Newsletter
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