Is there anything practical we can do which would slow the passage of time?
We all know that growing old is inevitable, but what are the top 5 most effective ways to slow the encroachment of time?
Get-Fit Guy is hosted by Kevin Don. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
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Welcome back to Get-Fit Guy, I’m Kevin Don and this week I want to apologize for the clickbait title. I will, indeed, give you 5 ways to resist the aging process, but none of these are actually secrets! In fact, if you’ve listened to this podcast before, you can probably already guess at a few of them.
Now, let's get to it! We all know that we are aging—we feel the aches and pains, the slower recovery from training, and the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. We see the grey hair creeping in and the myriad lotions and potions we smear on our faces to keep that rosy-faced glow of youth. But is there anything practical we can do, here on Earth, which would slow the passage of time?
I say here on Earth because gravity actually affects aging and the closer we are to a larger mass of gravity, the slower time passes. Although infinitesimal, someone living in La Paz, Bolivia, is aging more slowly than someone living at sea level or below (such as Baku in Azerbaijan, which is 92 ft below sea level). If we could survive the gravitational forces of a neutron star, that would really boost our lifetimes. Even the mighty Jupiter only has 2.4 times more gravity than earth, boosting our lives by a measly 1 second a year.
So, assuming you don’t have a spacefaring vehicle, what protocols CAN we access?
Well, the first thing on my list (in a totally arbitrary order, before the deluge of emails) is—
SLEEP: As discussed in my episode on sleep, whether or not this comes in one huge unbroken chunk is maybe less important than the rejuvenating effects of making sure that in a 24-hour period, you pass through all of the phases of sleep—light, REM, and deep sleep—several times. Some studies say humans are naturally biphasic sleepers, others swear by an 8-hour block. Just do what works for you and make sure you get enough sleep and that you pass through all the phases. Research shows that people who regularly slept 7 hours or less in a 24-hour period had 24% lower life expectancy. (1)
My top tips for better sleep are: avoid blue light before bed (devices play havoc with the production of sleep hormones), make sure the bedroom or sleeping area is really dark (black-out curtains are amazing), and ensure it’s cool (the optimum sleeping temperature is about 65 degrees).
Next up on the list is—
COMMUNITY: Living longer has been directly correlated to having a community—family, friends, and social events. You’ll be happier, have a sense of belonging, and have something to keep showing up for and look forward to.
National Geographic’s “blue zone project” uncovered five areas in the world where people lived longest and discovered that community, family ties, and social tribes were strongest in these five “blue zones.” Something I worry about post-pandemic, with so many people working from home, social events taking place online and so on, is how virtual socializing will affect longevity. In fact, my top tips for community would be: replace screen time with people time, plan regular events with friends such as a walk, gym time, or even just a coffee meet. Other ideas could be to regularly attend a religious meeting if you have faith—go to church, the synagogue, the mosque, or the temple and make sure you are involved in socials. You could even start a new sport, no matter your age!
Number 3. I’m going to have to go for—
EAT WELL: Now, this is incredibly nuanced and I’m not even getting into the plant-based, carnivore, keto, low-carb, or fasting thing. Thankfully though, Quick and Dirty Tips has a great nutrition podcast where you can dig into that, it’s called Nutrition Diva and she isn't a diva at all, she’s lovely. What I will say though, is that irrespective of your preference of eating style, you don’t need me to tell you that eating fruits and vegetables is good for you and that a salad has better health outcomes than a deep-fried pizza. That being said, “junk” food, as long as it's not consumed with super regularity, DOES have the ability to recharge some batteries—it has social effects as well as emotional ones. I know for sure that, being British, nothing helps my stress like a cup of tea and a biscuit! But you do have to make sure that your eating habits are intentional! My top tip here—go check out Nutrition Diva podcast.
Not so secret number 4—
DON’T SMOKE: It literally blows my mind how many people I see smoking here in the UK versus when I was in the US. Now, I will say that I researched this and it's not that much different—13.3% of the population in the UK smokes versus 11.5% in the US, so maybe it's the fact that I think in the US, I did a lot more driving place-to-place and perhaps didn’t encounter as many smokers as I do now.
Tobacco smokers have on average a 25% lower life expectancy—a loss of 11 minutes off your life for every cigarette smoked. Frankly, since Sir Richard Doll, the British physician, discovered the link between smoking and lung cancer in 1956 and the U.S. Surgeon General released a report after reviewing over 7000 pieces of medical evidence in 1964, I’m flabbergasted that anyone still smokes, or at least takes it up. If you do smoke, here’s my top tip—STOP!
And last but not least and by no means surprising—
MOVE: You have to move your body! I’ve said it so many times that regular listeners could host their own podcast on it by now. But in case you need to hear it again, the metabolic effects of aging such as sarcopenia and osteopenia (loss of muscle mass and bone density) can ONLY be overcome with resistance training. The ongoing health of the cardiovascular system will be dramatically improved with aerobic training and your ability to move pain-free and unrestricted and interact with your environment, your children, your grandchildren, and your pets will be enhanced by mobility work. I can't really do anything more or less than tell it to you straight: you gotta move, people! Use it or LOSE IT. Top tips here really are to try and find something or a group of things that allow just that: lifting some load, moving your body through full ranges, and doing so in a way that elevates your heart rate. Remember: unless you are actually dead inside (I had an email from one such person, I’ll call them, “Mr. Joyboy”) then it should be FUN. The biggest predictor of success in any training is adherence and the biggest predictor of adherence is ENJOYMENT.
So there you go—my top five tips for resisting aging. No secrets here, no grand conspiracies–you’ve just got to sleep well, eat well, have friends, move your body, and stop smoking!
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