With the Netflix series Secrets of the Blue Zones and Peter Attia’s book Outlive, “longevity” is having it’s moment in the sun.
These pieces are investigating a question we’d all like to know the answer to:
What can you do to live a healthy, active & happy life as long as you can?
This, of course, is not a new human fascination. I am sure Plato and Aristotle have fantastic quotes about how to live happier longer (I’ll let you go down that Google rabbit hole).
What is new is the growing evidence that the earlier you start to pay attention to the factors that impact longevity, the more impact they will have. It is like compounding interest, but for your health – invest some time into your health now to avoid having to invest a lot more time (and money) into your health down the road.
So what exactly should you spend your resources on to get the best return on your health investment?
Here are the top 5:
1. Move. Study after study after study have shown that physical activity reduces mortality. Not only that, but regular physical activity greatly increases quality of life as you age, or “healthspan,” improving mental health, and lowering risk for the most common chronic diseases.
This does not mean you need to kill yourself on the treadmill every day! I treat too many people who have taken this to an unhealthy place and they find themselves burnt out or injured.
Find a movement routine that does not feel like a chore and that gives you more energy on a daily basis. If you hate going to the gym, find a different way to move that you look forward to and that you can sustain.
2. Sleep. As Matthew Walker succinctly puts it in his book, Why We Sleep:
“The shorter your sleep,
the shorter your lifespan”
Walker goes on to describe the myriad ways that poor sleep impact your mortality, but the key takeaway is that taking steps to improve your sleep quality is one of the most important things you can do for your longevity.
Not sure where to start? I love to help people sleep better by improving sleep hygiene and using acupuncture, herbs and lifestyle adjustments; just ask me at your next appointment!
3. Build a Community. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy made headlines last year when he declared loneliness a public health epidemic and that it posed health risks to Americans akin to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day! 🤯
The report from his office underscores the reality that many Americans feel lonely and that “loneliness and isolation can increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29% respectively.”
This does not mean you have to turn into an extrovert if you are naturally more introverted. Research studies (here and here) suggest close friendships with 3 to 6 people are all you need.
4. Be Proactive. To get the most out of compounding interest, you have to start early. But you do not have to do everything at once.
Don’t let perfection get
in the way of progress
Pick one trackable things you can work on this month and commit to it for a whole 30 days. Bonus points for writing down how you feel at the beginning of the 30 days and how you feel at the end.
5. Maintain Balance. I get it, I am also kinda sick about hearing about a work-life balance… but hear me out.
In Chinese Medicine philosophy everything in the universe is a balance of yin and yang. If you are part of this universe, you too are a balance between yin and yang and honoring this can have an enormous impact on your longevity. So yes, this means that you should strive for a work-life balance, but also a play-rest balance, a hot yoga-yin yoga balance, an intense workout-mindful walk balance, etc.
Paying attention to this natural balance will help your nervous system come back to homeostasis quickly and have positive effects on your longevity.
Don’t know where to start?
Let’s dive in during your next appointment!
