Mastering the art of aging

Key insights:

Mobility: The ability to move freely can reduce your risk of falls and injuries and help you stay physically, emotionally, and socially healthy while living independently. 

Mind (Cognitive health): Alzheimer’s is not inevitable. Even with genetic risk factors, certain lifestyle choices can significantly reduce your risk as you age.

Welcome to part II of Master Healthy Aging, a series dedicated to helping you build a practical and actionable roadmap to prolong healthspan and vitality. 

As a quick recap, we are covering principles from the 4 M’s of successful aging—Matter, Medications, Mobility, and Mind.

Last week, we learned how the Centenarian Decathlon can help us create winning health goals, along with learning how to manage medications and supplements.

👉 Get your guide here.

This week, we are diving into Mobility, Mind, and a secret fifth M. Let’s go.

Mobility

For the estimated 50% of adults age 65 and older who will lose their mobility, basic tasks like showering, going up a flight of stairs, or bending down to pick something up become harder—or nearly impossible. 🚿

Mobility is the ability to move freely and perform tasks in everyday life. It is more than movement—it is independence.

Older adults who lose mobility are prone to falls and serious injuries, linked to longer recovery, reduced healthspan—even mortality, as injury goes beyond the wound.

For instance:

• Some adults become more inactive post-injury, increasing the risk of metabolic disease and heart disease, a leading cause of death in the U.S.

• Injury can evolve into social isolation, which can be more harmful to mental and physical well-being than the actual injury.

✔️ The good news: You don’t have to lose mobility with age.

Focusing on specific elements of fitness can reverse mobility loss, add range of motion, and contribute to lifelong independence.

How to start

Mobility requires physical stamina, strength, balance, coordination, and range of motion, Harvard writes. Certain types of physical activity can promote these attributes.

🏊 Aerobic exercise: 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Power walking, swimming, pickleball, biking.

🏋️ Strength training: 2x/week strength training. Can include weight training with dumbbells, kettlebells, bodyweight, or resistance training. Experts recommend starting with a trainer to maintain proper form and avoid injury.

🐄 Mobility training: Specific movements that improve joint range of motion, flexibility, and balance. Examples include cat cows, the world's greatest stretch, and the 90-90 hip switch.

🧘 Flexibility: Supports balance and range of motion. Incorporate flexibility in the form of gentle stretching and flowing movements, such as tai chi and yoga.

⚖️ Balance exercises: Balance helps coordinate movements and improve daily practices, such as walking and climbing.

• During daily tasks like vacuuming, practice standing on one leg, recommends longevity expert Peter Attia.

Less than 1 week away: Club Livelong

Imagine waking up feeling enlightened and in control, knowing you’re making choices that support your long-term health while being part of a community who shares your values and support your commitment to living well.

That’s what Club Livelong is all about, and we saved you a seat.

Launching June 2. Join your people.

Mind 

Our brains change as we age, and for many, that sparks a scary thought: What if it’s Alzheimers?

🧠 Alzheimer’s is one of the most feared conditions of aging. It remains a leading cause of death, and there is no cure. But the research shows that aging does not mean Alzheimer’s is inevitable. Even with genetic risk factors, lifestyle choices can significantly reduce your risk. 

• Take regular physical activity (yes, even mobility!). Physical activity can reduce Alzheimer’s risk by 45%.

Healthy brain, happy aging

Longevity experts consider brain health to be a prerogative for healthy aging, in more ways than one.

Not only does it reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative conditions, but it’s also a cornerstone of positive mood, close relationships, restorative sleep, and better performance at work or play.

🤸 In other words, a healthy brain will help you to feel more happy, fulfilled, and energized.

To support brain health is to lead a healthy lifestyle and engage in activities which enhance neuroplasticity–the brain’s ability to form new neural connections.

Neuroplasticity is aging well. It optimizes your ability to retain information, learn new skills, and have fulfilling experiences that boost emotional and spiritual well-being.

How to start

Maintaining cognitive health is not glamorous—it’s lifestyle. That includes:

🥦 Diet: The anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet or MIND diet.

👭 Socialize: Regular social engagement reduces the risk of early-onset dementia.

😴 Sleep: Clears waste from the brain and prolongs the development of Alzheimer’s disease. 

♥️ Exercise: Prevents cardiovascular disease, the primary risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

🙂 Stress management: Stress spikes cortisol and shrinks the hippocampus, which controls learning and memory. Consider trying:

• Walks in nature

• Meditation

• Therapy

• Brain retraining

📚 Cognitive activities: Reading, games, playing music, and learning a language can all boost neuroplasticity, which protects the brain.

🧑‍⚕️ Talking to doc: Talk with your doctor about any cognitive changes, says 4 M’s creator Terry Fulmer, PhD, in an interview with Fortune. Interventions today bring peace of mind tomorrow.

A fifth M? Making the case for positive mindset

What feels better than happiness? Feeling happy and living longer. In a 2022 Yale study, adults who thought positively about aging could expect 7.5 years of additional lifespan.

It might have a larger impact on longevity than exercise, weight management, and not smoking, researchers write.

Don’t fall for the trap

We evolved to have negative bias (‘glass half empty’ thinking), but that type of thinking ‘traps’ us as we age, says Ellen Langer, a 78-year-old Harvard University psychology professor, in The Washington Post.

What can you do instead?

• Focus on the aspects of aging that you can control.

• Be willing to adapt to life-changing events and experiences, which happen more often as we age, says Bruce Leff, an aging researcher.

• Seek meaning and purpose, a habit that most centenarians have adopted.

Aging well can be simple and achievable. Setting the right goals, being mindful with medications/supplements, prioritizing movement, and engaging your brain daily offer an effective blueprint for living many healthy years.

Community callout

Highlighting your comments to last week’s question: What is in your Centenarian Decathlon?

Let’s hear from Tom:

“At 79, I could well be in that last decade…I want to continue to be able to get myself to the airport so I can visit the small family! I want to be able to walk the 1/2 mile or more from the street to my gate and then throw my luggage in the overhead! So all I do physically is focused on maintaining those capabilities.”

Question…What’s harder?

Reply to this email with your response. We want to share your insights in an upcoming newsletter.

Which one of these – mobility, mind, or positive mindset– do you find the most difficult to maintain on a daily basis, and what is your solution for overcoming it?

Until next time,

Erin

_{The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.}

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