No one is too young to take longevity seriously

I’m a 20-something who researches longevity. That math doesn’t always add up. “You’re so young,” I often hear. “Stop worrying and just enjoy your youth. You know, your metabolism will never be this fast again.” 

All true—I am young, I ought to enjoy my youth and metabolism, and I should worry less (a lot less… that’s best left for another time).

But you’re never too young to want to live a good life. Not only do younger adults benefit enormously from being informed by real science, but we can also fundamentally shape the lives of those we love.

Young people are (unsurprisingly) impressionable, privy to trying the next biggest health fad on social media with a true intention to do the right thing.

There are examples of genuinely beneficial trends such as ‘Fibermaxxing,’ where the core message of ‘eat more fiber’ will, in all likelihood, never age out.

But for every good trend are 1000 questionable pieces of health advice, misinformation, and extreme opinions—

We need to be able to discern true health advice for our health today, but it’s especially important in shaping our future aging trajectory. Impressionable young people have impressionable biology, and that biology is something we can *somewhat* control if given the right resources.

Primarily, we benefit more from longevity if we start basic healthy habits today. Habits become more automatic the longer they’re repeated, and early adulthood is a critical window to build routines that stick. I also don’t take for granted how we are naturally afforded more time to practice these habits.

Younger adults don’t face the same disease risks as those older (and wiser!) than us, either. We are riding the biological tailwinds of youth—quite literally. Our cells have divided less, our bones naturally build density, and we’ve not yet lived through the natural but rapid inflection points that cause rapid aging.

And, for those of us with female biology, the pre-menopausal window offers an edge to consider interventions that preserve our hormones and the health of our reproductive organs—

With knowledge and the drive to live well, it’s a privilege to take this rare opportunity to reduce the odds of chronic disease, which becomes exponentially higher around midlife, and do everything we can to give ourselves the best quality of lives possible.

This has a ripple effect on our loved ones and community. The people you surround yourself with influence your health and longevity, but vice versa.

At our events, I talked to many parents impassioned about longevity through their children.

It’s never been about living a la Bryan Johnson forever, but about living longer to show up for others.

This doesn’t have to be rigid, disciplined, or hard. My mom didn’t like tofu, and she didn’t eat a lot of beans. Now she eats more. My dad started Nordic walking, not because I told him to, but because he saw me doing it, tried it, and said his knees felt better.

Small changes get people excited to care for themselves in new and fun ways. As young adults, we can turn this idea back on our own biology.

No matter your age, no one should be destined for decrepitude—physically, emotionally, spiritually, or mentally. My pursuit of longevity, while it might not look the same as yours, is born from the same desire to grow and to add more life to my years. 

This is a guest essay from Livelong Media Editorial Director, Erin Hunter. We’re accepting personal stories or moments that have shaped how you think about your health and longevity, or how you think about life.

Respond to this email for guest essay submission guidelines.