One hot dog won't kill me, right?

I took an honest look at the bad habits I’d built over the decades with a determination to swap out the ones that weren't working for me.

Ughhhhhh, not easy at all.

So, still not perfect, I adopted a better diet, moved more, improved my sleep, and found more ways to chill. Here’s a hodgepodge of some small stuff I learned over the years (which is the point), because little steps can add up.

Long-haul flights combine three things that drive clot formation: blood pooling in the legs from immobility; pressure changes affecting vein walls; and mild dehydration thickening the blood.

Risk roughly doubles on flights over 4 hours, and rises further past 8 hours.

I wear compression socks (knee-high, 15-20mmHg) when I fly. I put them on before I leave for the airport, not after boarding. They prevent swelling and bring down the risk of blood clots.

One caveat: If you have circulation issues or have been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease, check with your doctor before using compression socks.

Other tips: skip booze on a long-haul flight, avoid sleep meds so you aren’t motionless and get up and move around every couple of hours.

Falling is my enemy (and that of many other older adults). It’s not the fall itself, but everything that goes haywire after.

To improve my balance, I started practicing standing on a single leg. Turns out it’s an excellent predictor of fall risk, and even mortality. 

A widely cited study found that people over 50 who can’t hold a single-leg stance for 10 seconds might have a higher mortality risk in the years that followed. After daily practice, I can hold it for 30 seconds on each side now, and I've noticed my overall balance has improved.

Beware: Balance falters fast if I stop practicing. And once it gets easy, closing my eyes or standing on a pillow makes it hard again. Very little progress on that front.

I started doing cold showers because the science on cold plunges seems convincing — dopamine, inflammation, resilience.  I wanted the benefit without making a big deal about it, so no in-home chiller, no thermometer, no Instagram moment in a barrel for me. Just the cold shower rinse.

It wakes me up faster than coffee. There’s a jolt, then peace that lasts well into the morning. Some of this is based on real physiology — cold water triggers a spike in norepinephrine, and other research links cold exposure to better mood and alertness. Some of this effect might just be that starting the day with something slightly uncomfortable.

I’m not claiming the cold can add years, but it might make you feel better. That counts for something.

I used to treat every food decision like a referendum on my future. That’s exhausting, and it shouldn't be how this works.

What the research flags is that frequently eating processed meat is tied to a modestly higher cardiovascular and colorectal cancer risk, and when occasionally enjoyed, it can be done with no guilt. 

I relieved myself of the idea that I couldn't have a dessert, a French baguette, a hot dog, or anything fun, for fear I might rendezvous with the Grim Reaper…the mind games were exhausting.

The good news is that, during my un-education about eating the infrequent hot dog, I learned to love spinach, asparagus, kale, fruit, and the “good stuff” in the process.

Now this sounded like something for other people’s parents. Then I learned that buoyancy takes 75–90% of your body weight off your joints, that water resistance is 12–14 times that of air (which means more muscle-building), and that if you lose your balance, the water catches you instead of the pavement. Though I’m already working on balance, I’m happy to have the safety net.

My routine is two or three sessions that last 30–45-minute sessions. It’s controlled movement over fast gains, and I think that it’s one of the better trades I’ve made: same cardiovascular and bone-density benefit, none of the joint toll.

I was skeptical that this is biking for cheats, but it isn’t. Pedal-assist still requires pedaling, and the cardiovascular benefit on lower assist settings is close to a regular bike. I’d also argue that the assist has improved my total fitness in a way. Instead of skipping a ride because of hills or headwinds, I now ride further and more consistently.

Consistency is the best type of exercise.

One honest caveat: if you lean on the motor, you’ve built yourself a moped, not a workout. That's on you, not the bike.

Unlike some of my bad habits, this wasn't a complicated one to give up.

Regular soda is a vehicle for fructose, and your liver processes it differently than glucose — a good chunk converts straight to fat. One 12-oz can a day, sustained, measurably raises liver fat and visceral fat independent of total calorie intake.

Numerous studies link daily sugary drink consumption to higher coronary heart disease risk even after adjusting for BMI. That means it’s not just that soda makes you gain weight; it’s an independent metabolic hit.

Check the ingredients on the “healthy” alternatives; many are often loaded with sugar too.

World peace seems easier to achieve than curbing my late-night carb cravings. Between 8:00 and 10:00, I sneak into the kitchen like a kid and eat a bowl of cereal…or a cheese sandwich with a mound of mayonnaise….or popcorn drowning in melted butter.

None of it is planned. It just happens, the way habits from another decade still kick in.

I’m not pretending I’ve curbed this habit, but I’m including it because my longevity story has unfinished chapters, not just tidy ones.

None of the things I’ve genuinely learned about longevity are too dramatic. That’s my lesson. Longevity isn’t one big decision — it’s a handful of small ones, long after the novelty wears off.

Promise to myself: no Ritz crackers and peanut butter tonight.

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.