The foundation of the Centenarian Path
In my last post I talked about the Three Pillars of the Centenarian Path, but living to 100 (or longer) isn't that easy. Yes, there's more, and like any good structure, for the pillars to stay standing, they need to be build on a good foundation.
I like this analogy a lot because the reality of structural engineering is, you can have the best darn pillars in the world, made of steel, firmly attached to the foundation of a building. If that foundation is weak, the structure will fall, no matter how great those pillars are.
The same is true for the Centenarian Path. The three pillars only work their magic if they're built on a strong foundation. After years of reading and studying different approaches to longevity, I've come up with what I think is a required foundation to build a life to 100, or beyond.
The foundation is two key elements:
- Exercise
- Understanding your genetics
I put exercise as #1 for a reason. As we age, it can become all too easy to skimp on exercise and decide that a daily walk for 20-30 minutes should do the trick. What I've found all longevity experts seem to agree on is the importance of exercise, real zone two exercise, well into your nineties.
“Nothing comes close to having a greater impact on the length and quality of your life than your training. And unfortunately, we can’t put it in a pill. You’ve got to be able to do it. There’s no biohack for it.” —Peter Attia
Like Peter says, there really is nothing that has a greater impact on longevity than proper exercise training. While the market is now flooded with weight loss pills, there is no exercise pill you can take, you have to do the work yourself.
David Sinclair is a big proponent of using exercise to keep our cells healthy and prevent aging. He believes we should exercise more frequently and with greater intensity to see the benefits of improved health and longevity. Sinclair's research has shown that exercise can help slow the aging process by improving the function of our cells. (David Sinclair - Health News)
Okay, now onto the second component of the foundation to the Centenarian Path - understanding your genetics. Twenty years ago this would sound like something in the distant future, today thanks to multitude of companies that have popped up in the last decade, this is here in the now.
Understanding your genetics is absolutely critical because there is no one path that will work for everyone. Like it or not, we're all different, and the only way to truly understand how our differences impact our lifespan, and how we can make the right changes to extend our life is to understand our genetics.
Aging is a complex process indicated by low energy levels, declined physiological activity, stress induced loss of homeostasis leading to the risk of diseases and mortality. Recent developments in medical sciences and an increased availability of nutritional requirements has significantly increased the average human lifespan worldwide. Several environmental and physiological factors contribute to the aging process. However, about 40% human life expectancy is inherited among generations, many lifespan associated genes, genetic mechanisms and pathways have been demonstrated during last decades. (Source - NIH.gov)
I recently signed up for Function Health and just completed my first set of tests. I believe that companies like Function will help enable normal people like you and me to better understand our genetics and make changes earlier in life that will dramatically impact us later in life.
Okay, so we've got the pillars, and we've got the foundation for the Centenarian Path, if you've made it this far your head might be spinning. Not to worry. In my future posts I will be breaking down all of this in granular detail.
Also as a quick reminder, I am not a doctor, or a scientist, I'm an engineer who is interested in living to 100, or longer. For years I have been reading and listening to just about everything I can about longevity from experts who actually know what they're talking about. The Centenarian Path is all about a path I've put together for myself based on what I have learned. Nothing on this site should be considered medical or financial advice, like all things in life, DYOR.
And with that, thanks for reading and stay tuned, there's a lot more to come!