Last month my husband Rob Krakoff answered a question over on the site Quora: “What’s the best way to prepare for old age?” Here’s his answer which struck a bell with over 169,300 readers, 16,330 upvotes, and 230 shares. Many people commented that the post inspired them to get more active.
Trust me, good genes only account for about 20% of your longevity. The other 80% depends solely on you.
It’s hard work and you have to start thinking and acting somewhere in your 20s. That’s when you begin to lose bone and muscle. That’s when your metabolism slows and you can easily gain weight in all the wrong places.
Exercise Prepares You for Old Age
I was fortunate growing up playing sports. From my 20s on I have played basketball, baseball, racquetball and tennis (I don’t count golf as a sport). Little did I know at the time how important sports would be as a way to prepare for old age.
After 60, I had to give up basketball and baseball. I focused solely on tennis. At that time, I began a calorie restriction diet eliminating one meal every day or a 17 hour fast per day.
After 65, I realized that if I wanted to stay competitive and healthy I needed to cross-train in the gym. IMO, resistance training really slowed down the aging process.
After 70, I decided to give up soft drinks, alcohol, breads, salt, sugar, caffeine and most animal protein. I started taking better care of my dental health (really important at any age).
After 75, I added interval training to my exercise routine. At that time, I began supplementation to protect my gut bacteria.
A Day in the Life of a Healthy Senior
Now at almost 80, I spend 2 hours a day on the tennis courts alternating days with 2 hours in the gym. I make certain to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. I write books (8 fiction and 1 non-) and continue to work so I can maintain a purpose in my life. My wife and I are very active socially and we have both successfully learned how to deal with stress (well, at least we think so).
We have no plans to live forever (we wouldn’t want to) but while we’re here we want to live a healthy, active and disease-free life.
The Heart – Brain Connection
My last comment is that whatever you can do for your heart is also good for your brain. Personally, I found that playing video games is good for my brain.
At the gym last month, I noted that my weight and waistline are exactly the same as when I graduated high school and more importantly, I am for the most part a healthy disease-free senior.
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