Welcome to the Longevity Gym Podcast. My name is Pam Strand. I'm your podcast host and I'm excited to be here, especially since this is the inaugural episode of this podcast journey. And I'm glad that you have decided to tune in. The Longevity Gym Podcast is dedicated to those of us searching for answers to the two questions, how do I not age before it's time? And how do I bring more strength, health, and resilience into my middle years?
This journey began 20 years ago for me, both personally and professionally, when I finally listened to that inner voice telling me there was more to life than being tired and stressed out. At age 44, I left my consulting career. To get into the best shape of my life and to learn how to help others do the same. I became a personal trainer with a deep belief that we can get healthier, stronger, and better as we age. And in this podcast, I want to share what I have learned along the way.
Since this is the first episode of the Longevity Gym podcast, it seems fitting to begin this journey with an episode exploring what longevity is, what it means, and most importantly, what it means to you. A couple of important notes as we move through this conversation. What I share with you today in this episode is not medical advice. It's not diagnosis or treatment. Or any substitute of medic, medical diagnosis or treatment. Rather it's information about how we can support.
So let's get started. Longevity is the combination of lifespan and healthspan. In other words, how many years you live and how many of those years are disease free. I recently heard someone refer to this as adding years to life and adding life to years, which is a very apt description of what we're after with longevity. To me, longevity is about staying power. It's about remaining capable physically, mentally. Emotionally and able to live our lives, to live our good life.
The goal of longevity is twofold. It's answering that question of how do we not age before it's time, which means slowing down, even reversing the biological aging process. And then it's answering how do you best fill your years with more health, strength, and resilience. So, not only did your body thrive, but you thrive as well. When I learned about the field of longevity, I had a lot of eureka moments.
It felt like this was the missing piece in answering that question of what to do to not age before it's time. And I know that's a significant question for many of us, myself included. The field or the Eureka moment also validated the quest to have and maintain an able body and brain as we get older so we don't miss out on the life we desire to live.
This field of longevity also and the tools and research it's producing also gave or gives a clear path based on science of what to do and how to do it, making the journey simpler, more focused in enabling. And I think that last point. Enabling is so important because longevity is providing the tools for us to take charge. Of course, the question remains for each of us, will we step up to be a leader in this area of our lives?
The other reason I'm excited about longevity is that it encourages a productive conversation about aging. In longevity, aging is not a dirty word, especially being middle aged. There's nothing wrong with it. There's no stigma to it. It's just a fact. It's a piece of data about ourselves.
And biological aging is simply a natural process and one that we have tremendous control over if we understand what is happening in our bodies and understand how we can directly influence the process with fitness and lifestyle. Science is showing that 75 percent of slowing aging, or not aging before it's time, comes from lifestyle and fitness choices.
If you're wondering why longevity seems to have come out of nowhere, I believe it's because of the quality of recent research and the fact that research is showing or is looking at aging and disease from a different perspective. It's looking at what would happen if we added health as we aged rather than only directing our efforts to managing sickness and illness as we get older. A group of researchers published a study in 2021 that calculated the benefit of slowing aging.
They found that a slowdown in aging that increases life expectancy of everyone in the U. S. by one year is worth 38 trillion. It adds 38 trillion to our economy. The researchers also calculated that over 10 years, that would equate to 367 trillion. When compared to the current cost, Of managing disease, which is about three, excuse me, 3. 8 trillion or 20 percent of our GNP. This study says there is much to be gained by focusing on creating health. by slowing aging.
Science is finding a whole bunch of things and it continues to unravel the mystery of biological aging, but it certainly has advanced the learning and the causes and markers of biological aging. It's correlated aspects of lifestyle and fitness to additional healthy years in one's life. And linked metrics of health and fitness to reduce risk of disease and to markers of biological aging.
I've been in the field for 20 years and certainly from the beginning of the, my, my education in, in fitness, I learned of many metrics. That are linked to reduce risk of aging, like, you know, cardiovascular fitness, strength training, but I think that the current science is just broadening those metrics and making them, um, much more nuanced for us to be able to manage them. All of that said.
This is, science is truly creating the possibility of extending the number of years we live, which we call lifespan, and having or adding more healthy years in our lifespan, which we called healthspan. I wanted to give you a couple examples of what studies are finding. One study showed we can reduce biological aging by three years by just eight weeks of focus on healthy diet, exercise, mindfulness, and high quality sleep.
Science is correlated walking briskly, which is about 2. 7 miles per hour with adding 15 years or up to 15 years of healthy life. Meditation is shown to make the brain younger. And balance and grip strength correlate with cognitive health. There's still a great deal to learn, but these results are very encouraging, and while results can't be guaranteed, it does create a more positive outlook on aging, which in and of itself is healthier for all of us.
There are many technological advancements well underway. As of 2021, it's estimated that 7 trillion of private capital is being directed to delivering longevity tools and solutions to us as individuals, making them affordable and accessible. For example, technology has developed wearable technology, the Fitbits, the iWatches, the Garmin devices, the Aura rings. that measure and track biometrics or metrics about our biology, which are related to aging and longevity.
This gives us the opportunity to personalize and to increase the precision of our efforts. Knowledge is definitely power. And with the tools that the longevity Industry is developing for us. We have the opportunity to be more knowledgeable about our bodies, therefore more powerful to make positive changes. Here are some interesting and important statistics. Science is showing the potential to live.
To 120 or 150 years before the body loses complete resilience and resilience, meaning the ability of our body internally to adapt to changes and resilience, or excuse me, changes and challenges. It's interesting to me. I would say the vast majority of people interrupt me when I begin to share that finding. It's a hundred and hundred and twenty hundred and fifty years we could live. They're like, no way. There's no way I want to live that long. And that makes me curious. You know, why is that?
What is it about our thoughts and beliefs and, and whatever internal biases we have about aging that causes us not to think we want to live as long as possible? And it's, you know, it's up to us as, as individuals to figure, figure that out for ourselves. But what do you think of that number? What do you think about the possibility of living to 120, 150 years? Why does that sound appealing to you? Or maybe why doesn't it?
I think it's helpful to under, uncover what we believe about aging so that we can make the process as more, as most successful, um, for us as possible. Aging is characterized by a chronic low grade inflate inflammation. Experts have coined it as inflammation, which is caused by damage. and chronic systemic stress in the body. Science has discovered and continues discover the distinguishing characteristics of biological aging, which we'll explore in upcoming podcast.
But for today, it's important to know that this inflammation is why, as we age, we want to focus upon reducing stress, eating anti inflammatory foods, or foods that positively support our biology. It's why we want to make sure we're moving and exercise, exercising in order to support our cells, and why we want to make sure we're improving the quality of our sleep, if that's an issue for us. Here's something that's interesting. 35. That tells me longevity is not an old person's game.
I think this is one of the most important statistics to know, for the sooner we begin to design our lifestyles to slow or reverse the aging process, the better off we can be. Aging definitely brings the risk of chronic disease. 45 percent of people in the U. S. have one or more chronic disease, 78 percent of those 55 plus have at least one chronic disease, and from 65 on, the risk of having chronic disease doubles.
So biological aging is a factor and that's why the science and the researchers and medicine is beginning to turn our focus or turn their focus onto the aging process and that if we can slow or reverse the aging process. We have a lot of opportunity to lower the risk of chronic disease. So with longevity, we have the ability or the potential ability to change for the better the trajectory of our own health, as well as the health of those around us in our communities and even at.
It makes me wonder of how our world would be different if more of us were healthy and more of us felt our healthy, energetic best. I think it would be pretty incredible. What do you think about that? Maybe pause for a moment and just envision what positive changes there would be if you felt healthier, if the people close to you felt and were healthier. Um, people in our community at work in our recreation activities. What do you think?
It's kind of interesting to ponder that and then to ask ourselves, do we want to be part of that to be an influencer or to influence the improvement of health in us, in those around us, in our community, in our country? I don't know, again, something interesting, interesting to think about. Using the longevity lens for our lifestyle and fitness choices puts our physiology at the foundation of our efforts. The longevity lens focuses on what's going on inside the body.
And with the devices, like I mentioned, like a Fitbit, the Garmin, the iWatches, we can get a real time view or as close as possible to a real time view of what is going on. The longevity lens prioritizes where your body. We're not looking at or listening to the silver bullets that show up in articles and social media. I mean, certainly articles that are based on accurate research and experts opinions and guidance. Those things are helpful.
But they're helpful when we are listening to our bodies and then combine maybe what the experts are saying to what we see going on in our bodies to take informed action. The longevity lens considers many more things than exercise and movement and nutrition. It's looking at our mindset, our cognitive performance, how well we rest, our resilience, which is about managing stress and recovery in our lives. And I think that that's important because our body is not just a bunch of bits and pieces.
It's an integrated system. And if we look more broadly at how we can raise the performance of that system, we'll be better off. Longevity gives us, I believe, the opportunity to be in this game for the long haul and not rushing to get somewhere fast. Life is a game where you don't want to be rushing to the finish line. At least I believe that.
And living a longevity lifestyle is about being in it for the long haul and making the best choices, however small and big we can each day to improve our body's physiology. There's many exciting opportunities to improve our health and wellbeing and the longevity field and industries are just giving us new and powerful tools to be successful in this journey.
I'm very optimistic and I feel like I have the ability not only to make a bigger impact on my own body and my own strength and health and resilience, but that I could be more helpful to others as they try to, or they work to create a successful fitness journey. I want to leave you with a couple of thoughts on what it might look like to bring the longevity lens into your fitness and lifestyle choices. As I mentioned, there are broadly four areas of longevity to look at.
The vitality of the mind, the capacity of our bodies, the resilience. Of our well, excuse me, the resilience of our systems and the pursuit of wellbeing. So the first category, the fatality of mind. This is about exploring how beliefs, thoughts, perceptions, and even our cognitive, cognitive function shape our experiences with aging, health, and wellbeing. Where the mind goes, the body will follow. This is one of my favorite quotes. I think it's a great quote with a great deal of truth in it.
Science is showing that our mindset and our thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions affect our physiology for the better or worse. The key question for us to answer, where do my thoughts and beliefs and perceptions serve me well on this journey, and where do they not? If they help me, how can I emphasize them to make my journey more successful? If they don't serve me well, Where can I shift my thinking to create more effective action?
The capacity of the body is the second broad category of longevity. The body, and it recognizes that the body at any age has the innate capacity to improve its function, particularly through movement, exercise, nutrition, and rest.
How might you tap into this capacity by making even a small change in your everyday life, whether that is moving a little bit more, taking more often, taking walks more often, maybe adding a healthy food to your diet, as opposed to thinking about what you need to take or eliminate from your diet. Taking time, making time to rest and rejuvenate physically, mentally, and emotionally. The third category, the resilience of your systems.
This area is about supporting the body's natural ability to respond to the demands of life and to return to its essential balance state. It's steady state, where it thrives so you can too. Life can certainly disrupt and distort this natural ability of the body, especially if you have had a great deal of stress over your lifespan. It's managing the interplay of stress and recovery, or the return to that balanced state, that leads to the resilience that gives us sustained power in our life.
A good first step is becoming aware when you and your body are under stress. So that you can take quick action to alleviate it. And here's a hint for you. Stress is more than what you worry about. Emotional stress is only one form of stress. Stress comes in many different forms. It's also physical. The heavy demands of exercise, aches and pains, poor posture, eating processed foods, illness and disease are examples of physical stress. Stress can also be environmental, unhealthy levels of noise.
It's poor air quality, water quality. It comes in the form of relational stress, mental overload, even existential stress, a feeling of lack of meaning and purpose in life. Another important step in building resilience in your systems or supporting your body's ability to be resilient is to intentionally manage recovery. As we get older, our bodies likely need some extra support. to return to steady state efficiently and effectively. This may mean taking more frequent brain breaks during the day.
When you're intensely focusing on something, it could be lessening the mental and emotional load of your activities, getting more high quality sleep, upping the nutritional quality of your diet. Or taking a break from intense physical activity and replacing it with gentle restorative movement. And finally, the pursuit of wellbeing. It's the fourth category of longevity. This area. That is all about living your good life.
Two skills that research is linking to a greater sense of wellbeing are awareness and insight. Simply put, awareness is the ability to see objectively what is happening in the moment without your opinions and critiques distorting that view. And insight comes from the curiosity of what you see and experience and whether that works for you.
This combination of awareness and insight helps us direct our energy to resolving what doesn't work for us and moves us towards what uniquely is meaningful and worthwhile to us as individuals. A good question here, if you feel yourself frustrated or when some, when something isn't working, how can I, how can I be curious? So that's a wrap. I hope you've enjoyed this podcast episode and learned at least one thing you feel will help you become stronger, healthier, and more resilient.
If you want to make sure you don't miss an episode, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter where I will let you know when each episode is posted along with sharing other information about my work and upcoming offerings. I put a signup form in the show notes, or you can email me at Pam at strand fitness online. com and asked to be put on my email list. I hope you will tune in. into my next episode where I explore how we can support the health of our cells and genes and slow biological aging.
Until next time, here's to filling your middle years with more health, strength, and resilience.