One of the (many) irritations about posting so irregularly is that some of the stuff I’ve saved up to share gets a little…stale. This is definitely not the place to come for “breaking” health and fitness news! But it’s still good info. And let’s face it; the basics of healthy aging don’t change much. It’s really pretty simple.
First, MOVING – throughout the day – is really, really important. The best predictor of how long you’re going to live – better, even, than your actual age! – is “how much and how vigorously you move.” Moving also improves your mental health; in fact, the higher your daily step count, the lower your risk of depression.
And we need to stop telling ourselves that if we can’t exercise for 30-60 minutes, we might as well not exercise at all. (I’ve heard people say that; heck, I’ve sort of said it myself! “I don’t have a half-hour this morning. I’ll do the workout tomorrow.”) Because it turns out that simply standing up and doing 10 body-weight squats every 45 minutes maintains blood glucose homeostasis better than a 30-minute walk, according to Rhonda Patrick, in this keynote (Instagram link at left) to the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.
Likewise, simple isometric exercises such as the wall sit (or wall squat) have been found to control blood pressure better than aerobics, high intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training or cross fit!
While we’re keeping things simple, that goes for the food we eat, as well. Shocker: ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are still bad for us. They increase risk of colorectal cancer, increase obesity, increase depression and anxiety and increase risk of cardiovascular disease. Ultraprocessed foods are those made from manufactured ingredients, extracts of “real” foods, additives, and preservatives – e.g., shelf-stable crackers, cookies, chips, candies, many microwaveable entrees, and fast foods. Yes, even protein drinks and bars. Alas, all the things I still gravitate to when I am “hangry.” I have finally begun to carry a “feed bag” in the front seat of my car, stocked with fruit, all-natural peanut butter, nuts and the like. I’m hoping it saves me from myself.
If you’ve been reading this blog a while, you know that most years, I celebrate my cancer “survivorsary” by setting some kind of challenge for myself – usually athletic, or at least just something new to me. This year was a big one – my tenth year cancer-free. I wanted to do something correspondingly “big,” but the arthritic foot hobbled my grand ideas. Then my good friend Chris suggested that I go up with a mutual friend, a glider pilot, in his plane. I don’t think Chris knew it, but that was a dream I’d harbored for many years in adolescence and young adulthood. Then I pretty much forgot about it. Pilot Jim was game, and we found a gorgeous day in early October to glide the skies just west of Cleveland. A few photos follow. What a great way to celebrate!
What’s on the agenda for 2025? I was hunting around for some indoor rowing competitions, and fell down a rabbit hole of hybrid/functional fitness challenges. I’m not into CrossFit, I can’t crawl on my fake knee for a Spartan obstacle race, and Hyrox competitions are in exotic/expensive locations (and involve a lot of running; I’m not “there,” yet). But Spartan’s spin-off, DEKA Fitness Challenges, looked like a satisfying compromise. Before I could talk more sense into myself, I signed up for a DEKA Strong event at the end of March. I’ve got three months to get myself closer to “ready.”
Happy New Year!
