Longevity, seen as the ultimate reason for a healthy lifestyle, involves a mix of good eating, regular exercise, stress management, and quality sleep. Photo / 123rf
Personal trainer Samantha Bluemel shares insights on how to balance pleasure and longevity, explore extreme longevity lifestyles, manage genetics for a healthier life, and prioritise well-being for a brighter, longer future.
I have some conflicting thoughts on longevity. Namely, that it’s an elusive concept to wrap my head around in a way that leads to any concrete action in the present. I don’t sit around apologising to the future 80-year-old me for every glass of wine I drink or piece of cake I hoover up, nor does the length of my life play on my mind when I skip a workout. The same logic applies to next-month me or next-year me; making decisions now for a future reality doesn’t really hold the weight it feels like it should.
And yet longevity, or long-term quality of life, is arguably the most important reason to commit to a healthy lifestyle. We know that eating a nutritionally balanced diet, exercising regularly, managing our stress levels and getting good quality sleep collectively reduce the risk of chronic disease. And more tangibly, help us to enjoy our days and the activities that bring us fulfillment with relative ease long into the future. But that doesn’t seem to be enough for most of us to put short-term gratification aside when those desires for treats, vices, or a sleep-in in favour of a morning workout rear their tempting heads. Let’s look at how we can re-prioritise our thinking to put our future self front and centre.
There are some people for whom longevity has become their number 1 pursuit in life. There is even a fast-growing longevity and anti-senescence Industry worth $26 billion, which solely concerns itself with increasing a person’s health span by decreasing their rate of ageing. One example of an extreme approach to longevity is Bryan Johnson’s, a famously eccentric tech-millionaire, who has pushed the boundaries further than anyone else in this space.
But his lifestyle is, to a casual observer, ludicrous. On an average day Johnson wakes up at 4.30am, consumes a couple of meals that would put a rabbit’s diet to shame then fasts from 11.30am. He takes more than 100 supplements, bathes himself in LED light, sits on a vibrating device regularly (don’t ask me what that’s for) and hits the pillow at 8.30pm alone, with no exceptions. Admittedly he looks good and apparently his biological age markers are that of teenager’s, or thereabouts. But it’s hard to argue that a similar approach would be realistic for the average person, notwithstanding the $2 million+ a year that all of this costs him.
For me personally, at 33, I have some better arguments to put to myself that shift the dial towards more long-term thinking. The first are sadly, some examples that have been set in my family with regards to our life span. On my mother’s side, the two generations of women in my family preceding mine haven’t made it to their 55th birthday. There is a nasty genetic flaw in my family that has included me in its grasp: a BRCA mutation in our genetics that leads to a much higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. I’m privileged to be living in a time where medical science has caught up to some degree, and have been able to surgically intervene and prevent the scenario from occurring. If only the same thing could have been said for my mum, or hers.
There are other examples in many families, namely preventable chronic diseases like heart conditions, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancers, which serve as a warning for the lifestyle decisions we make on a daily basis. Less drastic but still applicable are the smaller things that get in the way of a joyful existence like mobility, balance and co-ordination, which can be prevented (outside of diagnosed medical issues) through an achievable exercise regime. And then there’s plain old zest for life, which a healthy diet, stress management and good sleep can all significantly boost.
The fact remains though that juggling all of these health pillars can be a tricky endeavour, particularly when the messiness of life gets in the way. Which is why my final argument takes us right back to the start of this series: creating lifestyle habits that become a part of your identity. Doing this allows us to switch off the part of our brain that needs to question every move or consciously make a decision at every turn - do this right, and you’ll cruise through your days knowing that your very personality has got your future self’s back on your behalf.
Positive habits also mean we can focus on the immediate benefits in the here and now without worrying about that far-off octogenarian version of ourselves. You do a bit of exercise and you feel good, right away. Eat a nutritious meal and you’ve got energy to burn and a brain that’s switched on, immediately benefiting your day. Getting a good night’s sleep means you wake feeling refreshed and ready, and stress management practices can actually be the most joyful part of your existence. Do I need to argue the simple pleasure of some solitude and quiet time, a long bath, morning cup of coffee or even the treat of a massage? Didn’t think so.
If you’re trying to set some new habits now then think about the tweaks you can make to ensure they’re practical, realistic and enjoyable. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get these perfect every time, but instead imagine the impact of a consistently achievable approach over the course of a decade. It’s the age-old wisdom of balance and moderation that wins here. Eat the cake, drink the wine and have that sleep in. Just don’t do it every day out of habit.
Plan (or don’t plan) those moments of magic into your week and try to be present to enjoy them. Feel a deep satisfaction in knowing that tomorrow your normal healthy lifestyle will take over for the long-haul. It’s about thinking in terms of forever, today. I can guarantee that your future self will thank you for your efforts.
Samantha Bluemel is a personal trainer and the founder of new Ponsonby fitness studio Mode, which opens in March. The 2024 Transformation series continues next week. Previously in this series: how to set wellbeing goals that actually work; how to change your habits and set yourself up for a successful year of health; how to take an honest look at your well-being, how to start working out, and why nutrition is the most important part of well-being.
Samantha wears AJE Athletica