How to have a long and healthy life

In a recent survey, older respondents expressed their top priorities for 2024, including exercising more, improving their physical health, eating healthier, and losing weight. Dr. Andy Gilpin from California State University explains that there is no one-size-fits-all fitness regime and highlights the importance of strength training for a long and healthy life. He also provides a simple exercise schedule for those with limited time. The interviewer, Jonathan Wolfe, emphasizes the value of having a trainer for support, advice, and accountability. The importance of seeking guidance and not doing it alone is reiterated in Anthony Damasceno's book, "The MTS Blueprint," which offers activities for parents after their children leave home. Hello, Jeremy Deeds here and welcome to the Insight Post for Sunday the 14th of January 2024, How to Have a Long and Healthy Life. YouGov stats about New Year's resolutions in the US this year, particularly among the over 65s, the cohort of parents whose children have left home, reveal that health tops the list of things people want to change in 2024. Specifically, older respondents to the survey highlighted that their top priorities in 2024 are to exercise more, improve their physical health, eat healthier and lose weight. Coincidentally, Zoe, the health and nutrition research company, released a podcast earlier this week in which Dr. Andy Gilpin from California State University talks about the importance of exercise and provides advice on which of the many forms of exercise are most effective, from ultra-marathons to a walk in the park, from method classes to swimming classes, the choice is so huge it can be challenging to decide which is most effective. There is no one-size-fits-all fitness regime. Dr. Gilpin believes our biggest misconception is that there is a single magic specific thing that all people must do to get fit. He explains which exercises are best for your health and how much exercise you need to support a long and healthy life. He debates the relative merits of cardiovascular exercise and strength exercise and concludes that strength exercises are more likely to lead to a longer and healthy life. Quote, so strength training is very specific and different than cardiovascular training because the neurological demand of strength training is very, very high, which means you continue to keep neurological pathways activated and healthy. You need these neurological pathways to make decisions and to think and to keep your brain alive. So by challenging your ability to physically do something that is either complex or complicated or requires a lot of force like a lot of strength, that requires neurological activation, that requires those things to stay alive and healthy. Unquote. Dr. Gilpin also outlines a simple exercise schedule for people who are short on time, which most of us are. Retaining a coach or trainer will improve your chances of success. There is another interesting item in an interview made by Jonathan Wolfe, the interviewer, almost in passing. Wolfe says, I have a trainer who I try to see three times a week. In other words, Wolfe does not do it alone. He gets support, advice and accountability from his PT. I have just finished reading Anthony Damasceno's book, The MTS Blueprint. It's a highly detailed, well-researched book that includes plenty of activities for MTS parents to do to help them plan to live life fully after their children leave home. However, if one thing struck me, it was the assumption that an individual, even a couple, could do this on their own, like Jonathan Wolfe and his fitness regime, retaining a coach or trainer to hold you accountable and point the way forward will likely lead to greater success.