Last month after doing his weight routine at the gym, Bill asked a trainer about an odd-looking set of scales with a cable attached to a 20-inch bar. He stood barefoot on the scales and grasped the bar while the machine collected data through the sensors in the bar. The device reports body composition: percentage of fat, muscle, and even the fat in the abdomen, which is a bad place to have too much fat. The trainer told him his “health age” was about 70% of his physical age.
Let’s say that a different way. If Bill is 65, social security age, his health age is about 45. Based on that, Bill’s odds of living to 100 are pretty good. The Stanford Longevity Center projects that by 2050, a million Americans will be 100 or older. Bill may very well be one of them.
I know Bill well. I’ve changed his name and a few details for privacy reasons Since you’re reading this blog, you know I attend to legacy, health, and such. I’m intentionally engaging more with people who seem to be living and aging wisely.
Two Routes to a Long, Healthy Life
Peter Attia’s marvelous book, Outlive, suggests that each of us should prepare for our personal “Centenarian Decathlon.” That’s what Dr. Attia calls the things we want to be able to do at age 100. Those are activities like hiking a couple of miles over uneven terrain or playing on the floor with great-grandchildren and getting up without help.
After 50 some people become motivated to be at their grandkids’ or great grandkids’ major events. If you’re beginning to think about what your remaining decades will be like, Attia’s book lays out a plan for living longer and healthier. Barring disease or accident, strength training, cardio, and wise diet and lifestyle choices will increase your odds.
Bill does all those things, but they’re not part of any program. He made choices and developed habits over decades that put him in a position to possibly live to 100 and beyond.
Bill’s Journey
Bill never seemed physically remarkable. His only high school claim to fame was that one day, he did 500+ sit-ups in a gym class. He was not a jock in high school or college and didn’t play any sports in his 20s or 30s. He avoided tobacco, rarely drank alcohol, and allegedly had only minor experiments with drugs. Bill does not look like Schwarzenegger, an action hero, or an Olympian, but he is relatively close to his ideal body weight.
Before James Clear wrote Atomic Habits, Bill was building healthier habits. Their impact has compounded over the decades. He recalled reading John Muir, who relished Yosemite’s splendor. Muir wooed people to enjoy the “aristocracy of the fit”. That phrase stuck in Bill’s psyche. Bill began to train “his wanter.” For most of us, change starts on the inside and later becomes visible in action, habits, and then consequences.
Bill’s wife fed them healthy meals, including more vegetables and fewer desserts than he would have chosen. Over the last generation, he has steadily chosen slightly more active vacations; white water rafting, hiking, biking, and half marathons are among his activities. Cruises and Las Vegas are not his style.
After 50 he began to vacation with a couple of men a little younger and stronger. They went for more adventurous and active vacations than many guys of our vintage. A fellow at Bill’s work nicknamed Bill “the outdoor guy.” Bill and his friends laughed and chose to think of themselves as the outdoor guys. Bill declined the coach potato image and moved steadily toward the “aristocracy of the fit.” It seemed a joke. Yet, year by year, it became a reality.
Bill became the senior of his cousins. Cancer and an accident took two older cousins. He seems to be in better shape than most of his younger cousins. Bill and his wife have made healthy choices for years. In contrast, those they love are coasting. Coasting seems most common going downhill.
There is No Guarantee
Bill may have been startled to learn that he was on track to live past 100. Remember, there is no guarantee of mortal life tomorrow. Accidents kill people every day. Disease may swoop in and whisk away the fittest.
A decade ago, Bill’s doctor told him he had a rare, but not yet serious, heart valve weakness. With too much strain, the valve could fail and lead to a five-minute death. Bill’s doctor monitors him periodically and has not yet recommended surgery to correct the imperfection.
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Now, it’s your turn.
If you could live a to a healthy 100, would you want to?
What are your thoughts about doing more of the things that seem likely to extend your healthy years and decrease some habits that are prematurely aging you?
Terry Moore, CCIM, is the author of Building Legacy Wealth: How to Build Wealth and Live a Life Worth Imitating. Read his “Welcome to My Blog.”