Aging, so far as I’ve ever understood it, is coded into life.
There isn’t a single living organism that is biologically immortal.
(There is that one jellyfish critter that might be, but the jury is still out on that.)
We’re all born, grow to maturity, then decline.
The word that the biologists use for the decline stage is senescence. Cells, tissues, and organs stop functioning at their peak and, sooner or later, they stop working at all.
It’s unavoidable no matter what we do.
When I was younger I used to think I’d love to live forever. It’s funny (funny-ironic not funny-haha) that the more life I’ve lived, the more I question that judgment.
Everything has a time.
It’s less the amount of life that I care about, and much more about the quality of what life I have.
How do you improve that quality of life?
That’s a dangerous question. It lends itself to illusions, delusions, pretty lies, and all manner of hustlers, con-men, and predators ready to whisper them in your ear.
That dangerous question does point to a better question:
What is under your control that can improve your quality of life?
I’ve got lots of answers, and more coming each day.
For now, here’s one of my favorite recent ideas, packaged for your convenience in a Johnny Cochran rhyme:
Age charges a fee for what youth gives for free.
Here’s the quick explanation.
Up to about age 25-30, nature does its work growing you into physical maturity.
Once you reach that stage of life, you no can longer take for granted the benefit of youthful life-processes working on autopilot.
Most folk assume that this is The Beginning of the End. You’re going to get fat, weak, achy, sleep like crap, and your energy will bottom out.
So sad. Nothing to do but complain.
Nah.
What’s missing from this story?
You can replace nature’s bounty by activating the youthful life-processes.
Here’s where I’ll repeat the story about the paper I found comparing the leg mass of 40-year-old triathlete with a 70-year-old in an MRI scan.
The two look near identical.
The non-active 70-something in the same scan looks like a totally different and very unhealthy body.
When nature stops giving her free boost, you can simulate it with training and nutrition and recovery methods.
There’s a price tag attached. You have to spend your time and energy to stay in shape and eat right and do the restoration work.
In other words, you’ve got to do things many people do not want to do, dread doing, and resent doing.
But if you do them, the returns on investment are beyond calculation.
Is that worth it to you?
It is for me, and for anyone I care to talk to.
If you don’t care, if I’m boring you, if you just want free workout and diet tips, you probably shouldn’t be here.
But if you read the above and you’re vibing with my wavelengths? We should chat.
I help people from 40 and up use exercise and nutrition and recovery methods to pay nature’s fee in return for higher quality of life.
More energy, less achy joints, less fat, more muscle… and the improved health markers that they bring… and you get to look pretty, too.
I offer a regular cohort where we work on this. Spots open up once a month or so. But you’ll need to be on my waitlist for the option to join.
If that’s up your alley, use this link to join:
Matt Perryman