Imagine yourself in the last decade of your life. What would you like to be able to do? I’m talking about the simple stuff, such as walking up a flight of stairs without losing your breath or picking up your grandchild. How about being able to stand up unaided, after sitting comfortably on the floor? Or simply being able to get yourself on and off the toilet with ease?
It’s so easy to assume these everyday movements will still be easy when we’re old. But my guest this week wants us to get real to the fact they probably won’t – unless we take action now.
Dr Peter Attia is a medical doctor and founder of the Early Medical Practice, a private clinic in America, which helps patients lengthen their lifespan and improve their ‘healthspan’. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller: Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.
In our first conversation (Ep 356) Peter explained how years of research have shown him that physical activity is the number one predictor of longevity. In this new episode, we unpack what that means and what strategies you can use to live a long and healthy life.
Peter explains a concept that he calls the Centenarian Decathlon – a novel, but specific way of thinking about the various forms of movement we might require IF we want to be strong, fit, and active in our later years. He explains you need to be a good generalist with a high peak cardiorespiratory fitness, a wide aerobic base, functional strength, and good levels of stability, and why each of those metrics is important and how we can start improving them.
If you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s – then training today for your twilight years might seem too distant a goal to feel motivating. If you’re active now, it’s easy to think you’ll be fine by then. But, Peter says, you’re kidding yourself if you think that your day-to-day function will not decline, as you get older. And, so he wants to empower us and demonstrate what we need to do today, to ensure we will have the life we want later.
We also cover resistance training, Zone 2 training, grip strength, and foot strength, training for teenagers, training for women around menopause and so much more. This is an insightful episode, full of practical advice and wisdom. I hope you enjoy listening.
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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/389
DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.