Promote Longevity With This 4-Step Strategy
Turning healthy practices into lasting habits
We don’t think about people in their early 60s as “young” until they die at that age. My parents were 61 and 63. They both passed away after battling long-term health issues. Their lives, their illnesses, and their deaths have fundamentally altered the way I think about longevity.
I do want to live longer than my mom and dad did, but I want so much more than that. Prioritizing longevity means that I’m advocating for both quality and quantity of life. To paraphrase physician and podcast host Dr. Peter Attia, longevity is the intersection of healthspan (cognitive and physical well-being) and lifespan (number of years lived).
There are countless variables that impact any person’s longevity, and some of them are beyond our control. My mom faced this reality when she was diagnosed with the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer. Although she knew her time was limited, she remained determined to make that time as meaningful as possible. Ultimately, the number of things we can control is vast. When we view them as parts of an orchestra and act as the conductor, we have the power to optimize those variables and tip the balance in favor of greater longevity.
