What body and mind need to stay young and fit
Essay by Jörg Blech, biologist and author
The ultimate anti-aging remedy would be to swap out your body for the healthy body of younger person. This would be made possible by a head transplant, placing the old mind on a fresh frame. As chilling as it sounds, this idea has been seriously investigated in the past. But in all likelihood, it would never work as well as being ethically unacceptable. No human will be able to trade their body for another. We are left to make the best of the model handed down to us by our parents. It’s a one-of-a-kind design found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately for us, it ages.
The good news is that we have considerable influence over how fast or slow that ageing process unfolds. Prevention is by no means complicated. In fact, it’s surprisingly simple.
From the perspective of evolutionary medicine, most modern diseases stem from the fact that we use our bodies in ways they weren’t built for. This kind of “misuse” leads to a host of interrelated illnesses.
Conversely, this means we can align our bodies with our evolutionary needs by making just a few adjustments—and avoid a whole range of health problems.
A compelling study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition illustrates this clearly. Researchers analysed health data from over 250,000 men and nearly 20,000 women, focusing on eight lifestyle behaviours that affect one’s health. They included regular physical activity, a moderate and balanced diet, avoiding tobacco, steering clear of binge drinking, not being dependent on opioids, managing stress well, getting quality sleep, and maintaining positive social connections.
Compared with people who followed none of these healthy habits, 40-year-old men who adopted all eight could expect to live, on average, 24 years longer. Women gained 20,5 years.
According to the study, it’s never too late to make a healthy change: 50-year-old men who took up all eight habits still added 21.3 years to their lives; 50-year-old women gained 18.9. Even at 60, 70, 80 or 90 years old, the effects of change are measurable—though naturally they become smaller with time.
Remarkably, even adopting just one new habit can measurably extend life. The biggest impact comes from quitting smoking. Regular exercise (ideally 150 minutes per week) and consuming 30 grams of fibre a day (a favourite food of useful gut bacteria) also significantly reduce the risk of a premature death. Adults should aim to get around seven to eight hours of sleep each day and will likely feel more rested mentally as well.
The ingredients for a long life are scientifically well-researched and well-established. The real challenge lies in putting them into practice.
This is where psychology comes into play. Lifestyle changes are far easier to sustain when made alongside others. Campus Adlershof offers ample opportunities to do so, from badminton to running meet-ups and yoga. There are plenty of local ways to help stay fit and feel young. Training as part of a group is more fun and builds new friendships. Surrounding yourself with upbeat, life-affirming people helps, too. Optimism, after all, is contagious.
Jörg Blech is a biologist, writes for SPIEGEL in Berlin, and penned the bestseller “Masterplan Gesundheit (DVA)”.