The 75-year-old climbing 14,267 feet, making your New Year's Resolution stick, a quick balance exercise

Issue #85: The 75-year-old climbing 14,267 feet, making your New Year's Resolution stick, a quick balance exercise

Read Time: 5 minutes

Good morning, 66.1ers.
Merry Christmas.
Hopefully this issue provides some valuable food for thought as you make the transition from Christmas into the New Year.

Housekeeping:

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A quick refresher for anyone who's new to the newsletter: 66.1 is the average health span (years lived without a serious disease) in the US. We're here to extend that.

In case you missed it:
​Saturday's issue of 66.1​

In today's issue of 66.1:

• The 75-year-old who climbed a 14,267 foot mountain
• Simple insights to make it easier to stick to your New Year's Resolution
• A quick exercise to improve your balance

A quick refresher for anyone who's new to the newsletter: 66.1 is the average health span (years lived without a serious disease) in the US. We're here to extend that.

Spotlight on Longevity: Grant Shideler

Grant Shideler came across my desk when I searched for the oldest person to summit a 14er (enthusiasts’ speak for a 14,000 foot mountain peak). In 2018, at age 75, Shideler reached the summit of the 14,267 foot Torreys Peak in Colorado. Here are a few insights from Shideler (paraphrased from this article by the Denver Post):

1. Treat your body like a temple​
   This is a philosophy more than it is a specific tactic.
   But the advice is sound: if you take good care of your body, it will take care of you for decades to come.
   Eat clean, train hard, sleep well.
   ​
2. Get to the gym​
   Shideler trains at his local gym every other day.
   He focuses on core strength, high-intensity aerobic exercise, and balance.
   ​
3. Get outside​
   To Shideler, this is pretty straightforward: “You’ve got to get back to nature because the human body evolved from nature”.
   No scientific support required for this one.
   Just living in line with how we evolved.
   ​

Food for thought: Making your New Year's Resolution stick

​

79% of New Year’s Resolutions set by Americans are focused on health. But after just one week, 23% of people quit their resolutions. After a month, that number jumps to 43%.

The question for you this week:

If you’re setting a New Year’s Resolution, how is it tied to your big-picture values?
For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds, how would your life improve if you were to lose that weight?
​
What activities would you be able to do that you struggle with right now?
How might your relationships improve?

Would you experience less pain?

Tying your goals to big-picture improvements in the quality of your life will increase your adherence to your goals.
​
More to come on this topic in Saturday’s issue…

Workout of the week

A quick workout you can do anywhere.

This week's workout:

Simple balance training

This one is hardly a workout, but it’s important nonetheless.

​Dr. Peter Attia emphasizes training balance because, in his words, it’s the foundation for any other exercise you’ll engage in. And exercise is a critical pillar for building longevity.

Here's the workout:

Stand on one leg for 30 seconds.

Switch legs.

Repeat for 3 rounds.

Once this becomes easy, turn up the heat.

Try it with your eyes closed.
Or while looking up at the sky.

Once those iterations become easy, balance on an unstable surface (a Bosu ball is a classic tool, but a pillow works too).

Level: Beginner

Don't do it if: You can't balance without supporting yourself without additional support (see below).

Adaptation:

If you can’t do these exercises for some reason, try balancing while supporting your upper body. Stabilize yourself by placing a hand on a countertop or similar. In time, you’ll be able to progress to an unsupported version of this exercise.

​
Tried the workout?
​Reply here and let me know how it went!
I'd love to hear more.

​
That's all for this week.
Have fun out there.
​
Marcus
​

Before you go...
​
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Why 66.1?
​66.1 is the average health span (years lived without a serious disease) in the US, as of the start of this newsletter publication.
​We're here to extend that.

​