Boost Your Longevity in 30 Minutes A Day

Reading Time: About 5 Minutes

Hey Guys,

Welcome to the LenDentonThrive Letter. 

I'm on a mission to help busy 50+ Guys lose weight, get fit, and stay fit for life...all without crazy diets or grueling workouts. To do that, I've developed a science-backed, food-first, gym-option approach to build healthy, sustainable lifestyles. I call it the ThriveLife!

This week, we're talking about boosting your longevity in just 30 minutes a day!

The Bridge To Longevity

We’re all getting older! But, how well are we aging? How healthy and active will we be in 10, 20, or even 30 years? Genetics has some impact.  But more important are the actions we take and the decisions we make every day. 

I believe we’re moving into a new era of unprecedented advancement in human health and well-being. In the next 10 years, I believe we’ll see new breakthroughs in medications and therapies that will give us the upper hand over many of today’s fatal diseases, enabling us to extend our healthy lives (our healthspans) by an additional 20 years, or even longer. A healthy (and vigorous) 100 may even become possible for some of us!

If you're a 50+ Guy (like me), the challenge will be to stay healthy long enough to experience the benefits of these life-extending breakthroughs. I call this the bridge to longevity. My goal is to stay healthy and vigorous enough to cross that bridge. This could make the difference in whether we'll be taking long walks in our 80s and 90s, or whether we'll be using a walker.

Your Daily Longevity Boost

In just a moment, I'll share some ways that you can boost your longevity in 30 minutes a day. But first, I want to give you the one key point that will be the difference maker in whether you're taking a walk or using a walker. Here it is:

Your health and fitness is a Do-It-Yourself project! 

No one is coming to save us...but we can save ourselves! Our current health and fitness are largely a result of past decisions that we’ve made. So, if we don’t like our current situation, we can change it by changing our minds. Then, we can change those unhelpful decisions and take healthier actions. Your future health and fitness will be determined by the daily habits you adopt and repeat starting now!

Now, start your timers! Let's look at four longevity boosts you can accomplish in 30 minutes a day.

Booster #1 - Manage Your Medical Conditions

Make your doctor your longevity partner. If you don't have a doctor who can fit that role, now is the right time to find one who can properly fit this role. If your doctor is older than you or overweight, consider finding a new doctor. You own your health and fitness, but your doctor will be your primary medical consultant, so choose wisely. Once you have the right doctor, make the following an essential part of your longevity strategy:

First, get regular check-ups - regular check-ups are your medical early warning system to avoid future problems. Early detection and treatment are the best way to avoid serious health complications (including sudden death)! If you haven't had an annual check-up in the last 12 months, call your doctor to schedule one ASAP! Do this before doing anything else.

Second, get your medical conditions under control - with the help of your doctor, get any medical conditions you have under control. Things like high blood pressure or high cholesterol left untreated lead to major problems later. Most Over-50 Guys have some kind of condition that needs to be monitored or actively addressed. Don’t ignore these.

Total Daily Time Required: Zero minutes per day (2-3 hours per year)

Booster #2 - Get Your Diet Under Control 

If you can change the way you think about food, you can change the way you look, the way you feel, and how long you’ll live. The best way to lose weight is NOT dieting. Rather, a better approach is to make better food choices. I call this approach Eating Smarter, and you can learn more about it here. 

Total Daily Time Required: Zero minutes per day (You can do daily meal planning while you are moving.)

Booster #3 - Start Moving More

Get more physical activity every day. Set yourself a daily step count, and grow it to at least 7,000 steps a day. Guys who get at least 7,000 steps per day have a 50% lower risk of all-cause mortality! And, Zone 2 cardio (heart rate at 60-70% of max heart rate) is the best way to burn excess body fat. Get more details about Moving Smarter here.

Total Daily Time Required: 29 minutes per day.

Booster #4 - Weigh-In Every Day 

Create a daily weigh-in ritual to help you track your weight change over time. This will allow you to correlate daily behaviors to your weight changes. It's important to remember that you can't manage what you don't measure. Trust me on this. You need your own daily weigh-in ritual. Read more about the importance of daily weigh-ins here. 

Total Daily Time Required: 1 minute per day.

Bonus Longevity Boosters

Focus on building your longevity by first building the daily habits noted above. Here are four more longevity-boosting activities that I do regularly, and that I recommend to every 50+ Guy:

Bonus Booster #1 - Get More Sleep 

Sleep is the super drug of longevity, but most of us 50+ Guys operate at a sleep deficit (meaning we get less than the recommended 7-9 hours per night). Lack of sleep can lead to poor cognition, poor memory performance, stress, weight gain and even dementia. The good news is that we can improve our sleep with better habits. Learn to sleep better here.

Bonus Booster #2 - Get Stronger 

Add resistance training to your routine to help you build muscle mass and functional strength. You can do this at the gym, or use a gym-optional approach as noted here.

Bonus Booster #3 - Build Your Community 

People with strong ties to a community (friends, clubs, church, etc.) live longer and healthier lives than those who live in isolation. Loneliness is a major health problem for older Americans. Start now to build the community that you want to grow old with.

Bonus Booster #4 - Be Optimistic 

People with an optimistic view of the future will outlive those who are pessimistic. I call this a longevity mindset. We all know Guys who have retired their minds as they’ve retired from their careers. They’ve lost interest in learning new things or making plans for the future. Don’t let that be your fate. Build a future you’re looking forward to as you age. Make your future bigger than your past.  

Growing older is a gift that many of our friends and colleagues won't experience. Don't be that Guy. Start building your longevity bridge today.

When you’re ready for a real and sustainable fitness transformation, here are three ways I can help you:

#1 - Sign up for this newsletter. Every week, you’ll receive tested, actionable tips and strategies to help you build your own customized version of the ThriveLife that fits your needs, preferences, and personal style. And, it’s free!

#2 - For a Do-It-Yourself approach to the ThriveLife, download your free copy of my new ebook: 6 Smart Moves To Your ThriveLife. Just click the button below.

#3 - When you’re ready to join a community of other busy 50+ Guys building their ThriveLives together, check out my new ThriveLife Transformation course. The ThriveLife Transformation guides you through a 30-day transformation process which includes online video training and daily support and assistance through our online community. Join alone or bring your friends. To learn more about the ThriveLife Transformation, click the button below.

Do You Know Somebody?

Do you know a 50+ Guy who’s struggling with their weight and fitness?

Please consider sharing this information with them. Just forward your copy of this email to them. Or, give them a free copy of my 6 Smart Moves ebook!

It might change their life!

(And remember, this works for Under-50 Guys, too!)

Thanks for reading this week.

I write this newsletter to make a positive impact on the lives of 50+ Guys and their families. If you found this information useful, please consider subscribing to receive new editions each week.

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