By Phac Le Tuan, Certified Integrative Nutrition Coach, Breathing Science Evangelist.
Can we be millionaires in hours?
Studies about centenarians are everywhere, in search of the one secret formula for living past 100 years, as if it were some magical number. Super-centenarians (110+), and even millionaires in hours 114+) are increasing in numbers across the world. Super-seniors (85+) are already about 13 million in the US, and more than 550 million globally1.
It is the "silver tsunami." What would it take to be among their numbers?
In the East-Asian Confucian culture, longevity is symbolized by the colorful painting above, a healthy, well-off, benevolent elderly gentleman holding an infant representing his descendants. People used to be aiming for a grandchild when life expectancy was in the 60s, but nowadays, modern super-centenarians could legitimately be hoping for a great-great-grandchild.
In the western culture, wellbeing in longevity is more commonly symbolized by a physically active centenarian like Julia Hawkins above, acing a 50-m dash race2.
The question of how to get there is a harder one to answer. Some global studies, as mentioned in the Blue Zones, book, point to clusters of longevity in certain geographical areas, where people share similar nutrition and lifestyle habits, and enjoy a favorable environment. Their characteristics strongly correlate with longevity.
The only problem I have with such findings is that I do not see myself cutting off all ties with friends and family and moving to a faraway and foreign place for a chance to live longer. I would want to find something that could be applied right here, right now, where I am currently enjoying life in a familiar surrounding.
Other studies and documentaries have tried to extract from interviews some key tips or words of wisdom, but in most cases, centenarians have a hard time answering such questions specifically. In my own research, interviewing, directly and indirectly, several people from different countries aged 90 and beyond, I have confirmed that they are there simply because they never got really sick, without necessarily a specific, conscious effort or commitment to live to that age.
So I am now exploring a radically new approach: I think that studying positive outcomes (a healthy old age for example) and trying to guess the reasons that led to such results, is akin to analyzing arrows that have hit the target in the center to find the reasons for their success. It can only go so far as to the design of the arrow, its balance, and shape, but it will say nothing about what it took the archer in terms of training and practice.
Most runners who actually complete a marathon do not join the race overnight without preparation. They learn rhythm, cadence, breathing techniques, and most importantly, they practice on shorter distances initially, and progressively extend their capabilities.
In other words, to enjoy life fully well beyond retirement age, it would make sense to practice getting there all along our health journey, we are all hoping for a very long journey, but we need to remember that longevity is the destination and that the journey is the reward, as Steve Jobs put it. Therefore, what we want also is for the long journey to be as enjoyable as possible.
My quest now is to discover, categorize, and understand the effects of simple life habits that many future super-seniors already practice, knowingly or intuitively, As a student of BJ Fogg, a sensei in behavior design, I am looking for the tiny habits that lead to easily adopting behavior conducive to sustainable wellbeing.
That is why my quest is about seeking "Tiny Longevity Habits" or TLHs, and their counterpart, the "Tiny Defeating Habits" or TDHs, that should be avoided instead.
This is not new per se. What's different from other approaches so far is the connection of those tiny habits with the Wellbeing Compass™, a new concept I will discuss in a future blog.
Most importantly, this is a quest where I will need help from many of you, my dear readers, and I am looking forward to hearing from you about this. The first TLH I will explore soon is about nose breathing.
Phac Le Tuan
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