Long Live the Revolution...
25 years ago we wouldn’t be having this conversation. When we came out of undergrad in 2000, Longevity wasn’t a thing. People exercised, sure, and they even dieted, but the goal was never to live forever. The objective back then was never to live longer, but rather just to live better. There were some of the same debates over longevity supplements (Resveratrol, anyone?) and calorie restriction (the Rhesus monkeys did in fact live longer, but they looked like death – shocking this strategy never caught on in humans). No, back then moderation was the key. How could we live our best lives by improving fitness, health, vitality, and work/life balance. We coached clients that by doing correct exercise, eating better, and improving sleep they would dramatically improve quality of life. Somewhere along the way this all shifted, and it seemed to happen around 2020…
Optimize Me, Bro
In 2020 people were sitting at home and worrying about mortality more than they ever had. We watched the Limitless series with Attia and Hemsworth, and how could anyone watch Chris with his shirt off and NOT feel motivated to make a change? This was the beginning of Longevity on Crack, more about optimizing than living. The initial goal was sound: help people build stronger, fitter bodies so that they can resist aging. Dr. Attia preached that if we can reach a longevity peak in our 50’s, we could survive the inevitable decline in fitness, health, and performance that comes with age. We would slow down, yes, but since we were starting from such a high point we would stay above the threshold needed to be functional and happy. We wouldn’t have to give anything up as we got older. We were all in…
And then everything went off the rails.
The Sex Appeal of Biohacking
Here’s the secret to Biohacking: this will save you a fortune in time and money so that you can biohack safely and efficiently. Are you ready for it?
Biohacking is Bullshit!
Somewhere along the way the Longevity movement became all about how much time and money we invest, how much data we can collect, and how extreme our training can be. Really, how good does it look on social media. This intense approach is the opposite of the moderation of the early 2000’s. Longevity enthusiasts became so focused on sleep monitoring, wearable data, cold plunging, and heavy training that they lost focus on the goal. There is no point in pushing so hard to peak so high in your 50’s that you burn up your body and can’t keep it going for the long haul.
The Longevity Anarchist
Enter the Longevity Anarchist. A counterculture to the current Longevity Movement. We want to do Longevity the right way. We want over-40 clients to train safely and avoid injury. We want women to have the coaching they need, not train them like 22 year old male athletes. We are putting the focus on resilience, durability, and a practical approach to maintaining quality of life. We don’t want our clients to confuse living long with living well. Yes, we need to train hard. Yes, we need to eat well. But what’s the point if that lifestyle isn’t enjoyable and sustainable? We need to make life worth living: full of friends, close social connections, and purpose (and our purpose can’t just be to lift heavier, run further, or gather more data).
The biohacks with high cost and high sex appeal aren’t what we need to live well. The habits you need to follow to live a long happy life are simple, affordable, and accessible to all of us. Train correctly for your age. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Manage your sleep, recovery, and stress. Frame a positive outlook on your own aging. Make deep relationships and social connections your highest priority.
It sounds simple. It’s not. Lives are busy and distracting. But if we have the right direction and the right guidance then the journey is much easier. You aren’t in it alone. We hope you come with us as we guide the way. Here’s to the revolution. The revolution will not be televised.
And for the love of God, have the glass of scotch with an old friend, the piece of 5-layer chocolate cake on your birthday, and a beer after you run the 5K. Enjoy life.
Longevity is not about living forever, it’s about living what time you have well. Remember, Longevity is FREE.
Live Long. Live Well.