Longevity can be summarised as living a long life, but now it also refers to your health span – the length of time you can live remaining healthy, active, and free from chronic disease.
Research has shown that our longevity (or health span) is shaped by our genetics and also our lifestyle and environmental factors. However, genetics only account for 20-30% of our overall lifespan potential. Lifestyle and environment then account for up to 70-80% of how long and how well we live.
So if up to 80% of our health span depends on what we do each day and week, what are the core pillars we should be looking at and focusing on? Let’s look at the 5 key areas you can control and put effort into each day.
1. Movement – combining regular resistance training (training with weights 2-3/weekly) with moderate to hard aerobic exercise (some huffy puffy stuff for around 90-120mins/weekly) protects heart health, bone density and muscle mass.
2. Nutrition – perfection isn’t the goal here. Think the 80/20 rule, aim for mainly wholefoods, good protein sources and fibre, nice healthy fats. Enjoy the odd meal out with family and friends guilt free. This mindset will ensure consistency, lower inflammation, stable energy and hormone balance.
3. Sleep – getting your 7-8hrs of consistent, quality sleep each night will allow your body to clear metabolic waste, reset your hormones, and ensure mental clarity.
4. Stress Management – being able to lower chronic stress will allow you to protect cardiovascular and immune function. Look at breathwork, journalling, practicing gratitude, and ensuring you plan ahead and are organised through your days (systems equal freedom).
5. Social Connection – strong relationships and community involvement has been shown to lower mortality rates drastically. Ensure you carve out time for family and friends, and look at how you can get involved with your local community and give back.
At Vision Personal Training Mona Vale our coaches help you design a plan that encompasses all 5 of these core pillars so you not only achieve your fitness goals, but you also develop a sustainable lifestyle ensuring longevity.
