How long do I want to live?

Why is healthspan a better term than lifespan? I did some binge watching over the long holiday weekend on the topic of longevity.

- CHIT U. JUAN

If an important journalist/ billionaire like David Rubenstein can produce a show on the topic, there must be a big audience concerned about the last decades of life. Some say it’s after 65, some say after 70. And what David and another resource person, Dr. Peter Attia, believe is that longevity is about enjoying your last decades free from disease.

Disease can also mean loss of strength, loss of balance and any other condition which makes us dependent on others, being a burden to family and being fragile and frail. So what can we do to ensure our last decades make us productive members of society ?

Strength training is one of the common tips given by Dr. Attia, who has made a career out of coaching the elderly. He only takes a maximum of 75 patients, all of whom want to make their final decades the best years of their lives. Because what use is it to live long, but be dependent on mobility and hearing aids and, most of all, attention and care of others (like caregivers and nurses)? We need to do resistance training and keep as much muscle as we can.

Sleeping well is another tip Dr. Attia gives. If you do not sleep well, find out the reasons why and address them. Repair of tissues only happen when we sleep.

Eating well is another obvious tip both personalities and their professional guests share. If we know what food helps the body more than destroys it, we are off to a good start in our journey to longevity.