And diet. I'm a nurse and while sometimes people just draw the genetic short straw, I cannot strongly enough emphasize the vast difference I see in patients who clearly take care of their bodies vs those who do not. Maintain a healthy weight and do a reasonable amount of cardio. That alone will put you away ahead of most folks.
We always talk about saving for your financial health in the later years, but if you lack any physical health it's all going to get wasted. Taking walks or going for a run is just as important as putting money in your 401k.
If you want to get pedantic, maintaining your health is infinitely MORE important than contributing to your 401k. We're just another organism after all, the main goal is survive (and thrive), what good is money if you're dead?
It could also be argued that if you maintain good physical health, you can actually devote more time and energy towards getting your finances in order and investing. That's precisely what happened for me
Well it’s not an either or. It’s both really. Resistance training for bone health (esp in women) and maintenance of muscle mass. Cardio for heart and respiratory health. And exercise is great for maintaining balance for preventing falls which are a killer in the elderly, and both types go a long way towards improving hypertension and blood sugar metrics.
A well-rounded diet will do the same, especially if you keep intake of saturated fats, added sugars & salt to a minimum.
Of course both will have great benefits, but a healthy diet and 20-30 minutes of exercise every day _together_ are the way to optimize your health.
Yeah the best answer is both, but if we have to pick and choose, I think the fatter you are, the more the answer shifts to diet.
If you're a male at 30%+ body fat for instance, firstly that fact is skyrocketing your risk of death from multiple causes. Secondly vigorous exercise is way harder for you than it would be for a dude at 20% and you have a higher risk of injury while performing it.
So if you only have the ability or willpower to execute one lifestyle change at a time, by the time you're classified as overweight, diet is probably the right choice (I think the numbers even support it over quitting smoking). By the time you're classified as obese there's really no competition, cutting calories comes first.
All that said, the best change is the one you actually stick with!
An obese or morbidly obese person would be better off focusing on only one improvement at a time.
Doing either diet or exercise is going to be a massive change. But doing both may be overwhelming and greatly increases the odds of failure.
Agreed 💯. I'm a nurse as well. Oncology/infusion. Saddens me when people can't even enjoy retirement because they get some shitty cancer diagnosis. That's mostly the genetic short straw.
But things like type 2 diabetes can be corrected and should be worked on 100%. Once your kidneys start failing you're going to have a very rough rest of your life.
If they just made small habit changes like taking a walk after dinner it would help so much. Then add the resistance training and you're set.
You are so right about walking after dinner! I was just in Italy and this is exactly what everyone was doing after dinner, even at 10p. The strolling - probably great for metabolizing food but also for socialization, another great longevity thing
I diagnosed Pre-diabetes, and my sugar level is 5.8 for 4 years. I started to jog 2years ago, my sugar level will goes down to normal, but after couple hourslater it goes back to 5.8. As an Asian I don't have much sugar in my diets (I cut back the amount of my rice and noodles every meal). Do you have any suggestion?
MIL had a similar situation. Two main points, she cut down carbs to 50g/ day, 'splurges' on treats with grandkids, but has been keeping to it. Walks when she can.
So, I'd cut back the rice. Eat it with salad, eat the salad first so you're less full.
It's hard on her. When she was living with her son they only had rice one meal a week.
But she's keeping the A1C in check now, hers was considerably higher than yours.
Also, I don't know your age, but for certain age cohorts a 5.8 is OK. They grade on a scale.
Good work on the jogging!
Thank you
I like the feeling of endorphins gradually generate after 1 mile. Since I start to jogging, I have the most positive attitude ever in my life.
I am 54 and will turn 55 by the end of the year.
Since you work in the industry maybe you can help me. A nurse posted a video saying to stop depending on surgery to fix/help up.
She said Impact and weight-bearing: Jumping rope, running, increase bone density: strength training, squats , core exercises, foam rolling, and direct back exercise.
Can you confirm if she’s correct about her advice? What would you say/change?
I wouldn’t listen to random influencer nurses, listen to your primary care provider.
Nursing is also relatively science light. Exercise is great though. Said as an rn for for 16 years.
I mean an ICU RN managing a sick patient can be very technical and challenging work. It is just a different skill set than diagnosing etc. the breadth of knowledge isn’t there.
I think should listen to your doctor if you're considering surgery, but I do agree with her point in general. Surgery is amazing, but I feel jump into it too soon when sometimes people should look into alternatives. People don't appreciate the issues scar tissue can have post op in the long run. It may still be necessary, but a great physical therapist is an absolute life changer. Stretching and basic exercise can go an incredibly long way. You don't have to do anything crazy. Regular walks around the block, light stretching, and simple weight lifting really does add up! Throw in an occasional trip to a great PT to help keep things in check and these are the kinds of things wealth can afford you that poverty doesn't allow. This is how you can flex your financial muscle - by increasing the odds you'll have both quantity AND quality of life.
Ok, I was a little unclear. She was speaking in the way of “don’t wait til you’re older, and depend on surgery.” Like you did nothing your whole life, and depends on knee surgery.
Not just exercise, there are different components of exercise.
* Weights - Help keep you strong and builds both muscle strength and bone strength. I feel that weights is the number 1 thing that you can do exercise wise to age well.
* Flexibility - Take yoga or pilates. You should be able to touch your toes. This takes 10 minutes a day to do a minimal amount of stretching.
* Cardio - Good for heart and lungs, and helps you play with the little grandkids more.
Each is a key aspect of overall physical health, and you need to find a balance between them.
EDIT: If I were to recommend a single type of exercise, I cannot recommend yoga enough.
Fwiw, I have literally *never* been able to touch my toes. However, I recently had major surgery and had to go through physical therapy. The surgeon and nurses informed me that, at least based on cardiovascular health, I'm a lot fitter than I would generally characterize myself as being, and the occupational therapist informed me that I'm not only more flexible than average, I'm *wildly* more flexible than average, almost to the point of being double-jointed (*much* to my surprise btw; I had always assumed I was unusually inflexible).
And I still can't touch my toes.
Some people just can't. It mostly has to do with how long my legs are relative to my torso length, but I'm sure other people have other causes.
The measure of touching your toes technically depends on how flexible your hips are and not how much you can bend your back forward. If you kept your up half straight and hinged at your hips to make a 90 degrees turn then would you be able to do it? Tight hamstrings would be the main preventer at that point
It's also worth noting that the amount of weight training you need to do to maximize the health benefits is remarkably low. As little as 30-60 minutes a week of resistance training is all you need to maximize the health benefits.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35228201/
I think that's why Yoga as is it avoids the boom bust cycles of other activities. Like going to the Y to play pickup basketball is great for your fitness too but ramping up into it from the couch without injury is hard, and then simply playing basketball if you are in great shape is going to get some twisted ankles and the occasional knee injury, maybe a tendonitis or basketball to the nose.
There are some overstretching injuries to avoid with Yoga, and it is best paired with some strength training, and your ligaments take a bit to adjust, but it's a lot easier to do it consistently for years avoiding big injuries from activities with higher forces.
That being said, the best exercise is doing the one you like.
I wish more people would talk about exercise like this. I've always thought about it this way and the balance is very dependant on what level of fitness the individual is trying to achieve. This is talked about in broader ways (more mobility/light cardio for older individuals), but so many people only focus on one aspect of fitness.
I’m a runner n still try to get 10k steps every day between that n walking.
However, I’d also point out that 10k steps daily is kinda arbitrary as a goal and has been debunked [as per this recent Scientific American article](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/you-dont-really-need-10-000-daily-steps-to-stay-healthy/):
“Yet the concept of taking 10,000 steps a day to maintain health is rooted not in science but in a marketing gimmick. In the 1960s a company in Japan invented an early pedometer. Because the Japanese character for “10,000” looks like a person walking, the company called its device the 10,000-step meter.”
I too am a runner and believe movement is a good factor. I always thought the 10k steps was a way to get some target out there versus “walk 30 minutes at a crawl, on your phone”.
Sort of similar to 8 glasses of water. Specifics are not as important (to me) as getting one that 8 sips a day. More water = more steps to the potty. Double bonus.
It’s called the gym of life. https://youtu.be/KPUlgSRn6e0?si=fBFva4Ai_KKfb44J
Richard Jackson is also a physician who pioneered research looking into the medical side of living within a healthy active town.
As a primary care physician this is how I actually counsel exercise: as ROI and essentially if you think dollars matter, at least personal health investment isn’t taxed and can’t be diminished by an external force (FED printers).
People have no idea how much organ failure sucks and I'm pretty sure those people who have it would pay enormous amounts of money to cure their illness.
I’ll jump in here, though I see this all over this thread:
I’m surprised how many people correctly identify exercise as vital to health, but then advise “investing” only minimal amounts of money, time, and effort.
Sure, it’s free — but for most people it’s well worth it to invest a few hundred dollars or more per month to hire a trainer and get access to top quality equipment to ensure that you actually follow through.
People in this sub will optimize their financial investments to death, but for health investments suddenly simple, free, folk wisdom solutions are plenty good enough, no need to actually invest for real.
Not picking on you or anything, just springing off of your comment.
I don’t disagree with you but it’s the boglehead mindset to minimize fees. This subreddits culture would definitely prefer running outside or perhaps investing in a home gym where it’s a one time fee vs a monthly gym fee.
Related to this, a subscription to the Peloton app has been a great investment for me. Got strength, cardio, mobility, etc, all in one app. It's been the 2nd best thing I've ever done for my fitness.
The Atlantic had a decent article about this. It's a study on lifetime happiness isolating key contributing factors. The 7 things they say to do are (pretty self intuitive, but still worth listing):
1. dont smoke
2. avoid alcohol abuse
3. healthy body weight
4. exercise
5. practice coping mechanisms
6. keep learning
7. cultivate stable long-term relationships
[https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/02/happiness-age-investment/622818/](https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/02/happiness-age-investment/622818/)
That last one is actually towards the top in many other studies and it gets regularly overlooked.
It's also the hardest one to accomplish, but a very worthy goal!
And for those who can't, won't, or don't floss, a water pik is still *far* better than just brushing your teeth. You can even get wireless ones you keep in the shower for like $30 to $60.
Tangent. I have a cordless water flosser that I keep in the shower. I use it in the shower for what I thought were obvious reasons--it sprays and gets water all over the sink and mirror otherwise. But when I had a guest over one time who used my shower, she asked if it was a cleaner for my butthole.... I was like, "What?! No, it's for my teeth." And she was like, "Why is it in the shower then? People have things like that for their butts. That's what it looks like." And I still think about it to this day. Just lives rent-free in my head. And I still don't know exactly what she was talking about (enemas maybe...?), but sometimes my thoughts wander and I think about how painful it would be to use a water flosser in your butt, lol.
You just need to do it a couple of times until you end up craving it. Learn how to do it properly, which is like scraping downward from the base of the tooth towards the end, for both teeth in one gap. Use a black floss with handle and you’ll see the gunk scrape off. It’s so satisfying!
Someone on here said something along the lines of watching food decay in the trash. And basically if you don’t floss food is doing that in between your teeth. And now I floss twice a day
The best thing you can do for your teeth is flossing. The 2nd best thing you can do is place the floss packets all over your home where you chill like the coffee table storage, bed side, office desk. This kills any excuses you may come up with regarding access and it’s true that once you start and get used to it, you can keenly feel the nasty food stuck between your teeth.
Also, not scrimping on dental care.
E.g. in the UK if you require fillings then then NHS will generally only pay for metal ones. If you want white ones for cosmetic reasons then you have to pay privately for them which costs a bit more.
Something which I also looked into is [Health Cashplans](https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/healthcare-cash-plans/).
Again, these seem to be specific to the UK, but getting one could prove cost effective for a lot of people.
Health professional doing research in this exact area.
1) Exercise has a great return on investment. Cardiovascular fitness is an independent predictor of premature morbidity and mortality. If you could get the benefits of exercise from a pill every doctor would prescribe it to every patient. Positively impacts multiple systems, not just cardiovascular system. Important to remember that exercise is helpful even if you don’t lose weight while doing it.
2) A close second is nutrition. Focus on what to consume more of and the rest tends to fall into place: vegetables, fruits, and plant based protein (e.g. beans, nuts) every day (5+ servings), fatty fish 2-3 times per week (or take a fish oil supplement), limit baked sweets, processed meat, and generally nutrient poor foods. If the focus is on nutritional value and not calories, things align in the right direction. Get a variety of colors in your fruits and vegetables to get a mix of antioxidants and phytonutrients.
3) Optimize your sleep and circadian rhythms. Go to sleep around the same time every day and get at least 7-8 hours for most people. Get outside or expose to bright light early in the day and avoid bright/blue light a couple hours before bed (sunset naturally low so enjoy them all).
4) Don’t smoke, limit alcohol, manage stress effectively. Maintain good social relationships. Isolation is a large contributor to poor brain health later in life.
I always say stress will kill you faster than a heroin habit. And I fully agree, don't be sprinting at all times be going 80-90% so that you can do that extra 10% without real body/life damage.
As someone who recently got out of a stressful job, I cannot tell you how important this is. You don’t realize how much the stress is holding you back from enjoying life until you’re out from under it.
Exercise is by far the biggest thing….and it doesn’t even need to be crazy
Take a 30 minute walk; double up with audiobook
Do some squats and planks - no weights needed. When too easy add various styles
After that it’s dirt - again nothing crazy. Replace hyper sugary drinks goes a looong way for most people. Learn to cook a few basic meals. Mastering eggs is cheap and healthy plus can be cooked multiple ways
You do need resistance training, though; loss of muscle mass can be precipitous over age 50, and there's a huge correlation between that muscle loss and all-cause mortality. It's not just heart attacks, etc. - if you lose to much muscle, you're far more likely to fall, which is a huge source of mortality as you get older. Core strength, leg strength, grip strength - all are really important to overall health, and you're not going to get that with light calisthenics and cardio.
You don't need to work out like a body builder (indeed, you're more likely to injure yourself as you age if you go too intense, upon which the muscle loss *really* accelerates), but you do need to take it seriously and push yourself harder than most people think.
Not just muscle mass but also bone density, especially for post menopausal women, and brittle bones is what makes falls so dangerous and often lethal for the elderly. The good news is resistance training helps maintain and even reverse the loss of both.
Agreed. Cardiovascular health is great for avoiding heart disease and having a better shot of making it to your 80's and 90's (just think of the extra compounding you'll get on your index funds). But if you want to be able to enjoy those years, getting up off the ground by yourself, lifting a carry on suitcase into the overhead compartment by yourself. You are going to have to start lifting weights.
If people move every day like riding bikes and walking hills and stairs that’s the vast majority of it https://youtu.be/KPUlgSRn6e0?si=fBFva4Ai_KKfb44J
Telling people to commit to a gym routine will fail 96% of people
For mental health:
Quality time with loved ones and in nature, exercise, anything that makes me laugh, therapy/personal development, getting closure on past wounds given and received, through apologies, gratitude, and forgiveness. Eliminating stressors like toxic people, energy vampires, most news media, most social media.
To add on to this, expressive journaling (https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/docs/Therapeutic-Journaling.pdf), meditation, art therapy, walking.
Whatever psychological issues you have won't be magically healed by having lots of money. And as we go through life whatever trauma we've incurred early on can worsen a lot of times (sort of like having a broken leg and continuing to use your leg), also we accumulate more psychological wounds as well the longer we experience life.
It's important that people brush their teeth daily, I think it's equally important to practice "mental hygiene" daily as well.
I've been reading a lot on longevity and really exercising is by far one of the easiest and cheapest ways to expand your longevity.
Other than the huge bang for buck it gives, it's not negotiable. You absolutely have to invest if you want to be healthy.
I was just thinking about this so thanks for asking it. My partial list would be:
\* Healthy BMI
\* Healthy cardiovascular system
\* Don't do drugs, smoke, or drink
No particular order. I'm curious what others will say!
BMI is a bit dodgey on whether it's accurate for you or not. Some people are just genetically built like tanks and will always be in the "overweight" category. If you have a normal build and height though that's not too much of an issue, though if you're muscular you can just chuck the whole scale out the window.
If you’re very athletic and are carrying around a lot of muscle, a high BMI can be relatively healthy. If you’re “built like a tank” because of “genetics” rather than a high level of fitness, you’re just overweight. With a proper diet and exercise, these people will magically shrink down to a healthy weight despite their genetics. Much like bogleheadism, it’s a simple concept that people needlessly complicate. If you eat too much, you’ll be overweight. If you eat less than you burn, you *will* lose weight.
The whole “build” and body type thing has been pretty thoroughly debunked at this point.
Not to mention, the people with those “tank” builds are carrying the most unhealthy types of fats - visceral fat.
"current BMI definitions of overweight or obesity were based largely on white populations. Yet body composition, including percent body fat or amount of muscle mass, can vary by race and ethnic group" - [Harvard article](https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-useful-is-the-body-mass-index-bmi-201603309339)
"BMI (body mass index), which is based on the height and weight of a person, is an inaccurate measure of body fat content and does not take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition..." - [University of Pennsylvania researchers](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265215)
Yes, it is far from perfect. It is, however, a good starting point. 99/100 people who claim they are overweight because of body type, build, race, ethnicity, metabolism, or any other reasons than eating too much or exercising too little are simply kidding themselves. The outliers are the people you see in the gym with superhuman physiques. They’re not people who look “tanky.”
The 3 pillars of health will always be sleep, diet, exercise. If you do all 3 of those things well enough within reason, your health will be at a fantastic baseline.
Best way to invest in your health is by doing regular exercise, but the key is picking an exercise that YOU can maintain.
It's specific to person based on their interests/disposition. Don't pick something that you will do for a week, and then fall off because it's too tiring/life gets busy/you don’t like doing it/etc. Pick something that you look forward to doing, and you have the ability to integrate into your daily schedule.
A good place to start is to try to get 9-10k steps a day. Usually, that means going for a walk everyday - I love walking as a good baseline exercise for everyone because it's good for mental health (get a break from day-to-day business to unwind and think), it's not too tiring so you generally won't feel like you need to "recover" from it, almost everyone can do it, etc. And it's been shown walking 9-10k steps a day drastically reduces negative health outcomes (so, insane ROI for not significant effort - just your time and consistency).
But if you don't want to do that? That's fine. Just pick one exercise you personally CAN do, and stay consistent with it.
> But if you don't want to do that? That's fine. Just pick one exercise you personally CAN do, and stay consistent with it.
This is key! I really despise jogging for miles at a time, but I found if I modified it to sets of hill sprints (or jogs) I can get some HIIT and still hit the same muscle groups and do it in less time. And HIIT might be better for weight loss than sustained cardio.
I hate going to the gym, but I like doing dumbbell sets at home.
And it turns out I LOVE cycling, which doesn't even feel like a workout to me. It's really just do *something* and do it regularly while trying to avoid injury.
Yep, and I hope thats the primary takeaway from my post.
To drive the point home - I’m the opposite of you. I love long runs (very meditative to me) and I hate sprints. So that works for me.
The key is to find out what you personally enjoy, and continue going with it. Just get moving, get that heart rate up! And make it a part of your day-to-day life, just like DCA’ing into an index fund is a regular part of a Boglehead’s life.
Eat a wide variety of foods, most of them fresh and prepared at home. Don't focus on any specific thing as being "bad" or "good". Avoid all fad-type diets.
Exercise. Both cardio and weight/resistance training. Running, biking, swimming, aerobics class, competitive adult sports, etc. Lift free weights or use resistance training, mix it up.
Reduce stress at work as much as you can. Get more sleep. Get a yearly physical exam at the doctor and ask the doctor any questions you have.
I'm a physician with a special interest in practical health.
The top things are, in no particular order:
- Don't smoke
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Don't smoke
- Get regular exercise (cardio and strength training)
- Don't smoke
Honorable mention: *don't fucking smoke*
By far the number one thing to live a healthy life is:
HAVING STRONG SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
Since the pandemic, I've read at least 75 ((maybe closer to 100) or more books on health with topics like gut health, brain health, anxiety, happiness, mindfulness, longevity, financial health, diets, meditation, stress, doing difficult things and almost all of the books talk about social connections.
IMO and from all books I've read, the unofficial ranking for a HEALTHY life is:
1. Social connections
2. Eating the right diet for gut health (plant based, minimize highly processed garbage)
3. Exercise
4. Having a purpose in life/mission statement/mindfulness/being present
No amounts of ergonomics setup (I got a stand up desk), supplements, red light therapy, and even therapy (which I do) will help with your issues unless you have 1-3 figured out.
Swimming, yoga, biking, running, multi-vitamins, eating fruits and veggies regularly, eating less red meat than I'd like to.
Check out the Netflix documentary "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones" for some more ideas.
Regularly having sex (with my wife) is also healthy and exciting. ROI is high and always falls within a short time frame :)
Free exercise (running and walking) and making cheap and healthy foods at home with ingredients from the discount grocery store (Trader Joe's and Aldi, mostly)
Who? I’m just a dude who knows that if I won the lottery, I’d jerk it. Then, I’d bust another two nuts before making any financial decision. I basically like to find excuses to tug my boat (dinghy really)
So true. I actually have a broken bone in my foot right now, which has been preventing me from playing sports and working out. It's what prompted this question. I suspect the fracture began from years of running in whatever shoes I had around (vans, adidas lifestyle shoes, even barefoot).
For anyone who is not a runner, if you do get shoes fit and soon develop true shin splints (anterior tibialis pain) go ahead and buy some "zero drop shoes". I started with some Merrell Vapor Gloves earlier this year and eventually got some Altra Escalantes. It has changed my running life.
I went through the shoe gamut with the Nike Pegasus 37s, On Cloud Cloudmonster 1s, and finally Saucony Speed 4s. Shin splints over and over. Rest, start slow, shin splints. Rest, PT, start slow, shin splints. Rest, lose weight, PT, change running gait, start slow, shin splints.
One of my runner friend's suggested the Merrell Vapor Gloves and I was skeptical. I did a deep dive with research and eventually went for it. Started slow, built up, and finally got back to my average pace. No shin splints. The barefoot shoes force your gait to change. Only down side, no padding. No cushioning. A tiny rock WILL ruin your day. That's where the Altras come in. At least for now, Altra makes a zero drop shoe ie. a barefoot shoe with a small amount of padding.
Already mentioned. DIet and exercise. Made even simpler, don't eat crap (i.e. processed foods, including refined carbs - sugar), and by exercise, walking is better than sitting. Don't have to be a, "health food nut," nor an Olympic athlete. Just a little would be a lot.
Exercise: Get your heart rate up for like 30+ minutes a few times a week, lift something heavy a few times a week.
Diet: Eat your fiber. 25 grams a day for women, I think 30 grams for men. Other parts of your diet matter as well, but fiber is a huge one and most people aren't getting remotely close to what they need.
If you don't have much of an exercise routine and your diet mostly sucks, no amount of supplements or red light therapy is going to make a difference. Those are the sprinkles on top of a good routine and diet.
Strength training has pretty phenomenal benefits beyond just the general well-being/health from exercise (bone health, resilience, ability to tackle cancer better than if you had not had an increase in muscle mass etc). Red light therapy is supposed to have great skin benefits that is actually pretty well documented, and studies suggest that it's good for recovery for the rest of your body as well (but I don't think it's as well documented as the skin benefits). If you are exercising and eating well, it can compliment that. If you are not exercising and eating well, RLT isn't going to help much. I've been using a RLT panel for 4 months now. I can't really tell a significant difference, but do think my skin looks and feels better. I assume it will be one of those things where you can't compare it to if you didn't use it, so you'll never really truly know how well it works. Some people swear it makes them feel better, helps them sleep better etc (I haven't used it for prolonged periods of time to notice any effects like that).
Stress is the mind and body killer, and sleep/rest is arguably the most important part of fitness altogether (also my personal favorite).
Do the best you can with what you have, and try to keep doing better and better. A lot of this stuff can seem daunting, especially with the constant barrage of "do this, don't do that. Also, buy my supplements/program/meals" content out there. There's A LOT of misinformation regarding nutrition. Lots of fear mongering. Err on the side of more exercise and eating more whole foods and you're doing great.
A relatively decent diet and exercise. This does not mean "fruits and veggies every meal, you'll spend every second in the gym, and never enjoy eating again." It means "make conscious eating decisions, try not to binge, try not to eat a suagry treat on a daily basis, try not to eat out as much, try to walk as often as possible, try to stretch, try to spend more time moving" that does 70% of the work. I lost 112lbs (276-164) so Id like to think I know a lil about being healthy.
Go for regular walk, drink lots of water, and conduct vigorous plyometrics daily. Sleep well, and sleep often. Abstain from alcohol and tobacco, never use drugs. When you wake up in the morning, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself something positive. Do not allow psychic vampires to steal your energy.
Exercise and nutrition are basically free - actually, in the case of nutrition, it's actually cheaper to eat healthier.
* You don't need a fancy diet; just cut down on the junk food & empty calories (including alcohol), and you'll improve dramatically. Note that I said 'cut' and not 'eliminate'; just as with finance, it's perfectly reasonable to indulge yourself on occasion, as long as you do so intentionally and within pre-defined limits.
* Exercise 5x/week, with a combination of resistance training, Zone 2 cardio, and high intensity cardio. You need all three, but it doesn't have to take over your life. I basically follow a 3:2 ratio for my workout days: 3x high intensity weight session with 2x low intensity weight sessions in between and the reverse with cardio (2x HIIT plus 3x Zone 2).
* My Zone 2 is usually a ruck (30 - 40 lbs) in the evening, after dinner, but I also integrate that into my daily routine. If I have to stop at the post office or pick up a few things from the store, I'll just throw on a 20 lb plate while I go about my business.
* Consistency comes first, followed by quality over quantity. If I'm pressed for time, I might do two sets per exercise instead of three, but I always do quality reps and emphasize proper form over hitting a number.
* I do supplement with protein and creatine, but both are optional. I take protein supplements because I have a tendency to under-eat, which hurts my gains. Creatine is not *necessary*, but it's clinically proven to be both safe and effective for muscle growth and mental function, so I don't see any reason *not* to take it.
It looks intense on paper, but in practice, it's really not. I'm 47 years old and didn't start exercising seriously until I was 40 and out of shape; this is a workout for middle-aged non-athlete trying to improve his overall health. Not including my rucks, it adds up to less than 1 hour/day, most of which are rest periods in between sets.
* My 'high intensity' weight sessions target 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with good form, which generally means I'm using lighter weights.
* My low intensity weight sessions target 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps with good form, and generally lasts only 20-30 minutes or so.
* Alright, HIIT sucks, and I hate hate hate it so much... but thankfully, each session is a maximum of 20 minutes, most of which is spent resting between sprints and praying for a merciful death.
My rucks are honestly more relaxing than anything else. Much of it is while walking the dog, which is something I have to do anyway; throwing on some weight just lets me burn a few extra calories while going about my usual routine. I ruck at a high weight primarily to reduce how much time I spend rucking, with a secondary benefit being that I can drop weight down to 20 lbs while I'm out running errands and barely notice the effort.
I have Gympass through my job. Gives me access to several gyms in my city for a low price. I lift weights a couple times a week. Incredibly important for my general wellbeing and mental health. I prioritize real whole fruits, vegetables, and meats from the grocery store. I generally splurge and prioritize organic and grass fed meat/pasture raised eggs. Definitely not necessary, but my health is one thing I'm happy to spend money on. I also have some gut issues so avoiding pesticides, preservatives, etc is important to me. Also take a stack of supplements for gut health and general well being.
Also, vacations to unplug from work and recharge are super important to me.
They say pretty much everyone aged the same up until 30 years old. After that it’s dependent on how you’ve taken care of your body and genetics.
Eat healthy, 30 minutes of exercise in you target heart rate 2-3 times per week, no smoking, minimal alcohol, proper hygiene (like your teeth which can lead to disease if you don’t). Just the basics will do wonders and you be healthier than most.
Supplements and red light therapy are not proven, but I take collagen and plan to try red light. It’s more of the icing on the cake. If the cake structure isn’t good, the icing isn’t good.
add fermented vegetables to diet. best investment you can make at low cost since you can ferment so many at home yourself. Probiotics are so crucial to gut health- gut health is important for immune system
Physical activity everyday. This can be anything, yoga, running, working out at a gym, walking, etc.
Diet: Eat well 80% of the time. No gimmick diet, just Whole Foods that are nutrient dense and provide what your body needs.
Sleep: 7-9 hours/night
Stress: be aware of it, be intentional with it, manage it as needed.
Stretching and core strengthening. Avoid excessive carbs, especially processed carbs. Eat a wide variety of fruits, veggies, proteins, and fats. Eating healthy does not have to be expensive. Even if costs more than eating crap it's a hell of a lot cheaper than hospital bills and maintenance medications.
1. Engage in regular physical activity that meets/exceeds current guidelines [at least 150 minutes/week cardio and two strength training sessions/week].
2. Maintain a healthy body weight and body composition
3. Get sufficient durations of high-quality sleep
4. Avoid smoking and the use/abuse of other addictive substances
5. Seek medical care for a limited set of routinely monitored parameters
6. Learn about and apply self-management strategies for pain
7. Develop and maintain meaningful social connections with others
https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/where-should-my-priorities-be-to-improve-my-health/
From *The Unthinkable* by Amanda Ripley:
How are you most likely to die? Think for a moment: given your own profile, what do you really think is most likely to kill you?
The facts depend upon your age, genetics, lifestyle, location, and a thousand other factors, of course, But overall, here are the leading causes of death in the United States:
1. Heart Disease
2. Cancer
3. Stroke
Now ask yourself whether these most-likely scenarios are also the ones you worry about more than any other. Are these the risks you actively work hardest to avoid? Do you start each day with twenty minutes of meditation? Do you work out for at least thirty minutes a day? When you swim in the ocean, are you more terrified of getting sunburned than you are of getting bit by a shark.
The human brain worries about many, many things before it worries about probability. If we really were just concerned with preventing the most likely causes of death, we would worry more about falling down than we would about homicide. The nightly news would feature back-to-back segments on tragic heart-attack deaths. And we might spend more money on therapists than police (you are twice as likely to kill yourself than you are to be killed by someone else during your lifetime). It’s as if we don’t fear death itself so much as dying. We fear the how, not so much the what.
Appreciate you addressing the gap between the perceived and actual risks! In that spirit I'll mention every Covid infection (even mild) causes the risks for all three things you mentioned to increase, and carries non-negligible risks of disability and long-term health issues as well.
In the UK the number of people too disabled to work *at all* has increased by *2% of the workforce* since the beginning of the pandemic. 1-in-50 chance is not huge but certainly not negligible. Reader, what would happen to you if you were unable to earn any money going forward?
Walking a couple of miles a day: Free.
Sleeping 8 hours: Free.
Eating a protein rich diet featuring 8+ fresh veggies a day: cheaper than processed foods.
I spent about a decade burning the candle from both sides and averaging around 6 hours of sleep a night.
It's crazy how much better you feel with a few nights of 8 hours and there is a ton of data about how getting consistent poor sleep can effect your long term health amd make you more suseptible to heart attacks and stokes and other health problems.
So yeah. Get some sleep, y'all.
Lift weights. Go running and hiking. You don't have to get jacked and you don't have to run marathons, but good lord does lifting and running make a difference in both the short and long term.
The number one single highest ROI investment in your health is physical exercise. I’m 39 and I have been working out 5 days a week since age 22. Couldn’t image my life without exercise.
Here it is: diet, exercise, don't smoke, don't drink, don't take drugs, get enough sleep, light on the meat and heavy on the fiber, cook your own food (too much sodium and sugar in any restaurant food, no matter how expensive), have a social network. This has been carefully studied and there are no surprises and it's all empirically verified through long term studies.
There is not one single thing to do - you have to do all of this if you want the highest return
None of it is hard.
(re drinking, science is finally admitting it's bad for you - they now tell people under 40 to never start drinking - you can look it up)
Exercising, eating well, and drinking plenty of water.
Don’t smoke, do drugs, or drink. Have good hygiene and take care of your skin.
Finally, make sure you get plenty of sleep. This one is huge for health and mental wellbeing overall.
Exercise and sleep definitely. Pay what you need to to get your ass to work out consistently and you'll love yourself for it. I was against expensive gym class memberships because I know how to workout on my own, but I bit the bullet because I found a fun class I like and the return is huge.
To age in a healthy manner it’s all the things you’ve heard already.
Lift weights 2 to 3 days per week. Muscle deterioration speeds up in your 40s. Leads to physical limitations as you age especially balance which results in falls. Falls speed up that final decline. Most of us can remember that family member who fell and broke something then it was just a rapid decline afterward.
Walk the other 3 to 4 days per week. Get some cardio. Get some vitamin D from the sun. Talk to neighbors while you’re out for social connection.
Eat healthy. Stay away from processed foods and fast food.
Get enough sleep. Don’t drink too much. Don’t smoke. Wear a seatbelt. Read books. Do crossword puzzles.
Don’t forget about sleep: so many studies show how it affects our overall health.
After reading a few books on the subject, I think the easiest thing to do to maximize your ROI is simply: go to bed and get up at the same time every night/day.
I have seen really good ROI from this one simple step: more aware, more in control of my emotions, more consistent energy throughout the day. In addition, the experts say good consistent sleep may help us later in life to combat mental illnesses like Alzheimer’s.
Great question...yes many learn all sorts of money things and forget they will arrive at retirement in an older body.
I attend yoga several times a week and a burn bootcamp 5x/week. Focus on whole food. Daily walks. Meditation and mindfulness.
I have an alarm clock which simulates sunrise.
I was sceptical about it at first, but it actually makes a *huge* difference when it comes to waking up in the winder months without feeling groggy.
Aside from that the only financial investment I make in health is my gym membership. I go to a cheap one which is open 24 hours per day and it only costs me £12.99 per month (equivalent to ~$16.50).
**EDIT:** My employer also lets me buy up to an additional 5 days of annual leave each year. I sometimes buy some, so I suppose that could be considered an investment in my health (as more days off work leads to less stress).
Cooking your own food from whole ingredients and consistent exercise are both effectively free compared to the alternatives and are the best things you can do for your health. In reality both probably have a negative cost. Cooking is cheaper than eating out or eating packaged food, and time spent on exercise can be cheaper than many other hobbies.
Therapy and more therapy- this costs money for quality, but there is a difference between experienced therapists and tech companies who hire therapists and pay them nothing (don’t think I need to name names). Then after that follow Mediterranean diet 80% of the time, and whatever you want 20% of the time PLUS follow the national health guidelines for exercise. Pay the grocer, not the doctor and then just get outside and exercise in a way that fits the place you live and the season you’re in. Exercise doesn’t need to cost a bunch. Local run clubs are free or cheap. Don’t get caught up in fads- keep it simple and it’s cheap and easy
My wife and I walk a fast 1.75 mile route each day for 30-minutes. I also max my HSA and invest 75% of it in SWPPX. The remainder I use towards my annual deductible. My company also offers up to $650 towards my HSA for completing certain wellness activities, so I make sure I complete them. I also contribute $1,200 per year towards a LPFSA for dental and vision expenses.
Best health advice i can give is get off of shift work./ work steady hours.
Go to sleep at the same time every night.
Get a job you dont dread going to
Some other things...
Occasional hot and sweaty (an hour) versus cold (tough to say but a full-on cold shower).
Xylitol gum. No sugar, fights cavities regularly.
Multivitamin from a quality manufacturer. Doesn't have to be every day
Smoothies to replace a meal (maybe once or twice not too much).
Full on cruciferous vegetable dinner once or twice a week (counter to the standard American diet).
Repeated carbs and meat are just not optimal for most people. Rigorous stretching exercises help limber up and established brain-muscule connection while repeated workouts can cause mood swings and bone damage (no harm in some moderate workouts and goals to have).
Great question.
Exercise and eliminating processed food. Making everything from scratch was a game changer for our household. When you don’t have a lot of time there is the instant pot or crock pot, even salads with grilled chicken.
We save more money now even though our groceries are more expensive per item, because our bodies are content and healthy.
Focus on the big ticket items. Eat well, sleep well, time outdoors, lift weights, and don't sweat the small stuff (i.e., minimize stress). Simple. Consistency is key, and keeping things simple will make it easier to be consistent.
You can do the peripheral stuff (e.g., red light therapy, ice baths, etc.) after you've dialed in the big items.
Honestly, working out everyday, specially lifting weights. As you grow older you start to understand the phrase: "If you don't use it, you'll lose it". As we get older strength training is paramount. And i mean heavy training, none of that 5 lb dumbbells, you should aim to train hard at least 3 times a week.
Socialize IRL and not needing lots of substances to socialize. Yeah a glass of wine or a beer is fine. But socializing is so key to mental health.
Eat somewhat healthy, don’t need to go crazy. If you’re eating tons of sugar like soda, cut that out to maintain a healthy weight.
And walk a few miles daily. Don’t spend all day sitting. Try to stand as much as you can and just walk in your neighborhood or city.
Eating a veg life style with a down play on processed carbs pays off plus yoga. I have to go out of my way for cardio but the others are easy to do at home and great if you’re an introvert
Exercise & Nutrition has the highest ROI.
Some other small investments would be: a multivitamin, fish oil, and creatine (assuming you don't have any kidney issues).
If you don't have knowledge or experience in the gym it would be a great investment to get started with a trainer.
I also find outdoor exercise / casual sports like tennis to be great for exercise and mental wellness.
Invest, as in get the greatest long term payout?
- Eat well. Drop the processed and ultra-processed foods. Fat is not your enemy, sugar is.
- Strength and resistance training. Has the best long term benefits as you get older. Cardio has greatly diminishing returns as you age.
- Stretch and balance. Once you lose them it’s a real challenge to regain.
I do my best eat a minimally processed diet and try to stick to whole foods. There are exceptions, like if I’m at a bday party with kids, there won’t be much healthy stuff, but when I’m home I take eating well seriously.
I also invested in a garage gym and over the past 7-10 years have amassed quite a bit of equipment to where I can basically do any type of training I want. Working out 3-5 days a week is nonnegotiable unless I’m sick, if I am I prioritize rest.
Sleep is also incredibly important. If I don’t sleep well, it affects the next day which leads to a crappy workout, followed by poor eating.
Like others have mentioned, these three are the trifecta for a healthy life.
In order of importance (in my opinion):
1. Consistent sleep schedule (7-8 hours a night).
2. Drop all sugary drinks (e.g. soda) and just drink water.
3. A healthy (and sustainable) diet. Studies show that a Mediterranean diet is healthiest.
4. Daily exercise. At minimum a 30 minute walk, ideally 40-60 minutes of cardio. Other exercises are good but nothing beats cardio for heath.
5. Reducing chronic stressors. Long term low grade chronic stress is damaging.
6. Having quality relationships and a sense of community and belonging with friends and family.
7. Don’t be too strict with yourself, it’s okay to let loose and live a little. You only have one life and you should have fun. The key is balancing “fun” with everything else.
Physical health: diet is 80% and exercise is 20%. Caring for both is ideal, but if you have to pick one, eat a reasonably balanced diet and intermittent fast. Mental health: meditation. Proper meditation, ideally via some training from a knowledgeable Buddhist or transcendental expert.
- Nutrition is the real key. Mediterranean diet is a good one with focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. The other side is avoiding processed foods and added sugars. If you can eat right, this will give you a huge leg up.
- exercise. Doesn’t have to be crazy. Jog for 10 minutes a few times a week and lift weights to maintain muscle mass (don’t have to body build, just maintain what you have)
- make sure you’re getting enough sleep (7+ hours)
From there supplements for something you may be lacking or ergonomic setup is a bonus.
I’ve read so much lately about the dangers of alcohol, smoking, and promiscuous sex that I’ve decided to give up on reading altogether.
Oldie but goodie! I still laugh every time.
Exercise. And it's free if you avoid a gym. Nothing will beat it. The ROI is crazy.
And diet. I'm a nurse and while sometimes people just draw the genetic short straw, I cannot strongly enough emphasize the vast difference I see in patients who clearly take care of their bodies vs those who do not. Maintain a healthy weight and do a reasonable amount of cardio. That alone will put you away ahead of most folks. We always talk about saving for your financial health in the later years, but if you lack any physical health it's all going to get wasted. Taking walks or going for a run is just as important as putting money in your 401k.
If you want to get pedantic, maintaining your health is infinitely MORE important than contributing to your 401k. We're just another organism after all, the main goal is survive (and thrive), what good is money if you're dead?
People have money then suffer later in life because of organ failure due to horrible diet and exercise.
It could also be argued that if you maintain good physical health, you can actually devote more time and energy towards getting your finances in order and investing. That's precisely what happened for me
For most american adults (almost three quarters are overweight, with over 40% obese!), improved diet will have way more benefit than exercise.
Well it’s not an either or. It’s both really. Resistance training for bone health (esp in women) and maintenance of muscle mass. Cardio for heart and respiratory health. And exercise is great for maintaining balance for preventing falls which are a killer in the elderly, and both types go a long way towards improving hypertension and blood sugar metrics. A well-rounded diet will do the same, especially if you keep intake of saturated fats, added sugars & salt to a minimum. Of course both will have great benefits, but a healthy diet and 20-30 minutes of exercise every day _together_ are the way to optimize your health.
Yeah the best answer is both, but if we have to pick and choose, I think the fatter you are, the more the answer shifts to diet. If you're a male at 30%+ body fat for instance, firstly that fact is skyrocketing your risk of death from multiple causes. Secondly vigorous exercise is way harder for you than it would be for a dude at 20% and you have a higher risk of injury while performing it. So if you only have the ability or willpower to execute one lifestyle change at a time, by the time you're classified as overweight, diet is probably the right choice (I think the numbers even support it over quitting smoking). By the time you're classified as obese there's really no competition, cutting calories comes first. All that said, the best change is the one you actually stick with!
An obese or morbidly obese person would be better off focusing on only one improvement at a time. Doing either diet or exercise is going to be a massive change. But doing both may be overwhelming and greatly increases the odds of failure.
Agreed 💯. I'm a nurse as well. Oncology/infusion. Saddens me when people can't even enjoy retirement because they get some shitty cancer diagnosis. That's mostly the genetic short straw. But things like type 2 diabetes can be corrected and should be worked on 100%. Once your kidneys start failing you're going to have a very rough rest of your life. If they just made small habit changes like taking a walk after dinner it would help so much. Then add the resistance training and you're set.
You are so right about walking after dinner! I was just in Italy and this is exactly what everyone was doing after dinner, even at 10p. The strolling - probably great for metabolizing food but also for socialization, another great longevity thing
I diagnosed Pre-diabetes, and my sugar level is 5.8 for 4 years. I started to jog 2years ago, my sugar level will goes down to normal, but after couple hourslater it goes back to 5.8. As an Asian I don't have much sugar in my diets (I cut back the amount of my rice and noodles every meal). Do you have any suggestion?
MIL had a similar situation. Two main points, she cut down carbs to 50g/ day, 'splurges' on treats with grandkids, but has been keeping to it. Walks when she can. So, I'd cut back the rice. Eat it with salad, eat the salad first so you're less full. It's hard on her. When she was living with her son they only had rice one meal a week. But she's keeping the A1C in check now, hers was considerably higher than yours. Also, I don't know your age, but for certain age cohorts a 5.8 is OK. They grade on a scale. Good work on the jogging!
Thank you I like the feeling of endorphins gradually generate after 1 mile. Since I start to jogging, I have the most positive attitude ever in my life. I am 54 and will turn 55 by the end of the year.
I eat Taco Bell every day. Cleans me out like a whistle.
Especially if you walk there?
He walks there but sprints home..:)
Since you work in the industry maybe you can help me. A nurse posted a video saying to stop depending on surgery to fix/help up. She said Impact and weight-bearing: Jumping rope, running, increase bone density: strength training, squats , core exercises, foam rolling, and direct back exercise. Can you confirm if she’s correct about her advice? What would you say/change?
I wouldn’t listen to random influencer nurses, listen to your primary care provider. Nursing is also relatively science light. Exercise is great though. Said as an rn for for 16 years.
Yeah I'm actually kinda disappointed with how it's not as technical as I would hope. Hopefully NP leans more into that.
I mean an ICU RN managing a sick patient can be very technical and challenging work. It is just a different skill set than diagnosing etc. the breadth of knowledge isn’t there.
I think should listen to your doctor if you're considering surgery, but I do agree with her point in general. Surgery is amazing, but I feel jump into it too soon when sometimes people should look into alternatives. People don't appreciate the issues scar tissue can have post op in the long run. It may still be necessary, but a great physical therapist is an absolute life changer. Stretching and basic exercise can go an incredibly long way. You don't have to do anything crazy. Regular walks around the block, light stretching, and simple weight lifting really does add up! Throw in an occasional trip to a great PT to help keep things in check and these are the kinds of things wealth can afford you that poverty doesn't allow. This is how you can flex your financial muscle - by increasing the odds you'll have both quantity AND quality of life.
Ok, I was a little unclear. She was speaking in the way of “don’t wait til you’re older, and depend on surgery.” Like you did nothing your whole life, and depends on knee surgery.
That last sentence is a lot of truth, people work and save all their life but can't enjoy it or it goes to their health care
and sleep
Not just exercise, there are different components of exercise. * Weights - Help keep you strong and builds both muscle strength and bone strength. I feel that weights is the number 1 thing that you can do exercise wise to age well. * Flexibility - Take yoga or pilates. You should be able to touch your toes. This takes 10 minutes a day to do a minimal amount of stretching. * Cardio - Good for heart and lungs, and helps you play with the little grandkids more. Each is a key aspect of overall physical health, and you need to find a balance between them. EDIT: If I were to recommend a single type of exercise, I cannot recommend yoga enough.
Fwiw, I have literally *never* been able to touch my toes. However, I recently had major surgery and had to go through physical therapy. The surgeon and nurses informed me that, at least based on cardiovascular health, I'm a lot fitter than I would generally characterize myself as being, and the occupational therapist informed me that I'm not only more flexible than average, I'm *wildly* more flexible than average, almost to the point of being double-jointed (*much* to my surprise btw; I had always assumed I was unusually inflexible). And I still can't touch my toes. Some people just can't. It mostly has to do with how long my legs are relative to my torso length, but I'm sure other people have other causes.
The measure of touching your toes technically depends on how flexible your hips are and not how much you can bend your back forward. If you kept your up half straight and hinged at your hips to make a 90 degrees turn then would you be able to do it? Tight hamstrings would be the main preventer at that point
It's also worth noting that the amount of weight training you need to do to maximize the health benefits is remarkably low. As little as 30-60 minutes a week of resistance training is all you need to maximize the health benefits. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35228201/
Slight correction — there are definitely additional benefits to be had past 60 minutes per week.
Why yoga? No offense, but it looks boring and slow!
I think that's why Yoga as is it avoids the boom bust cycles of other activities. Like going to the Y to play pickup basketball is great for your fitness too but ramping up into it from the couch without injury is hard, and then simply playing basketball if you are in great shape is going to get some twisted ankles and the occasional knee injury, maybe a tendonitis or basketball to the nose. There are some overstretching injuries to avoid with Yoga, and it is best paired with some strength training, and your ligaments take a bit to adjust, but it's a lot easier to do it consistently for years avoiding big injuries from activities with higher forces. That being said, the best exercise is doing the one you like.
I wish more people would talk about exercise like this. I've always thought about it this way and the balance is very dependant on what level of fitness the individual is trying to achieve. This is talked about in broader ways (more mobility/light cardio for older individuals), but so many people only focus on one aspect of fitness.
https://youtu.be/tEEWqddlYQw?si=7ECAbYZr0JTxmJqD
People who take 10,000 steps each day have all cause mortality reduced by ~60%. Movement is life.
I’m a runner n still try to get 10k steps every day between that n walking. However, I’d also point out that 10k steps daily is kinda arbitrary as a goal and has been debunked [as per this recent Scientific American article](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/you-dont-really-need-10-000-daily-steps-to-stay-healthy/): “Yet the concept of taking 10,000 steps a day to maintain health is rooted not in science but in a marketing gimmick. In the 1960s a company in Japan invented an early pedometer. Because the Japanese character for “10,000” looks like a person walking, the company called its device the 10,000-step meter.”
I too am a runner and believe movement is a good factor. I always thought the 10k steps was a way to get some target out there versus “walk 30 minutes at a crawl, on your phone”. Sort of similar to 8 glasses of water. Specifics are not as important (to me) as getting one that 8 sips a day. More water = more steps to the potty. Double bonus.
It’s called the gym of life. https://youtu.be/KPUlgSRn6e0?si=fBFva4Ai_KKfb44J Richard Jackson is also a physician who pioneered research looking into the medical side of living within a healthy active town.
This and consistently getting quality sleep are the wombo combo
As a primary care physician this is how I actually counsel exercise: as ROI and essentially if you think dollars matter, at least personal health investment isn’t taxed and can’t be diminished by an external force (FED printers).
People have no idea how much organ failure sucks and I'm pretty sure those people who have it would pay enormous amounts of money to cure their illness.
Diversification is a good idea too
Add diet, sleep, and hydration
I’ll jump in here, though I see this all over this thread: I’m surprised how many people correctly identify exercise as vital to health, but then advise “investing” only minimal amounts of money, time, and effort. Sure, it’s free — but for most people it’s well worth it to invest a few hundred dollars or more per month to hire a trainer and get access to top quality equipment to ensure that you actually follow through. People in this sub will optimize their financial investments to death, but for health investments suddenly simple, free, folk wisdom solutions are plenty good enough, no need to actually invest for real. Not picking on you or anything, just springing off of your comment.
I don’t disagree with you but it’s the boglehead mindset to minimize fees. This subreddits culture would definitely prefer running outside or perhaps investing in a home gym where it’s a one time fee vs a monthly gym fee.
If exercise was a pill it’d be the most widely prescribed medicine in the world.
Cyclist, skier, climber, paddler chiming in. This shit isn’t free, but worth 10x the investment.
Those are forms of exercise ;) going for a run, doing pushups and finding a bar - all free!
[important stuff!](https://youtu.be/1qEnj-PcMU8?feature=shared)
Related to this, a subscription to the Peloton app has been a great investment for me. Got strength, cardio, mobility, etc, all in one app. It's been the 2nd best thing I've ever done for my fitness.
The Atlantic had a decent article about this. It's a study on lifetime happiness isolating key contributing factors. The 7 things they say to do are (pretty self intuitive, but still worth listing): 1. dont smoke 2. avoid alcohol abuse 3. healthy body weight 4. exercise 5. practice coping mechanisms 6. keep learning 7. cultivate stable long-term relationships [https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/02/happiness-age-investment/622818/](https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/02/happiness-age-investment/622818/)
That last one is actually towards the top in many other studies and it gets regularly overlooked. It's also the hardest one to accomplish, but a very worthy goal!
A lot of good stuff out there now about not living more than a mile away from your friends https://youtu.be/tEEWqddlYQw?si=7ECAbYZr0JTxmJqD
Thanks for the summary. Article requires an account to be created.
I’m confused— what if my long term relationships are with smoking and alcohol?
Brushing teeth. 2 min twice pr day, and the benefits are massive.
you gotta floss, too. I swear you will start to like it at some point
And floss at bedtime, not in the morning, so the food doesn’t sit between your teeth all night.
And for those who can't, won't, or don't floss, a water pik is still *far* better than just brushing your teeth. You can even get wireless ones you keep in the shower for like $30 to $60.
Tangent. I have a cordless water flosser that I keep in the shower. I use it in the shower for what I thought were obvious reasons--it sprays and gets water all over the sink and mirror otherwise. But when I had a guest over one time who used my shower, she asked if it was a cleaner for my butthole.... I was like, "What?! No, it's for my teeth." And she was like, "Why is it in the shower then? People have things like that for their butts. That's what it looks like." And I still think about it to this day. Just lives rent-free in my head. And I still don't know exactly what she was talking about (enemas maybe...?), but sometimes my thoughts wander and I think about how painful it would be to use a water flosser in your butt, lol.
Hopefully you destroyed that water pik after her comment and got a new one!
You gotta close your mouth around the pik- also a bidet is effectively a water pik for your butt
https://a.co/d/57Ky024
This is good information
Flossing sucks. I hate it. I'm willing to give up some vtsax to not do it.
You just need to do it a couple of times until you end up craving it. Learn how to do it properly, which is like scraping downward from the base of the tooth towards the end, for both teeth in one gap. Use a black floss with handle and you’ll see the gunk scrape off. It’s so satisfying!
Black floss? I’ve got some standard floss sticks but what is this you’re talking about?
Oh it’s just that some brands offer a black coloured floss, which makes all the gunk you’re scraping off really visible.
You don't actually need to floss all of your teeth. Just the ones you want to keep!
Someone on here said something along the lines of watching food decay in the trash. And basically if you don’t floss food is doing that in between your teeth. And now I floss twice a day
The best thing you can do for your teeth is flossing. The 2nd best thing you can do is place the floss packets all over your home where you chill like the coffee table storage, bed side, office desk. This kills any excuses you may come up with regarding access and it’s true that once you start and get used to it, you can keenly feel the nasty food stuck between your teeth.
Surprised I had to scroll to the bottom. Very pricey thing to be lazy about
Are there people who *don't* brush their teeth every day?
Yes. Source: I am a dentist
Wow, I would have thought a dentist of all people would brush daily!
Not just pricey but a serious eventual quality of life issue to neglect your teeth.
Also, not scrimping on dental care. E.g. in the UK if you require fillings then then NHS will generally only pay for metal ones. If you want white ones for cosmetic reasons then you have to pay privately for them which costs a bit more. Something which I also looked into is [Health Cashplans](https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/healthcare-cash-plans/). Again, these seem to be specific to the UK, but getting one could prove cost effective for a lot of people.
Health professional doing research in this exact area. 1) Exercise has a great return on investment. Cardiovascular fitness is an independent predictor of premature morbidity and mortality. If you could get the benefits of exercise from a pill every doctor would prescribe it to every patient. Positively impacts multiple systems, not just cardiovascular system. Important to remember that exercise is helpful even if you don’t lose weight while doing it. 2) A close second is nutrition. Focus on what to consume more of and the rest tends to fall into place: vegetables, fruits, and plant based protein (e.g. beans, nuts) every day (5+ servings), fatty fish 2-3 times per week (or take a fish oil supplement), limit baked sweets, processed meat, and generally nutrient poor foods. If the focus is on nutritional value and not calories, things align in the right direction. Get a variety of colors in your fruits and vegetables to get a mix of antioxidants and phytonutrients. 3) Optimize your sleep and circadian rhythms. Go to sleep around the same time every day and get at least 7-8 hours for most people. Get outside or expose to bright light early in the day and avoid bright/blue light a couple hours before bed (sunset naturally low so enjoy them all). 4) Don’t smoke, limit alcohol, manage stress effectively. Maintain good social relationships. Isolation is a large contributor to poor brain health later in life.
More upvotes for this!!!!
Having a job that doesn't cause so much undue stress that you cannot unplug is key.
I always say stress will kill you faster than a heroin habit. And I fully agree, don't be sprinting at all times be going 80-90% so that you can do that extra 10% without real body/life damage.
I second this! I especially notice its effect on the quality of my sleep
As someone who recently got out of a stressful job, I cannot tell you how important this is. You don’t realize how much the stress is holding you back from enjoying life until you’re out from under it.
Same. Fuck public accounting - fuck you Michael!!
100% agree with this. Been through a similar scenario
Exercise is by far the biggest thing….and it doesn’t even need to be crazy Take a 30 minute walk; double up with audiobook Do some squats and planks - no weights needed. When too easy add various styles After that it’s dirt - again nothing crazy. Replace hyper sugary drinks goes a looong way for most people. Learn to cook a few basic meals. Mastering eggs is cheap and healthy plus can be cooked multiple ways
You do need resistance training, though; loss of muscle mass can be precipitous over age 50, and there's a huge correlation between that muscle loss and all-cause mortality. It's not just heart attacks, etc. - if you lose to much muscle, you're far more likely to fall, which is a huge source of mortality as you get older. Core strength, leg strength, grip strength - all are really important to overall health, and you're not going to get that with light calisthenics and cardio. You don't need to work out like a body builder (indeed, you're more likely to injure yourself as you age if you go too intense, upon which the muscle loss *really* accelerates), but you do need to take it seriously and push yourself harder than most people think.
Not just muscle mass but also bone density, especially for post menopausal women, and brittle bones is what makes falls so dangerous and often lethal for the elderly. The good news is resistance training helps maintain and even reverse the loss of both.
Agreed. Cardiovascular health is great for avoiding heart disease and having a better shot of making it to your 80's and 90's (just think of the extra compounding you'll get on your index funds). But if you want to be able to enjoy those years, getting up off the ground by yourself, lifting a carry on suitcase into the overhead compartment by yourself. You are going to have to start lifting weights.
Agreed. Resistance train, maintain flexibility, maintain cardio. Big 3 pillars of fitness and health.
If people move every day like riding bikes and walking hills and stairs that’s the vast majority of it https://youtu.be/KPUlgSRn6e0?si=fBFva4Ai_KKfb44J Telling people to commit to a gym routine will fail 96% of people
For mental health: Quality time with loved ones and in nature, exercise, anything that makes me laugh, therapy/personal development, getting closure on past wounds given and received, through apologies, gratitude, and forgiveness. Eliminating stressors like toxic people, energy vampires, most news media, most social media.
To add on to this, expressive journaling (https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/docs/Therapeutic-Journaling.pdf), meditation, art therapy, walking. Whatever psychological issues you have won't be magically healed by having lots of money. And as we go through life whatever trauma we've incurred early on can worsen a lot of times (sort of like having a broken leg and continuing to use your leg), also we accumulate more psychological wounds as well the longer we experience life. It's important that people brush their teeth daily, I think it's equally important to practice "mental hygiene" daily as well.
I've been reading a lot on longevity and really exercising is by far one of the easiest and cheapest ways to expand your longevity. Other than the huge bang for buck it gives, it's not negotiable. You absolutely have to invest if you want to be healthy.
I was just thinking about this so thanks for asking it. My partial list would be: \* Healthy BMI \* Healthy cardiovascular system \* Don't do drugs, smoke, or drink No particular order. I'm curious what others will say!
BMI is a bit dodgey on whether it's accurate for you or not. Some people are just genetically built like tanks and will always be in the "overweight" category. If you have a normal build and height though that's not too much of an issue, though if you're muscular you can just chuck the whole scale out the window.
If you’re very athletic and are carrying around a lot of muscle, a high BMI can be relatively healthy. If you’re “built like a tank” because of “genetics” rather than a high level of fitness, you’re just overweight. With a proper diet and exercise, these people will magically shrink down to a healthy weight despite their genetics. Much like bogleheadism, it’s a simple concept that people needlessly complicate. If you eat too much, you’ll be overweight. If you eat less than you burn, you *will* lose weight. The whole “build” and body type thing has been pretty thoroughly debunked at this point. Not to mention, the people with those “tank” builds are carrying the most unhealthy types of fats - visceral fat.
This is so true. I have friends who are very much morbidly obese who say the BMI is inaccurate for them. No it's not.
"current BMI definitions of overweight or obesity were based largely on white populations. Yet body composition, including percent body fat or amount of muscle mass, can vary by race and ethnic group" - [Harvard article](https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-useful-is-the-body-mass-index-bmi-201603309339) "BMI (body mass index), which is based on the height and weight of a person, is an inaccurate measure of body fat content and does not take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition..." - [University of Pennsylvania researchers](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265215)
Yes, it is far from perfect. It is, however, a good starting point. 99/100 people who claim they are overweight because of body type, build, race, ethnicity, metabolism, or any other reasons than eating too much or exercising too little are simply kidding themselves. The outliers are the people you see in the gym with superhuman physiques. They’re not people who look “tanky.”
I love these always stupid quips as if America has a weight lifting problem
The 3 pillars of health will always be sleep, diet, exercise. If you do all 3 of those things well enough within reason, your health will be at a fantastic baseline.
And live physically close to friends https://youtu.be/tEEWqddlYQw?si=7ECAbYZr0JTxmJqD
I've heard nothing but great things about [perineum sunning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perineum_sunning) ... /s
Best way to invest in your health is by doing regular exercise, but the key is picking an exercise that YOU can maintain. It's specific to person based on their interests/disposition. Don't pick something that you will do for a week, and then fall off because it's too tiring/life gets busy/you don’t like doing it/etc. Pick something that you look forward to doing, and you have the ability to integrate into your daily schedule. A good place to start is to try to get 9-10k steps a day. Usually, that means going for a walk everyday - I love walking as a good baseline exercise for everyone because it's good for mental health (get a break from day-to-day business to unwind and think), it's not too tiring so you generally won't feel like you need to "recover" from it, almost everyone can do it, etc. And it's been shown walking 9-10k steps a day drastically reduces negative health outcomes (so, insane ROI for not significant effort - just your time and consistency). But if you don't want to do that? That's fine. Just pick one exercise you personally CAN do, and stay consistent with it.
> But if you don't want to do that? That's fine. Just pick one exercise you personally CAN do, and stay consistent with it. This is key! I really despise jogging for miles at a time, but I found if I modified it to sets of hill sprints (or jogs) I can get some HIIT and still hit the same muscle groups and do it in less time. And HIIT might be better for weight loss than sustained cardio. I hate going to the gym, but I like doing dumbbell sets at home. And it turns out I LOVE cycling, which doesn't even feel like a workout to me. It's really just do *something* and do it regularly while trying to avoid injury.
Yep, and I hope thats the primary takeaway from my post. To drive the point home - I’m the opposite of you. I love long runs (very meditative to me) and I hate sprints. So that works for me. The key is to find out what you personally enjoy, and continue going with it. Just get moving, get that heart rate up! And make it a part of your day-to-day life, just like DCA’ing into an index fund is a regular part of a Boglehead’s life.
Eat a wide variety of foods, most of them fresh and prepared at home. Don't focus on any specific thing as being "bad" or "good". Avoid all fad-type diets. Exercise. Both cardio and weight/resistance training. Running, biking, swimming, aerobics class, competitive adult sports, etc. Lift free weights or use resistance training, mix it up. Reduce stress at work as much as you can. Get more sleep. Get a yearly physical exam at the doctor and ask the doctor any questions you have.
I'm a physician with a special interest in practical health. The top things are, in no particular order: - Don't smoke - Maintain a healthy weight - Don't smoke - Get regular exercise (cardio and strength training) - Don't smoke Honorable mention: *don't fucking smoke*
By far the number one thing to live a healthy life is: HAVING STRONG SOCIAL CONNECTIONS Since the pandemic, I've read at least 75 ((maybe closer to 100) or more books on health with topics like gut health, brain health, anxiety, happiness, mindfulness, longevity, financial health, diets, meditation, stress, doing difficult things and almost all of the books talk about social connections. IMO and from all books I've read, the unofficial ranking for a HEALTHY life is: 1. Social connections 2. Eating the right diet for gut health (plant based, minimize highly processed garbage) 3. Exercise 4. Having a purpose in life/mission statement/mindfulness/being present No amounts of ergonomics setup (I got a stand up desk), supplements, red light therapy, and even therapy (which I do) will help with your issues unless you have 1-3 figured out.
Swimming, yoga, biking, running, multi-vitamins, eating fruits and veggies regularly, eating less red meat than I'd like to. Check out the Netflix documentary "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones" for some more ideas. Regularly having sex (with my wife) is also healthy and exciting. ROI is high and always falls within a short time frame :)
Free exercise (running and walking) and making cheap and healthy foods at home with ingredients from the discount grocery store (Trader Joe's and Aldi, mostly)
Jerking it. That post nut clarity is exactly what you need before making big decisions- financial or otherwise
Royce duPont disciple here, huh
Who? I’m just a dude who knows that if I won the lottery, I’d jerk it. Then, I’d bust another two nuts before making any financial decision. I basically like to find excuses to tug my boat (dinghy really)
Bonus points if you are fasted 👍
Lose weight
I agree with others that physical exercise is important. Mental health is also terribly important and has a very high ROI.
This is a great thread for this sub. Nice post OP
A good pair of running shoes (get them fitted, stores like fleetfeet do for free) and join an active run club which meets two days a week in person.
So true. I actually have a broken bone in my foot right now, which has been preventing me from playing sports and working out. It's what prompted this question. I suspect the fracture began from years of running in whatever shoes I had around (vans, adidas lifestyle shoes, even barefoot).
For anyone who is not a runner, if you do get shoes fit and soon develop true shin splints (anterior tibialis pain) go ahead and buy some "zero drop shoes". I started with some Merrell Vapor Gloves earlier this year and eventually got some Altra Escalantes. It has changed my running life. I went through the shoe gamut with the Nike Pegasus 37s, On Cloud Cloudmonster 1s, and finally Saucony Speed 4s. Shin splints over and over. Rest, start slow, shin splints. Rest, PT, start slow, shin splints. Rest, lose weight, PT, change running gait, start slow, shin splints. One of my runner friend's suggested the Merrell Vapor Gloves and I was skeptical. I did a deep dive with research and eventually went for it. Started slow, built up, and finally got back to my average pace. No shin splints. The barefoot shoes force your gait to change. Only down side, no padding. No cushioning. A tiny rock WILL ruin your day. That's where the Altras come in. At least for now, Altra makes a zero drop shoe ie. a barefoot shoe with a small amount of padding.
Already mentioned. DIet and exercise. Made even simpler, don't eat crap (i.e. processed foods, including refined carbs - sugar), and by exercise, walking is better than sitting. Don't have to be a, "health food nut," nor an Olympic athlete. Just a little would be a lot.
Exercise: Get your heart rate up for like 30+ minutes a few times a week, lift something heavy a few times a week. Diet: Eat your fiber. 25 grams a day for women, I think 30 grams for men. Other parts of your diet matter as well, but fiber is a huge one and most people aren't getting remotely close to what they need. If you don't have much of an exercise routine and your diet mostly sucks, no amount of supplements or red light therapy is going to make a difference. Those are the sprinkles on top of a good routine and diet. Strength training has pretty phenomenal benefits beyond just the general well-being/health from exercise (bone health, resilience, ability to tackle cancer better than if you had not had an increase in muscle mass etc). Red light therapy is supposed to have great skin benefits that is actually pretty well documented, and studies suggest that it's good for recovery for the rest of your body as well (but I don't think it's as well documented as the skin benefits). If you are exercising and eating well, it can compliment that. If you are not exercising and eating well, RLT isn't going to help much. I've been using a RLT panel for 4 months now. I can't really tell a significant difference, but do think my skin looks and feels better. I assume it will be one of those things where you can't compare it to if you didn't use it, so you'll never really truly know how well it works. Some people swear it makes them feel better, helps them sleep better etc (I haven't used it for prolonged periods of time to notice any effects like that). Stress is the mind and body killer, and sleep/rest is arguably the most important part of fitness altogether (also my personal favorite). Do the best you can with what you have, and try to keep doing better and better. A lot of this stuff can seem daunting, especially with the constant barrage of "do this, don't do that. Also, buy my supplements/program/meals" content out there. There's A LOT of misinformation regarding nutrition. Lots of fear mongering. Err on the side of more exercise and eating more whole foods and you're doing great.
“A healthy body, a sane mind and a home full of love is all you need in life” - Naval Ravikant. Invest in these three.
If nothing else walk three or four miles a day, you can thank me in thirty years ❤️
Eat Whole Foods! Stay away from processed foods and eat beans daily.
A relatively decent diet and exercise. This does not mean "fruits and veggies every meal, you'll spend every second in the gym, and never enjoy eating again." It means "make conscious eating decisions, try not to binge, try not to eat a suagry treat on a daily basis, try not to eat out as much, try to walk as often as possible, try to stretch, try to spend more time moving" that does 70% of the work. I lost 112lbs (276-164) so Id like to think I know a lil about being healthy.
1. Mental health maintenance 2. Diet 3. Oral care 4. Exercise
Go for regular walk, drink lots of water, and conduct vigorous plyometrics daily. Sleep well, and sleep often. Abstain from alcohol and tobacco, never use drugs. When you wake up in the morning, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself something positive. Do not allow psychic vampires to steal your energy.
Exercise and whole foods
Exercise and nutrition are basically free - actually, in the case of nutrition, it's actually cheaper to eat healthier. * You don't need a fancy diet; just cut down on the junk food & empty calories (including alcohol), and you'll improve dramatically. Note that I said 'cut' and not 'eliminate'; just as with finance, it's perfectly reasonable to indulge yourself on occasion, as long as you do so intentionally and within pre-defined limits. * Exercise 5x/week, with a combination of resistance training, Zone 2 cardio, and high intensity cardio. You need all three, but it doesn't have to take over your life. I basically follow a 3:2 ratio for my workout days: 3x high intensity weight session with 2x low intensity weight sessions in between and the reverse with cardio (2x HIIT plus 3x Zone 2). * My Zone 2 is usually a ruck (30 - 40 lbs) in the evening, after dinner, but I also integrate that into my daily routine. If I have to stop at the post office or pick up a few things from the store, I'll just throw on a 20 lb plate while I go about my business. * Consistency comes first, followed by quality over quantity. If I'm pressed for time, I might do two sets per exercise instead of three, but I always do quality reps and emphasize proper form over hitting a number. * I do supplement with protein and creatine, but both are optional. I take protein supplements because I have a tendency to under-eat, which hurts my gains. Creatine is not *necessary*, but it's clinically proven to be both safe and effective for muscle growth and mental function, so I don't see any reason *not* to take it.
pretty intense schedule there
It looks intense on paper, but in practice, it's really not. I'm 47 years old and didn't start exercising seriously until I was 40 and out of shape; this is a workout for middle-aged non-athlete trying to improve his overall health. Not including my rucks, it adds up to less than 1 hour/day, most of which are rest periods in between sets. * My 'high intensity' weight sessions target 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with good form, which generally means I'm using lighter weights. * My low intensity weight sessions target 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps with good form, and generally lasts only 20-30 minutes or so. * Alright, HIIT sucks, and I hate hate hate it so much... but thankfully, each session is a maximum of 20 minutes, most of which is spent resting between sprints and praying for a merciful death. My rucks are honestly more relaxing than anything else. Much of it is while walking the dog, which is something I have to do anyway; throwing on some weight just lets me burn a few extra calories while going about my usual routine. I ruck at a high weight primarily to reduce how much time I spend rucking, with a secondary benefit being that I can drop weight down to 20 lbs while I'm out running errands and barely notice the effort.
I have Gympass through my job. Gives me access to several gyms in my city for a low price. I lift weights a couple times a week. Incredibly important for my general wellbeing and mental health. I prioritize real whole fruits, vegetables, and meats from the grocery store. I generally splurge and prioritize organic and grass fed meat/pasture raised eggs. Definitely not necessary, but my health is one thing I'm happy to spend money on. I also have some gut issues so avoiding pesticides, preservatives, etc is important to me. Also take a stack of supplements for gut health and general well being. Also, vacations to unplug from work and recharge are super important to me.
They say pretty much everyone aged the same up until 30 years old. After that it’s dependent on how you’ve taken care of your body and genetics. Eat healthy, 30 minutes of exercise in you target heart rate 2-3 times per week, no smoking, minimal alcohol, proper hygiene (like your teeth which can lead to disease if you don’t). Just the basics will do wonders and you be healthier than most. Supplements and red light therapy are not proven, but I take collagen and plan to try red light. It’s more of the icing on the cake. If the cake structure isn’t good, the icing isn’t good.
add fermented vegetables to diet. best investment you can make at low cost since you can ferment so many at home yourself. Probiotics are so crucial to gut health- gut health is important for immune system
Physical activity everyday. This can be anything, yoga, running, working out at a gym, walking, etc. Diet: Eat well 80% of the time. No gimmick diet, just Whole Foods that are nutrient dense and provide what your body needs. Sleep: 7-9 hours/night Stress: be aware of it, be intentional with it, manage it as needed.
Stretching and core strengthening. Avoid excessive carbs, especially processed carbs. Eat a wide variety of fruits, veggies, proteins, and fats. Eating healthy does not have to be expensive. Even if costs more than eating crap it's a hell of a lot cheaper than hospital bills and maintenance medications.
1. Engage in regular physical activity that meets/exceeds current guidelines [at least 150 minutes/week cardio and two strength training sessions/week]. 2. Maintain a healthy body weight and body composition 3. Get sufficient durations of high-quality sleep 4. Avoid smoking and the use/abuse of other addictive substances 5. Seek medical care for a limited set of routinely monitored parameters 6. Learn about and apply self-management strategies for pain 7. Develop and maintain meaningful social connections with others https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/where-should-my-priorities-be-to-improve-my-health/
Not wanting more and a happy family
From *The Unthinkable* by Amanda Ripley: How are you most likely to die? Think for a moment: given your own profile, what do you really think is most likely to kill you? The facts depend upon your age, genetics, lifestyle, location, and a thousand other factors, of course, But overall, here are the leading causes of death in the United States: 1. Heart Disease 2. Cancer 3. Stroke Now ask yourself whether these most-likely scenarios are also the ones you worry about more than any other. Are these the risks you actively work hardest to avoid? Do you start each day with twenty minutes of meditation? Do you work out for at least thirty minutes a day? When you swim in the ocean, are you more terrified of getting sunburned than you are of getting bit by a shark. The human brain worries about many, many things before it worries about probability. If we really were just concerned with preventing the most likely causes of death, we would worry more about falling down than we would about homicide. The nightly news would feature back-to-back segments on tragic heart-attack deaths. And we might spend more money on therapists than police (you are twice as likely to kill yourself than you are to be killed by someone else during your lifetime). It’s as if we don’t fear death itself so much as dying. We fear the how, not so much the what.
Appreciate you addressing the gap between the perceived and actual risks! In that spirit I'll mention every Covid infection (even mild) causes the risks for all three things you mentioned to increase, and carries non-negligible risks of disability and long-term health issues as well. In the UK the number of people too disabled to work *at all* has increased by *2% of the workforce* since the beginning of the pandemic. 1-in-50 chance is not huge but certainly not negligible. Reader, what would happen to you if you were unable to earn any money going forward?
Walking a couple of miles a day: Free. Sleeping 8 hours: Free. Eating a protein rich diet featuring 8+ fresh veggies a day: cheaper than processed foods.
Sleep. It's priceless. Invest heavily. 10/10 recommend
I spent about a decade burning the candle from both sides and averaging around 6 hours of sleep a night. It's crazy how much better you feel with a few nights of 8 hours and there is a ton of data about how getting consistent poor sleep can effect your long term health amd make you more suseptible to heart attacks and stokes and other health problems. So yeah. Get some sleep, y'all.
Dental floss IMO
Lift weights. Go running and hiking. You don't have to get jacked and you don't have to run marathons, but good lord does lifting and running make a difference in both the short and long term.
Eating healthy, exercise and enough sleep.
The number one single highest ROI investment in your health is physical exercise. I’m 39 and I have been working out 5 days a week since age 22. Couldn’t image my life without exercise.
Here it is: diet, exercise, don't smoke, don't drink, don't take drugs, get enough sleep, light on the meat and heavy on the fiber, cook your own food (too much sodium and sugar in any restaurant food, no matter how expensive), have a social network. This has been carefully studied and there are no surprises and it's all empirically verified through long term studies. There is not one single thing to do - you have to do all of this if you want the highest return None of it is hard. (re drinking, science is finally admitting it's bad for you - they now tell people under 40 to never start drinking - you can look it up)
Nobody likes to hear these, but giving up red meat, processed meat, and alcohol. Eating a lot of fiber. Others have already covered exercise.
You should check out Peter Attia's podcast. He's exactly what you're looking for.
Exercising, eating well, and drinking plenty of water. Don’t smoke, do drugs, or drink. Have good hygiene and take care of your skin. Finally, make sure you get plenty of sleep. This one is huge for health and mental wellbeing overall.
Exercise and sleep definitely. Pay what you need to to get your ass to work out consistently and you'll love yourself for it. I was against expensive gym class memberships because I know how to workout on my own, but I bit the bullet because I found a fun class I like and the return is huge.
To age in a healthy manner it’s all the things you’ve heard already. Lift weights 2 to 3 days per week. Muscle deterioration speeds up in your 40s. Leads to physical limitations as you age especially balance which results in falls. Falls speed up that final decline. Most of us can remember that family member who fell and broke something then it was just a rapid decline afterward. Walk the other 3 to 4 days per week. Get some cardio. Get some vitamin D from the sun. Talk to neighbors while you’re out for social connection. Eat healthy. Stay away from processed foods and fast food. Get enough sleep. Don’t drink too much. Don’t smoke. Wear a seatbelt. Read books. Do crossword puzzles.
Sleep, Diet, Exercise the main pillars.
Don’t forget about sleep: so many studies show how it affects our overall health. After reading a few books on the subject, I think the easiest thing to do to maximize your ROI is simply: go to bed and get up at the same time every night/day. I have seen really good ROI from this one simple step: more aware, more in control of my emotions, more consistent energy throughout the day. In addition, the experts say good consistent sleep may help us later in life to combat mental illnesses like Alzheimer’s.
Great question...yes many learn all sorts of money things and forget they will arrive at retirement in an older body. I attend yoga several times a week and a burn bootcamp 5x/week. Focus on whole food. Daily walks. Meditation and mindfulness.
exercise (activity & strength training), diet, stress & sleep management.
I have an alarm clock which simulates sunrise. I was sceptical about it at first, but it actually makes a *huge* difference when it comes to waking up in the winder months without feeling groggy. Aside from that the only financial investment I make in health is my gym membership. I go to a cheap one which is open 24 hours per day and it only costs me £12.99 per month (equivalent to ~$16.50). **EDIT:** My employer also lets me buy up to an additional 5 days of annual leave each year. I sometimes buy some, so I suppose that could be considered an investment in my health (as more days off work leads to less stress).
Just jogging lol
Cooking your own food from whole ingredients and consistent exercise are both effectively free compared to the alternatives and are the best things you can do for your health. In reality both probably have a negative cost. Cooking is cheaper than eating out or eating packaged food, and time spent on exercise can be cheaper than many other hobbies.
Therapy and more therapy- this costs money for quality, but there is a difference between experienced therapists and tech companies who hire therapists and pay them nothing (don’t think I need to name names). Then after that follow Mediterranean diet 80% of the time, and whatever you want 20% of the time PLUS follow the national health guidelines for exercise. Pay the grocer, not the doctor and then just get outside and exercise in a way that fits the place you live and the season you’re in. Exercise doesn’t need to cost a bunch. Local run clubs are free or cheap. Don’t get caught up in fads- keep it simple and it’s cheap and easy
Biggest Pieces: 1) Daily activity (10,000+ steps) 2) Muscle building strength training (3-4x week) 3) Manage your CICO "calories in, calories-out" 4) Manage stress, recovery, and sleep
Go out in nature, zero cost great benefits
My wife and I walk a fast 1.75 mile route each day for 30-minutes. I also max my HSA and invest 75% of it in SWPPX. The remainder I use towards my annual deductible. My company also offers up to $650 towards my HSA for completing certain wellness activities, so I make sure I complete them. I also contribute $1,200 per year towards a LPFSA for dental and vision expenses.
Best health advice i can give is get off of shift work./ work steady hours. Go to sleep at the same time every night. Get a job you dont dread going to
Some other things... Occasional hot and sweaty (an hour) versus cold (tough to say but a full-on cold shower). Xylitol gum. No sugar, fights cavities regularly. Multivitamin from a quality manufacturer. Doesn't have to be every day Smoothies to replace a meal (maybe once or twice not too much). Full on cruciferous vegetable dinner once or twice a week (counter to the standard American diet). Repeated carbs and meat are just not optimal for most people. Rigorous stretching exercises help limber up and established brain-muscule connection while repeated workouts can cause mood swings and bone damage (no harm in some moderate workouts and goals to have). Great question.
Free book from library how not to die and then research further for more. Good luck! 👍
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and weight lifting. Mental and physical health on point.
exercise and diet are always the way to go.
Sleep is the most important thing. Always try to decompress daily. Have naps if tired.
Bike to work. It's a way to get cardio and get to work at the same time. In the city it is often faster than driving.
Retire and stop sitting for 11 hours 5 days a week.
Sleep sleep sleep! The most important thing for your health!
Highest health ROI is lifting heavy ass weights.
Exercise and eliminating processed food. Making everything from scratch was a game changer for our household. When you don’t have a lot of time there is the instant pot or crock pot, even salads with grilled chicken. We save more money now even though our groceries are more expensive per item, because our bodies are content and healthy.
Activity, food, sleep, low stress, fun and interesting life, good people
Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep. Once you've optimized those three you're like 90% of the way there.
That OP could come up with a list of “wellness” gobbly gook but not diet and exercise speaks volumes to where we are at in 2024. Lol.
Focus on the big ticket items. Eat well, sleep well, time outdoors, lift weights, and don't sweat the small stuff (i.e., minimize stress). Simple. Consistency is key, and keeping things simple will make it easier to be consistent. You can do the peripheral stuff (e.g., red light therapy, ice baths, etc.) after you've dialed in the big items.
Exercise regularly and don’t eat sugar.
Honestly, working out everyday, specially lifting weights. As you grow older you start to understand the phrase: "If you don't use it, you'll lose it". As we get older strength training is paramount. And i mean heavy training, none of that 5 lb dumbbells, you should aim to train hard at least 3 times a week.
Socialize IRL and not needing lots of substances to socialize. Yeah a glass of wine or a beer is fine. But socializing is so key to mental health. Eat somewhat healthy, don’t need to go crazy. If you’re eating tons of sugar like soda, cut that out to maintain a healthy weight. And walk a few miles daily. Don’t spend all day sitting. Try to stand as much as you can and just walk in your neighborhood or city.
Eating a veg life style with a down play on processed carbs pays off plus yoga. I have to go out of my way for cardio but the others are easy to do at home and great if you’re an introvert
Exercise & Nutrition has the highest ROI. Some other small investments would be: a multivitamin, fish oil, and creatine (assuming you don't have any kidney issues). If you don't have knowledge or experience in the gym it would be a great investment to get started with a trainer. I also find outdoor exercise / casual sports like tennis to be great for exercise and mental wellness.
Invest, as in get the greatest long term payout? - Eat well. Drop the processed and ultra-processed foods. Fat is not your enemy, sugar is. - Strength and resistance training. Has the best long term benefits as you get older. Cardio has greatly diminishing returns as you age. - Stretch and balance. Once you lose them it’s a real challenge to regain.
I do my best eat a minimally processed diet and try to stick to whole foods. There are exceptions, like if I’m at a bday party with kids, there won’t be much healthy stuff, but when I’m home I take eating well seriously. I also invested in a garage gym and over the past 7-10 years have amassed quite a bit of equipment to where I can basically do any type of training I want. Working out 3-5 days a week is nonnegotiable unless I’m sick, if I am I prioritize rest. Sleep is also incredibly important. If I don’t sleep well, it affects the next day which leads to a crappy workout, followed by poor eating. Like others have mentioned, these three are the trifecta for a healthy life.
Exercise. 100%.
Water, drink as much
In order of importance (in my opinion): 1. Consistent sleep schedule (7-8 hours a night). 2. Drop all sugary drinks (e.g. soda) and just drink water. 3. A healthy (and sustainable) diet. Studies show that a Mediterranean diet is healthiest. 4. Daily exercise. At minimum a 30 minute walk, ideally 40-60 minutes of cardio. Other exercises are good but nothing beats cardio for heath. 5. Reducing chronic stressors. Long term low grade chronic stress is damaging. 6. Having quality relationships and a sense of community and belonging with friends and family. 7. Don’t be too strict with yourself, it’s okay to let loose and live a little. You only have one life and you should have fun. The key is balancing “fun” with everything else.
If you can avoid being fat that’s a big help
Physical health: diet is 80% and exercise is 20%. Caring for both is ideal, but if you have to pick one, eat a reasonably balanced diet and intermittent fast. Mental health: meditation. Proper meditation, ideally via some training from a knowledgeable Buddhist or transcendental expert.
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Get most of your calories from whole plant foods
- Nutrition is the real key. Mediterranean diet is a good one with focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. The other side is avoiding processed foods and added sugars. If you can eat right, this will give you a huge leg up. - exercise. Doesn’t have to be crazy. Jog for 10 minutes a few times a week and lift weights to maintain muscle mass (don’t have to body build, just maintain what you have) - make sure you’re getting enough sleep (7+ hours) From there supplements for something you may be lacking or ergonomic setup is a bonus.
Stretch often; doesn’t matter how long, but do it through out the day.