To Infinity, and Beyond

 

“Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.” —Stanislaw Jerzy Lec, Polish poet

 

Ponce de Leon was not the first to seek the fountain of youth. The quest for youth and vitality is an ancient, cross-cultural pursuit. Humans have been exploring various practices, remedies and elixirs for millennia in pursuit of health and longevity.

 

Kicking off 2024, we continue to refine the search for health and vitality with emerging trends in integrative and regenerative medicine, functional strength and mobility training, expanding nutritional science, psychological advances in stress reduction and evolving neuroscience and brain function awareness—all confirming the importance of the mind-body connection, with an eye toward enhancing lifespan and more importantly, health span.

 

Health span versus lifespan is discussed by Peter Attia, M.D., in his book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, the four pillars of which are exercise, nutrition, sleep and emotional health. He posits that the best anti-aging exercise routine consists of strength, stability, steady cardio and high-intensity exercise.

 

As per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults ages 65 and older, and the rate is increasing. Thus, building and maintaining strength and stability as we age is vital to maintaining a functional life.

 

We are multidimensional beings. In addition to our physicality, life is a journey of self-discovery. We walk a path filled with unique circumstances and experiences that challenge and mold us. If we’re lucky, we develop a sense of self-awareness and gain a larger perspective about who we are, where we fit in our world and how we relate to others. As Joseph Campbell points out, we all must confront the notion that our life is a unique, archetypal Hero’s Journey, following the template of a mythical adventure with us as the hero, where the ultimate adventure is being alive.

 

Self-awareness requires a fair amount of introspection, fortitude, discipline and courage, not to mention empathy, compassion, humility and grace. The depth and landscape of our personal hero’s journey is a balance of emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual dimensions.

 

Although our respective human journeys must ultimately reach the same destination, the task we’re confronted with is to create our own personal fountain of youth by putting ourselves in a position to age gracefully and live an extended, healthy life while we feel good, live simply and laugh more. Onward to 2024 and beyond!