Longevity Bloomington Newsletter #33 - Busting Six Myths About Healthy Aging
Plus, ONE WEIRD TRICK to improve nearly every area of your life
Research Round-Up: Healthy Aging Myths
Myth: Exercise will make arthritis worse
Not only is it safe to exercise with arthritis, it is absolutely critical that you do so. More than 60 high quality research studies have shown that exercise is effective in reducing pain, improving function and improving quality of life in knee arthritis and hip arthritis.
Exercise is as effective as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 2 to 3 times more effective than acetaminophen in reducing pain without any of the side effects! In fact, the side effects of exercise include a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, improved mental health and a reduction in at least 26 other chronic health conditions.
Find what you can do that doesn’t flare up your symptoms and do it.
Myth: You can’t get stronger after 50
With consistent and challenging strength training, adults over 50 can gain strength, improve mobility, and enhance overall fitness. In fact, resistance exercise is one of the best ways to maintain independence and prevent age-related decline. Age is not a barrier—your body is still capable of amazing progress.
It will take a little longer to make progress than it did in your 20s. You may have to work around some aches and pains. But there are no nonresponders to resistance training.
From the authors of a 2015 study: “We conclude that there are no nonresponders to the benefits of resistance-type exercise training on lean body mass, fiber size, strength, or function. Consequently, resistance-type exercise should be promoted without restriction to support healthy aging.”
Many studies have shown that even adults over 85 can significantly improve their strength through resistance training. Strength can be improved at any age.
Myth: You can’t slow down aging
While it is true you can’t slow down aging per se, you can “buy back” YEARS of function and better quality of life with regular exercise when compared to the sedentary population.
An active 60-year-old can have the strength, endurance, and functional ability of someone 20 years younger who leads a sedentary lifestyle. Regular exercise helps preserve muscle mass, cardiovascular health, and mobility—key indicators of biological age. In fact, it’s not uncommon for fit older adults to outperform younger, inactive individuals in physical tasks. Age matters less than how you move and care for your body.
While we can’t stop the clock, regular exercise has been proven to slow the effects of aging on the body. Compared to a sedentary lifestyle, consistent exercise can help you maintain independence and vitality for years longer. In many ways, movement is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth.
Myth: Resistance training will make females “bulky”
Some women worry that lifting weights will make them bulky, but this fear is unfounded. 99.9% of women simply don't produce enough testosterone—a key hormone for muscle growth—to build large, bodybuilder-style muscles naturally. In reality, gaining that kind of muscle mass takes years of consistent, intense training and strict nutrition, often combined with performance-enhancing drugs.
Strength training for general health will not leave you looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It will, however, improve your bone density, strength, confidence, and balance.
Myth: You can’t improve cognitive function as you age
While it's true that some cognitive decline is a normal part of aging, studies show that the brain remains capable of change well into later life. Regular physical activity (especially aerobic and resistance exercise), mentally stimulating activities (like puzzles, learning new skills, or reading), quality sleep, and social engagement all contribute to better brain health.
As we have discussed in a previous newsletter, developing dementia is not inevitable. It is estimated that ~40% of dementia cases can be prevented with lifestyle changes.
A 2011 study assigned older adults to either an exercise group or a stretching group for one year. The exercise group gradually built up to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise, three times a week. At the end, their hippocampus—the part of the brain responsible for memory—grew by 2%, effectively reversing 1–2 years of age-related brain loss! Meanwhile, the stretching group saw a 1.4% decline. In short: EXERCISE LITERALLY MADE THEIR BRAINS BIGGER.
From the authors of a 2006 study:
“These results suggest that cardiovascular fitness is associated with the sparing of brain tissue in aging humans. Furthermore, these results suggest a strong biological basis for the role of aerobic fitness in maintaining and enhancing central nervous system health and cognitive functioning in older adults. Our results suggest that brain volume loss is not an inevitable effect of advancing age and that relatively minor interventions can go a long way in offsetting and minimizing brain volume loss.”
Myth: Money and time spent on exercise is an expense
Many people think gym memberships aren’t worth the cost, but the truth is, exercise pays for itself — and then some. For every dollar spent on fitness, you can expect $3 to $5 in healthcare savings thanks to fewer medications, doctor visits, and hospital stays. That’s a 300-500% ROI. You’re not getting that in the stock market.
Time is our most valuable and limited resource, and studies suggest that each hour of regular exercise may add 2 to 3 hours to your life, effectively giving you more time than you spent. This return is extraordinary. Few other activities offer such a powerful exchange.
Think of money/time spent on exercise as an investment with a better return than almost any stock. Plus, it buys you more time with your family, independence, and quality of life. Skipping workouts to save money is like skipping oil changes to save on car maintenance. It will cost you more in the long run.
Studies show that active adults save over $1,400 annually on healthcare, and in some cases, as much as $2,500. Regular exercise also delays (or prevents) the need for expensive long-term care. Regular physical activity will pay you back in both money and years.
Member Spotlight - Margaret Baechtold
This month’s member spotlight is Margaret Baechtold.
1. How long have you been a member of Longevity?
I’ve been a member of Longevity for about one and a half years.
2. What is your favorite exercise at Longevity? Least favorite?
My favorite exercise is deadlifts, least favorite is split squats.
3. Where are you from originally? Where did you go to school?
I was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas. I completed my undergraduate degree at Kansas State University and my masters at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
4. What brought you to Bloomington if you are not from the area originally?
We came to Bloomington because my last Air Force assignment was as the AFROTC commander at IU. We liked it here and stayed after I retired from the Air Force.
5. Tell us about your family. Any information about spouse, kids, grandkids that you would like to share!
My husband, Ted, is a retired public school educator. He taught high school English and was Superintendent at Eastern Greene Schools. We have two sons, both married. Caleb and Rachel live in Arvada, CO and Paul, Michelle, and our granddaughter Charlotte live in Bloomington.
6. What do you do for work? If retired, what did you do for work?
After I retired from the Air Force, I worked at IU as an academic advisor and as the director of Veterans Support Services. I am fully retired now.
7. What is your favorite hobby?
My hobby is taking care of our animals. We have two dogs, two cats, two miniature donkeys, a goat, and two bee hives. But my favorite thing to do is spend time with Charlotte!
8. What’s something about you that not many people know?
We lived in a tiny village in the Alps while I went to school at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Our oldest son, Paul, was born there. Austria is my favorite place in the world.
9. What’s the next place on your travel bucket list?
Our next trip is to Scotland but it will be hard to beat last year’s adventure in Finland.
One Weird Trick
You’ve seen the clickbait headlines online: ‘Doctors HATE him! He discovered ONE WEIRD TRICK to melt fat in his sleep using nothing but spaghetti water and positive thoughts!’
These headlines always promise a quick fix. Usually, they lead you to something like apple cider vinegar, a “lost” yoga move from 3,000 B.C., or a collagen supplement.
But here’s “the truth”: the real ONE WEIRD TRICK that improves almost every part of your life isn’t weird at all. And it’s not a trick.
It’s exercise.
Plain, boring ol' exercise. It’s not a shortcut, and it won’t show up in a pop-up ad. But it works. Every time. For every body.
It boosts your mood. Strengthens your heart. Sharpens your mind. Protects your bones. Helps you sleep better. Reduces aches. Increases energy.
The key is doing it consistently. And to challenge yourself enough to make progress.
There are 168 hours in a week. Give yourself five of those to move with intention and intensity. Exercise one hour per day and do whatever you want the other twenty three.
If you’re consistently too busy to exercise, you’re too busy.
Spending time on your fitness is not selfish. It's selfless. You can't help others if you are unhealthy. Take care of yourself, so you can take care of others.
It’s easy to get in the habit of only exercising when everything aligns perfectly. When you have time, energy, and motivation. But that mindset makes consistency nearly impossible. And getting the results you want even harder.
Of course, life throws curveballs—like caring for a sick loved one or dealing with an emergency. In those moments, it’s completely understandable to hit pause. But when things are more settled, getting back into a rhythm is the only way to get the results you want.
Maybe your shoulder hurts. Maybe your back hurts. You need to find a way to keep moving that doesn’t irritate it. Modify the movements. Keep the momentum.
Motivation can be fleeting, but consistency builds results. When you make exercise a habit, it becomes part of your routine. It’s not something you have to feel inspired to do.
Life will always bring travel, family responsibilities, or unexpected detours. But the key is finding ways to stay active through it all.
The specifics may be up for debate, but the fact that exercise improves almost every aspect of your health has reached a scientific consensus. The evidence is so robust and well-established that new data is unlikely to overturn it. It is so well-supported by diverse and repeatable lines of evidence that further discussion is not productive.
"The data demonstrating the effectiveness of exercise on lifespan are as close to irrefutable as one can find in all of human biology." - Peter Attia, MD
You may not feel like exercising. You may hate exercising. Do it anyway. Do it for yourself. Do it for your future self. Do it for your kids, or your grandkids.
Getting started is always the hardest part. Walk through the door. You'll almost always feel better when you're done. A little sweat now saves a lot of struggle later.
“That exercise has health-promoting effects isn’t a novel observation. But the idea that bodily movement is good for us typically hums unnoticed in the background of our world.
Once you take a step back, however, and recognize the way that physical activity runs like a through line in both the causes and cures of almost everything that most plagues us, the realization is downright startling.” - Brett McKay
It’s not apple cider vinegar. Or bone broth. Or juice cleanses. And its definitely not spaghetti water. It’s not magic. Just movement.
I am not telling you anything you don’t know. The most obvious things are often hiding in plain sight. They are so familiar, we stop noticing them. But that doesn’t make them any less true or important.
Well Attended
We would like to recognize the Longevity Bloomington members who made it to > 80% of the classes since our most recent newsletter!
New Members
Welcome to Longevity Bloomington! It has been great having you all in class.