As we approach the final four months of 2024, it’s time to acknowledge a big milestone.
Yep, the eldest Gen Xers start turning 60 next year. And just in time, we have a new study that says that human beings age at a molecular level in an accelerated burst at the age 60.
At age 56, I’ve already had 60 in my mind as a bright line moment. Because while it’s harder to build muscle in your 50s compared to your younger years, it supposedly gets much harder after 60.
Perhaps this aging burst has something to do with it. Regardless, the better shape you get into now, the easier it will be to maintain your health later.
And don’t gloat just yet, younger Xers. The study reveals two points where aging accelerates, and the other is at 44. That’s how old the youngest members of Generation X are right now. And perhaps that has something to do with the midlife doldrums that peak around age 47?
Generation X is aging from front to back at this point. But you’re certainly not too old to fight back.
For me, taking my fitness seriously starting at age 55 wasn’t too late at all. Instead, it feels perfectly timed to match an improved outlook on life that has me looking forward to the coming years. But if you’re in your 40s, I’d still say don’t wait.
The cool thing is you’ll feel great while looking your best now. And you’ll be much better off down the line.
Further exploration:
Humans age dramatically at two key points in their life, study finds (CNN)
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The Resistance
Are you diet resistant due to a slower metabolism? Our brains are convinced by these narratives far more easily than accepting the uncomfortable reality: If you are trying to lose weight but the scale isn’t going down, you are eating more than you realize.
Can You Really Be Diet Resistant? (Nerd Fitness)
The Employment Conundrum
Generation X finds itself in a tough position due to shifting circumstances once again. On one hand, we’ll be the first cohort to uniformly work longer. And yet, even though employers need experienced talent, they are resistant to hiring older workers.
Meet a laid-off Gen Xer who has had under 10 job interviews despite applying to over 200 positions (Business Insider)
Rewire Instead of Retire
“It’s time to adopt a new mindset for our next era of work. It’s time to pull our heads out of our laptops and for a moment consider rewiring our future instead of retiring from work entirely.”
Fellow Gen Xers: That retirement crisis you’re losing sleep over is a ‘rewirement’ opportunity (Forbes)
The Strong Woman Penalty
“In middle age, successful women are seen as less likable and less hirable. Their performance evaluations decline, as well, even compared to evaluations they received when they were younger and less experienced. Male leaders face no such expectations, the researchers found, and they pay no such penalties.”
Can Middle-Aged Women Overcome Bias Against Them? (Greater Good)
A Simple Formula to Live Stronger and Happier
By Trudi Roth
As a kid, you probably spent most of your summer days outdoors. As adults, especially in today’s record-breaking heat, you’re likely spending as much as 90% of your time indoors, as most Americans reportedly do.
It’s not just that we’re not getting enough time outside. There’s a lot more to it, as Ken Smith, author of The Way of the Hermit, who “moved to the wilderness to become part of nature,” points out:
I’ll tell you what I think is weird, and it ain’t the hermit. It’s how entire generations of people have been conned into believing that there is only one way to live, and that’s on-grid, in deepening debt, working on products you’ll probably never use, to line the pockets of people you’ll never meet, just so you might be able to get enough money together to buy a load of crap you don’t need, or, if you’re lucky, have a holiday that takes you to a place, like where I live, for a week of the happiness I feel every day.
You don’t have to go full-hermit to benefit from the great outdoors. All you need to do to enjoy the well-documented health benefits of nature is apply a simple rule: 20-5-3.
Into the Wild
After an intense vacation in Alaska, Michael Easter, the author of The Comfort Crisis, wondered about the Zen-like buzz it left him with. So, he connected with neuroscientist Rachel Hopman, Ph.D., for insight. It turns out he’d been enjoying the peak of the “nature pyramid,” as Hopman explained:
Think of it like the food pyramid, except that instead of recommending you eat this many servings of vegetables and this many of meat, it recommends the amount of time you should spend in nature to reduce stress and be healthier.
The “20-5-3 Rule” represents the nature pyramid with this simple formula:
- 20 minutes, 3x weekly in “local” nature (i.e., a park)
- 5 hours monthly in wilder nature (i.e., a state park)
- 3 days annually in the wilderness (i.e., camping)
Doable, right? Lock it in by recognizing why it benefits your mind, body, and spirit.
Forces of Nature
Hopman found that even the smallest increments — those 20-minute walks — boost cognition, memory, and well-being. That’s because your brain enters “soft fascination” mode, where your attention is held as your mental fatigue is alleviated. (Just leave the phone at home!)
Studies out of Finland (aka the happiest country in the world) show that spending time in wilder nature (the five hours in the equation) boosts stress relief even more, thanks to the sights (mind-soothing fractals), sounds, and smells.
Go all the way off the grid for just three days, and research shows increases in creativity and problem-solving abilities and decreases in anxiety-related conditions, including PTSD.
Sure, the 20-5-3 Rule is a little formulaic to do something that should come naturally to us, but then again, a little outside thinking is necessary to preserve your health and happiness.
Further Exploration:
The ’20-5-3′ Rule Prescribes How Much Time to Spend Outside (Men’s Health)
Essential Nature by Marsha Stopa
further: flashback
Pearl Jam & Neil Young – Rockin’ In The Free World
MTV Video Music Awards, 1993
So the story goes like this: Neil Young agreed to appear with Pearl Jam at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, but he didn’t show up to rehearsal. He also never told the band what song he wanted to play. So Neil shows up to the stage live, whispers to Eddie Vedder, and launches into Rockin’ In The Free World. From there rock television history was made, as the performance bordered on chaos even before Mike McCready repeatedly smashed his guitar on a fallen amp. (YouTube)
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