Shaping the Future Me (the "Me" I want at 90+), today.

If you want to live longer and better (and who doesn't?), you can "biohack" yourself, just as I am.

Let's define Biohacking:

Biohacking is the process of making intentional changes to one's lifestyle, diet, and environment with the goal of enhancing physical and mental performance. And that will entail a wide range of practices, from optimizing nutrition and fitness routines to experimenting with cutting-edge technologies and inventions.  (Let me be honest: I research, like, a lot, and utilize the latest research, but don't really use the "inventions" (gadgets) part of the aforementioned "cutting-edge technologies and inventions".) One of the core motivations behind biohacking is the desire to challenge traditional ageing paths (the scary downslide) and achieve a better quality of life. As we envision our future selves at 90 and beyond, the question arises: Can I influence my aging trajectory and redefine what it means (for me in particular) to grow old? Biohacking takes the angle that the answer lies in an active approach to health, utilising the latest research and add that to our observations of what's been happening to the generations that have gone before us (as a result of what they did or didn't do, and what kind of results they've got).

Hmmmm....

Looked at in a generalised way, that's  pretty much what I do, everyday.

Honestly, my angle on "biohacking myself" is to not so much to simply live longer. It is more about wanting to be healthier, more capable, more independent, even dynamic, contributing and staying relevant.  (This is triggered in me because of the quality of ageing that I see around me in the previous generation: seriously, something I don't want for myself, in any way).  And, generally speaking(I reckon), longevity & quality of life should tack itself onto that list of benefits.

For quite some time, now, I have developed a lifestyle for myself where I do the "right things" for this body of mine, because I know that it's what I do right now (yup, today, tomorrow and the next day ) that's going to help me for my future.

Knowing what you want:

To start off, it's vital to know what I want for my Future Self: I have a long-term Vision for myself, as me, but moreso, for that Future Me (who''s going to be quite different -definitely a new-improved version - of me).

Sadly, most people don't even start with that "vision" step, being so caught up in the stresses and demands of their daily lives (and we all have these, don't we?) so much so that strategizing about their Future Self is the last thing they have the time or inclination for. 

In fact, those verging-on-the-50s folk who need to juggle their rents & mortgages and/or who have younger children who need constant/regular investment of time and energy, have pretty much no time (and consequently, the inclination) to venture down this path. 

Time is a crucial factor when it comes to ageing well.

How much investment do you need to put into this "healthy setup activities" for the future? (And remember, NOT putting in this investment beginning right now, means that somebody has to pay the price -in real dollar terms (the state, your family and/or you?) as well you as in pain/quality-of-life, etc- down the track, when you are older.)

How long can you (or should you) wait till you start seriously fortifying yourself for the older years?  Do you call this obsession with being strong "craziness" and move on to doing the "urgent & important" things of today: the housekeeping or mowing the lawn?

Should (or can) you wait till you're 65 or 70 before taking up building up your legs, back and general musculature? Or can you kick that can even further down the road? (Answer: no you can't.)

The thing is (and this is something I realize daily as I see some of the older people around me working hard, almost desperately, struggling to improve their failing body-parts), the older you get before you get to work on setting up your "bodily infrastructure" (about which I will come to later in this article), the harder it becomes to make any visible headway.

It's part of what the diagram below indicates:

That "Disability Threshold" lies at a very individual and personal juncture for each of us.  For some, because they have been developing some serious muscle and strength, they will be on the green area, unlikely to ever hit that disabled state before they drop.  For others (and unfortunately, that means most people that you see around you), that red-band can be very close to 'today'. (I see that in people in my so-called "educated and informed" social circle, one falling/tumbling over at barely a year over 60).

Once you pass that Threshold, it becomes virtually impossible to lift yourself back up to capability, and you're unlikely to be able to put in the preemptive creation & setup of the kind of body-foundation that you desperately need in the later years to ward off those scary diseases of Sarcopenia, Dynapenia and their running-mate, Osteopenia. 

While I mainly talk about biohacking as a physical activity (in my case, it's weight training and supportive nutrition), to get to where I am at, you need to make more than a few big changes, in order to overcome the hurdles that lie between you and where you need to be.

It takes a "village" of care to biohack this child (you) into an energized, capable, independent, and indeed, magnificent older human being.

 

Let's look at what biohacking ourselves for our older years involves:

Start by getting tested: I always recommend that your doctor gives you clearance before undertaking any of the Biohacking strategies that I follow.

Your doctor may put you through a Fat, muscle, bone density, bodycomposition, but that's highly unlikely.  Instead, they will take your bloodpressure, perhaps measure your fitness level, and then decide if you're up to getting into any serious kind of workout practice.  They may even recommend that you start walking the block to build up your fitness!  Whatever the case, get your medical professional to check you out first.

Now let's get into what we need to do to biohack our bodies for the older years awaiting us:

A.  Overcoming our inbuilt obstacles:  Cultivating a Long-Term Vision;  long-standing Psychological/Cultural habits.  This is actually a long list which I will discuss elsewhere.

B.  Nutritional Strategies: Low inflammation, High Protein, High Fibre, Low Sugar, ToFast/NotFast

Low inflammation: So vitally, many of the foods that we've grown up with have proved to be the worst kind of intake for our bodies' welfare. I've switched over to unrefined foods by and large, dropping pastas and white flour products, as well as the sugar-laden foods that I've been so addicted to. (Yes, that has been one hard struggle, but I feel that I've pretty much arrived, as I write this). Basically, the strong blood sugar spikes create trauma for our cells, not good for their long-term welfare.

Encouraging autophagy in my body is vital (that's the body's inbuilt garbage collection process, which helps reduce cancer indicences). I do that mainly via my regular exercise schedule, while I also fast for 12, 14, or 16 hours quite regularly (mostly, on days when I don't weight-train.

C. Physical Foundation Strategies: Strength, Muscularity, Mobility.

In my humble opinion, staying strong in these years is crucial. I'm quite aghast that too many people don't seem to have learnt the hard lessons from the previous generations: that staying capable and independent in the years ahead cannot be trusted to lucky genes(yes, I've met a few of these lucky souls too). But because I personally have never hit the jackpot in any lottery, I'm just unlikely to get the same kind of luck in my older years; hence my strong focus on taking personal responsibility, and doing the work myself. I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week, working on my musculature, building what I call "the foundation of a better quality of life in my older years: a powerful body". I train to increase muscle mass and strength. It's as simple as that, and as hard as that, too. But it's fun for me, honestly, a challenge I'm happy to accept each day I exist because I have taken the trouble to lay the foundation for that kind of ethos in me.

Mobility is something all who strive for strength and muscle have to strive for too, for two main reasons:

a. A deeper stretch in each muscle paves the way for better muscle growth and

b. muscle growth tends to make for stiffer muscles  due to their shortening.
So take the time out to stretch, stretch, stretch your muscles. Your body will thank you for that.

D. Medical Strategies: Blood test once or twice a year, and a full body MRI every 5 years or so.

You need to know how you're doing with your diet strategy, and the best feedback is

a. Your muscle growth (or decline) and

b Your blood sugar levels through the HbAc1 test. 
this last will tell you if you're treating your body right keep that dreaded inflammation at bay.

E. Other Lifestyle Hacks: Sleep Quality, Stress Management: Enough Eustress (training, icebaths?), reduce bad stress.

F. Exploring Cutting-Edge Technologies:  Though I wear an iWatch, with its apps to track what I do, how I sleep, etc, I don't really depend on it, or utilize it as a tool to help me decide where I am at in my fitness.  Regular visits to my doctor, and a never-ending workout/fitness regime is what I depend upon.  Yes, maybe I'm old-fashioned.

G.Cultivating a Long-Term Vision:
Biohacking oneself to redefine aging requires a commitment to long-term vision and lifestyle adjustments. It involves embracing a mindset that prioritizes health as an ongoing journey rather than a destination. The decisions made today lay the foundation for the vitality and well-being of the future self at 90.

Yes, though the journey is as important as the destination,  I'm determined to make the best of what is available to me, through the science that is so readily available, to all of us.

All we need to do, is take consistent action