For years people have wondered if aging can be slowed or even reversed. At 93, I can attest that healthy habits contribute to longevity. A lengthy article last year in National Geographic was titled “Living Longer and Better: How Science Could Change the Way We Age.” The article asserted that one thing that adds to longevity is “to jump about.” In other words, movement.
My takeaways, unsurprisingly based on decades of our research, is that humans are designed to be active, a sedentary senior lifestyle is risky, and even modest exercise can improve physical and mental health.
To date, most of the findings about longevity benefits from scientific advancements have been seen in animals. Drugs called senolytics have helped geriatric mice stay spright long after their peers have died. But how far should this research go? Between 1900 and 2020, human life expectancy more than doubled to 73.4 years, and in 2024 it is 79.25 years. This remarkable gain has come at a cost: a staggering rise in chronic and degenerative illnesses. Aging remains the biggest risk factor for cancer, heart disease, Type II diabetes, asthma and lung disease. It can also be costly; that is, spending way too much of our health care dollar on desperate measures that often prolong death, not life, for a miserable few days.
What is amazing is that even though we spend twice as much money on health care in the United States as any other country, in 2024 our life expectancy among major countries of the world ranked us 48th, behind countries like Panama and Albania. This is why my mission of prevention has never wavered. If we can prevent disease through modest lifestyle changes, or diagnose it early, why do we need to resort to medications? Also, quoting from a Circulation magazine article in 2018 using data from the Harvard School of Public Health, the authors noted that “Five habits may increase life expectancy by 14 years in women and 12 years in men: good diet, regular exercise, healthy weight, not smoking and not drinking too much.”
In 2021, Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a Mayo Clinic invasive cardiologist, wrote a book called “Live Younger Longer: 6 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes and More.” His six steps include eliminating or reducing oxidative stress, pollution, smoking, poor nutrition including processed foods, unmanaged stress, excess alcohol intake (more than one drink per day), inadequate sleep (less than seven hours per night), too much weight (body mass index above 25, whereas above 30 is deemed obese) and, again, lack of physical activity.
Why is physical activity so important? Doctors have called physical activity a “polypill” because it can prevent and treat many of the chronic diseases associated with aging. Not only does exercise make you feel good, it has more health-related benefits than any drug. A recent study of muscle fibers from mice and humans shows how exercise can affect some gene expression. The exercise-induced change “reprograms” the epigenetic expression of the fiber to a more useful state. These findings could provide leads for the development of drugs to mimic these benefits in people who are unable to exercise and even in astronauts who are living in a weightless state in space.
In a previous Decision article, I shared that our study of more than 100,000 men and women who came to Cooper Clinic for exams at least 20 times over a 45-year period were living more than 10 years longer than the national average. Our women averaged 90.4 years of age and our men 86.5 years with an average of 88.6 for both. Again, the national average in 2024 is 79.25 years. That was accomplished by showing how to “Get Cooperized” with eight healthy steps, which is almost exactly what is recommended in the two previously mentioned studies.
These three recent studies show longer life is possible by slowing or reversing the aging process—so that we are “living, not just existing.” Our research at The Cooper Institute continues to show people who exercise regularly not only strengthen muscles but also improve overall health, regardless of how late in life they start. The data I began collecting on patients who have come through Cooper Clinic since June 1970 allows us to continue to build on the proven groundbreaking research published in 1989 that showed mid-life fitness leads to overall better health in later life and lower health care costs.
The Lord said in Genesis 6:3 “My spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years” (NLT). True to that declaration, on Aug. 21, 2024, the oldest living person died “smiling, free and satisfied” at 117 years old. Her name was Maria Branyas (Morera), born March 4 (my birthday, too) in 1907, whereas I was born in 1931. She was born in California and was living in Spain when she died. The world’s oldest supercentenarian is now Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who is 116 and among seven females living beyond 110 years worldwide. No men are on that list. Jeanne Calment of Arles, France holds the record for the longest living person by living to almost 123 years.
But as I have said many times, we rarely see someone living even close to 120 years. The reason is not because of design deficiency; it is the way we treat our bodies. So age fast or age slow, it’s up to you! ©2024 Kenneth H. Cooper
Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., MPH, known worldwide as “the father of aerobics,” is the founder and chairman of Cooper Aerobics in Dallas and chairman emeritus of The Cooper Institute.
Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois.