It amazes me that people still don’t get it!
The writing is on the wall - the Silver Tsunami is upon us: the population of 60+ year olds worldwide has reach upwards of 1bln today and will double to beyond 2bln in 30 years - by 2050!
The highest life expectancy today is for women in Hongkong and Japan at around 88 years and is expected to jump to 95 years by 2050. Current Life expectancy in urban India, for women, is around 75 years, and is expected to reach 80+ years by 2050.
Historically, average worldwide lifespan has been increasing at around 1 year every 4 years, since 1820 and most experts continue to maintain lifespan improvement at these levels even today.
It is clear beyond doubt that more people than ever, will live longer and longer.
And this only considers lifespan advancements at historical rate. If we consider the dramatic advancements in longevity and age reversal research, the average lifespan should go up by another 10+% at a minimum! 1 While COVID has been an aberration and has caused average lifespans to be reduced - in the last 2 years, it has also given a huge momentum to age reversal research and this will result in a faster commercialization of age reversal tech!
So what does this mean for us? - get ready to live long, way longer than you imagined.
For some who will remain healthy and active, it will mean more years to enjoy this wonderful life and do the things that maybe our purpose for being.
For others who do not remain healthy and independent for the most part, it will be a long long journey, full of drudgery, pain, and dependance on your near and dear ones - making the longer life a real curse!
The only upside is that the controls for the result of a long life remain in our hands, to some extent atleast!
It is very important for us to realise this reality and the sooner we understand and act on this, the better it will be.
Once again I repeat - we WILL live long, but making this a blessing and not a curse is completely in our hands!
Here are some suggestions on how to ensure that this long life remains a blessing and you are able to enjoy your years:
take care of your health - stay healthy: this is a function of your Do’s - diet / nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, regular health check ups, regular health tracking, regular medications, etc. and Don’ts - don’t smoke, control alcohol consumption, eat less animal origin foods, avoid any hazardous exposures, etc. In short, staying healthy should become your priority number one. Build healthy habits into your daily / monthly schedule, log these and maintain a disciplined follow up.
stay updated on advancements in age reversal: from major scientific breakthroughs like the recent transplant of a genetically modified pig heart to a human in Baltimore, USA or use of CRISPR for gene edits or use of stem cells to rejuvenate body parts, etc. to research on age reversal impact of certain foods, diets, supplements, biohacks, etc. - keep your antenna up and try to incorporate new and proven research findings into your daily routine.
enjoy your purpose / passion: you will have more time to peruse your purpose / passion - to bring you alive and make you live life to the full. For some, it maybe time to find a new purpose / passion - and you will have enough time to enjoy this too!
create an annual and a five year plan and bucket list, every year: whoever said that a bucket list is final? Keep making a new one every year and keep updating. Your exciting annual plans will keep you focused and energized throughout the year and your five year plans will keep you motivated for the long run.
plan to stay active: as in, try not to retire! If you must, find a new calling and stay active. Have an active day job, keep learning and contributing, and stay useful. Elders today are facing a huge challenge on this front, but there is no substitute. Some options are: start a venture - if you cannot join one, become a franchisee, volunteer, join a non profit, go back to university - enroll for a course, join as an advisor, develop expertise in a new area, learn a new instrument and join a choir / band…..
shore up your finances: revise your lifetime spending budget, and then add some more, for extra spend and contingency, - its a long journey ahead and maybe you may fancy a flight to the moon!
have close relationships: having a strong bond with family / friends is a key element in adding life to your long years. So stay honest / genuine, and invest in and nurture relationships - this investment will provide wonderous results.
hang out with younger people: having younger friends will make you feel younger, will broaden your perspective and most significantly, allow you to forget your troubles! This is the secret sauce of staying young.
slow down: burnout, high stress, long work hours, high performance pressure, etc. will not help us stay healthy. Reset your priorities, and try and slow down. You have a long enough time to accomplish all our goals, and there is no need to pursue an unhealthy lifestyle.
These are some suggestions from my end, to help you enjoy your years ahead, - you can add some from your experience and share with us.
In closing - living longer is a given, living well is in our hands.
Godspeed to living well!
Akkshay Mehta
(Age Reversal Evangelist)
This blog is my effort to inspire you with the latest developments in the space of healthspan, lifespan and age reversal. In simple English! Do share and Stay tuned.
I would love to hear from you. I can be reached at mehtaakkshay@gmail.com
See my various blogs on this subject for a better understanding of the advances in longevity and age reversal science. I write on growyoung@substack.com
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