⭑ Healthspan is king - but it is falling ✔ Compared to longevity
⭑ Do this simple treadmill exercise to improve your balance ✔ Less falls
⭑ Turns out that resistance training helps your brain resist decline ✔ Do this
⭑ Stretch your hip flexors and reduce your knee pain ✔ Everything's connected

All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Hello,

I trust you are well and active.

Australia's federal election is now over, votes counted, and the incumbent government retained power despite being out of contention 2 months ago. The global trend to more conservative governments did not take hold down under!

Healthspan has been in my vocab for a while now, in distinction to lifespan. A new study dramatically illustrates why we should focus on healthspan more than lifespan - see item #1.

Better balance should be one of the four key goals of our exercise as we age it turns out that this treadmill exercise will help a lot - see item #2. (What are the other 3? Strength (and muscle mass), aerobic capacity, and flexibility).

Speaking of strength training, a massive study found it to be the biggest influence in retaining cognitive health - see item #3.

Then in item #4, check out one exercise that you can do every day at home which will ease your back pain, knee pain, and develop a better posture.
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01 Longevity Steadies But Healthspan Dives

I've been using the word "healthspan" for a while now in the newsletter.

A recent study from Mayo Clinic (published in JAMA Network Open on December 11, 2024) shows why it is important to distinguish between longevity (lifespan) and healthspan (the physical capability to enjoy your life for as long as possible).

The study found that global life expectancy for women increased from 79.2 to 80.7 years between 2000 and 2019, with men’s rising from 74.1 to 76.3 years.

However, the U.S. healthspan—years lived in good health—hasn’t kept pace, with a 12.4-year gap, the largest globally, up from 10.9 years in 2000!

Women face a wider gap (13.7 years) than men (12.4 years), driven by chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, mental health disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions.

The study emphasises that while global lifespan grew by 6.5 years, health-adjusted life expectancy only increased by 5.4 years, highlighting a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

⇒ A longer life doesn’t guarantee vitality. Chronic diseases can rob you of mobility, independence, and joy, with many countries facing a particularly heavy NCD burden, think diabetes, arthritis, or anxiety, that limits healthy years.

What this means for you: As you'd expect, physical activity is a game-changer. This is not news, but you knowing that chronic diseases are on the rise and can rob you of the enjoyment of your later years might provide more motivation.

Something as easy as brisk walking cuts mortality risk by 20-30%. Add two strength sessions (e.g., bodyweight squats or light dumbbells) to boost your muscle and bone health. Fuel your body with nutrient-rich foods like leafy greens, salmon, or lentils to fight inflammation and support recovery. Stay connected by joining a walking group, book club, or community class to lift your mood and reduce stress, a major NCD driver.

⇒ Your longer healthspan is the goal, you have to do a bit of work to get there.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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02 Specialised Treadmill Training To Prevent Falls

This is neat. Many of us have access to treadmills - at home or at the gym. While walking on them is great, for us oldies there is even better news because by a couple of simple variations we can significantly improve our posture, and our posture control.

I love these findings that help us get unexpected and important benefits by just altering some of our current habits. This is always easier than starting something new.

OK, so what's the news? A well-designed study found that treadmill training, including forward and backward walking for 30 minutes, three times a week for four weeks, significantly improved postural control in older adults.

⇒ The combination gave participants greater control over their "centre of balance" meaning they kept their feet more underneath them - keeping them more stable. That is, they were less likely to trip, stumble or fall.

The study claims the treadmill exercises cut fall risk by up to 50% - more than static balance exercises like standing on one leg or tai chi.

What This Means for You: Falls are a leading cause of injury for we over 50s, with one in ten causing serious issues like hip fractures - resulting in a 5-year reduction in life expectancy on average.

If you have access to a treadmill, try a program with guided forward and backward walking—start at a slow pace and hold handrails for safety. Aim for 20-30 minutes, three times weekly, ideally under a trainer’s supervision if you have any doubts about your balance.

If you don’t have access, do what I do - when you are out walking try walking backwards where it is safe to do so, walk backwards up ramps (holding the handrail), and if you are keen spin slowly a few turns in one direction and then the other as you walk. I do all this on a nature path, not the footpath!

⇒ If you aren't able to do any of this, keep standing on one leg and doing tai chi!\​​​​

@Medium - Follow me on Medium ↗, covering ⭑food, ⭑brain, ⭑body, ⭑life

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03 Strength Training Tops Out For Cognitive Health

A meta-study of nearly 3,000 other scientific studies found that light exercise, like stretching or balance drills, enhanced cognition, memory and executive function (crucial for daily tasks like learning, working, and maintaining relationships).

However, above all others the study found that resistance training is the top performer for older adults, improving cognitive health more than aerobic or mind-body exercises, with a 9-22% lower mortality risk.

What this means for you: Add two weekly resistance workouts using bodyweight (e.g., pushups, squats) or dumbbells, or better take some barbell classes such as Les Mills BodyPump here. When I began exercising regularly in 2000 I did BodyPump for 4 years and it was a fabulous introduction to lifting with barbells.

Otherwise chair-based exercises from online videos.

⇒ Let's get beyond "regular movement" and start to safely move into focused resistance exercise. Keeping your brain healthy is worth an extra few pushes while you can do them.​​​​​​​​​​

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04 Ease Knee and Lower Back Pain With This One Exercise

Our exercise of the week is ... Deep hip flexor stretches.

If you spend a lot of time sitting (I do), your hip flexors can become tight—leading to lower back pain and added strain on your knees.

Tight hip flexors pull our pelvis forward, creating excess arch in our lower back which stresses spinal joints and muscles. This misalignment also shifts more pressure onto our knees, forcing them to compensate for restricted hip movement during walking, stairs, bending and running.

In fact tight hip flexors may have been one cause of me pulling my hamstring in a sprint at the Athletics club last year.

A simple way to counteract this? Start your morning with a deep lunge stretch (hold for 30 seconds per side). Here’s why it’s worth making this a daily habit:

Pain relief:

• Eases lower back tension caused by tight hip flexors pulling on the spine
• Reduces stiffness and discomfort in the hips

Improved mobility and flexibility:

• Increases hip range of motion for smoother movement in daily activities
• Makes walking, climbing stairs, and staying active feel easier.

What this means for you: Doing this simple stretch daily can help you:

✔ Move with less stiffness – Say goodbye to that “creaky” feeling when standing up or walking.
✔ Protect your joints – Looser hips reduce strain on your knees and lower back.
✔ Stay active longer – Maintain the flexibility you need for gardening, golf, playing with grandkids, or just moving comfortably through your day.
✔ Prevent future aches – A minute of stretching now can save you from nagging pain later.

Watch this 40-second video for the perfect form.

This quick stretch is an easy investment in keeping your body moving smoothly for years to come.

⇒ There's no harm in doing hip flexor stretches several times throughout the day. ​​​​​​​​​​​​

Thanks for reading!

>> My Latest Blog Post: Energise Your Golden Years: Boosting Your Desire to Exercise with Gut-Healthy Foods​

About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share about the time you met Chris Hemsworth, or your questions about how to live longer better? Send those thoughts and more to me at walter@walteradamson.com

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