⭑ Your "pace of aging" predicts your decline. You can reduce it - item #1.
⭑ Proven! Time-restricted eating’s longevity trigger - item #2.
⭑ Balance your way to faster better learning. Amazingly simple - item #3.
⭑ Who knew - better glutes, better balance, better brain - item #4.

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

Hello,

I trust you are well and active.
​
Some very interesting news items this week. Scientists identified just one cardiovascular metric that predicts our "rate of aging" - according to an extended time study of 20,000 people. The good news, you can improve this metric without any special equipment or bells and whistles.

And other recent research isolated and confirmed the specific key reasons that introducing a "fasting" time into each day can extend our lifespan by nearly 50% more than people who do not fast. Incredible!!

At this rate we'll find ourselves all living twice as long as those that don’t take care of their exercise and diet :)

I'm only eating one main meal a day these days. This somehow just crept into my life slowly about 18 months ago I think. I never imagined I would be doing it, or capable of doing it, but it just becomes a thing and, you know, I even quite enjoy it.

I'm not any lighter, but oddly the one meal regime somehow makes me feel lighter.
​
Head's UP: I might be off the air next week as I have to move the newsletter to another company as it it costing me about $1000 a year for this one because they charge by subscriber numbers... see how it goes.

//

01 The New Biological Clock That Predicts Healthspan

Columbia University researchers recently refined a metric called “Pace of Aging” that measures how quickly we’re experiencing age-related decline across multiple organ systems.

The study analyzed 19,045 adults aged 50 and older over eight years using blood biomarkers, physical performance tests, and home-based assessments.

⇒ The Pace of Aging predicted future chronic disease, cognitive decline, disability, and mortality risk better than chronological age alone.

The critical finding: cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) is the most powerful intervention lever.

Those maintaining lifelong exercise regimens showed preserved brain white matter, with myelin content correlating directly to cardiovascular fitness levels across ages 22 to 94. (Myelin plays a vital role in the overall health of the nervous system. Its loss is a key factor in conditions like multiple sclerosis, stroke, and traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries.)

What this means for you ... Improve your VO2, starting as soon as you can.

For example, 150 minutes weekly of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity split into sessions - five 30-minute walks at a pace where you can’t speak full sentences. This is where your aging rate starts to slow measurably.

Even sedentary adults aged 65+ show 15–25% VO2max improvements within 12 weeks of consistent training. Amazing!

⇒ My recommendation: Commit to 30 minutes of brisk walking five times weekly. Non-negotiable consistency matters more than intensity. After 12 weeks—you’ll feel the difference in everyday movement and cognitive sharpness.

Keep this in mind: VO2max is trainable at any age. It’s one of the most responsive markers to consistent exercise.

//

02 Longevity Mechanism Confirmed!

Recent research confirmed what has been coming to the fore for some time. Time-restricted feeding (TRF) 16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating - increased median lifespan by 18% in controlled studies, "with maximal lifespan extension reaching 46.5%" when maintained lifelong.
​
46.5% longer !! Are they kidding.

⇒ Scientists confirmed the mechanism: during the fasting window, cellular energy stress activates autophagy pathways that remove damaged proteins and dysfunctional mitochondria.

TRF improved also improved gut health by enhancing epithelial barrier integrity and shifting microbiota composition toward longevity-associated bacteria.

And critically, longevity benefits occurred without compromising fitness or body composition.

What this means for you... I suggest that it means an awful lot! It's big ticket item, potentially increasing your lifespan by ~ 50%. Here you go, it's not that hard, but it takes determination to get started, and then it takes consistency:

• Finish dinner by 7 PM, skip breakfast;
• Resume eating at 11 AM.

That's it.

This schedules the 16-hour fast during sleep plus morning hours.

Drink plenty of water and try to avoid sugar in your coffee or tea during the 16-hour fast window. But remember it is not about being perfect, it is about getting into the rhythm.

Consistency matters more than perfection. Studies found that just four weeks of TRF produces metabolic reprogramming "that persists even after the protocol ends" - translated: the benefits keep on lasting for some time after you stop.

⇒ My recommendation: Implement 16:8 TRF for four consecutive weeks. Track how you feel - energy levels, digestion, mental clarity. It can be tough at first, but most people report improved morning focus by week two. After 4 weeks evaluate how you can fit TRF into your lifestyle and try again until you can keep it up - forever.

Remember this: Fasting doesn’t cause muscle loss - as long as you exercise as well. TRF compresses eating into 8 hours but doesn’t reduce total calories or protein - you’re changing when you eat, not how much.

Good luck.

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03 How Balance Exercises Help You Learn

I'm coming back to a topic from a recent newsletter, because it has such important implications and benefits - how balance exercises amplify our learning capability.

Balance amplifies learning by utilising the vestibular system (our body’s balance system) as a neuroplasticity amplifier or “hack”. This triggers a flood to the brain of essential neurochemicals which improve brain health and even promote new neuron growth in key regions.

This happens because errors in balance are hardwired to survival, being off-balance signals an urgent need for adaptation and an urgent need for our brain to sort things out to keep us upright.

Being off-balance triggers dopamine and 2 other key neurochemicals to stimulate our brain to get us back in balance, and to stay alert, but they also have longer lasting effects in enhancing cognitive learning as well as physical stability.

What this means for you ... Here's something you don’t read every day! Because balance training stimulates these learning-enhancing neurochemicals, it is suggested that you do some balance before or during cognitive learning sessions for an amplified effect.

Read item #4 below for rigorous balance exercises which will stimulate the three key neurochemicals required to improve your brain health.

For immediate application, before learning or studying, try these:

• Standing on one leg (progressing from eyes open to eyes closed).
• Tandem (heel-to-toe) walking - walking in a straight line by placing the heel of your front foot directly in front of (touching or nearly touching) the toes of your back foot with each step - like walking on a tightrope but on the ground

⇒ Essentially, using balance challenges is like turning up the volume on your brain’s chemical signal for learning; the fear or difficulty associated with instability tells the brain to fire up it's resources to solve the problem.

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04 Fire Up Your Glutes and Your Balance and Brain

This weeks exercise is ... glute activation with resistance bands.

Last week, I found Dr Jenny Ochoa's banded glute activation routine on Youtube. Five minutes, two resistance bands, eight movements.

My main interest was in helping my recovery from my medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury. But here's a big kicker about these glute strengthening exercises: glute muscle strength directly distinguishes fallers from non-fallers in older adults.

⇒ In other words, stronger glutes improve balance and healthspan.

Turns out, there's solid science behind this. A 2016 study showed just one week of daily glute activation exercises increased activity in the brain regions controlling muscle coordination.

Balance and resistance training don't just build strength - they trigger neuroplasticity, increase gray matter volume in frontal and hippocampal regions, and boost blood flow to the brain - as mentioned in item #3 above.

What this means for you ... Strong glutes stabilise your hips, knees, and lower back - the foundation for safe movement.

⇒ Add a 5-minute banded glute warm-up before walks or workouts - lateral walks, squats, monster walks. Focus on the mind-muscle connection; feel those glutes engage, not just your quads taking over.​​

⇒ Practice single-leg balance daily while brushing your teeth - hold 30 seconds per side. This tests and trains the balance systems that decline with age.​

⇒ Include twice-weekly resistance work targeting large muscle groups (glutes, hips, legs) with moderate intensity. Use bands, bodyweight, or light weights - instability training (like standing on one leg while lifting) amplifies cognitive benefits.​

I strongly recommend that you watch this video by Dr Jenny Ochoa - I find all of her videos very relevant for us, and very practical. I'm a fan.

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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