Acceptance
There is a series on Disney+ featuring Chris Hemsworth called Limitless that I enjoyed when I originally binge-watched it one evening and periodically put on as background content when cleaning up or cooking. The series consists of six episodes and in each episode, Chris takes on some insane challenges (and the training leading up to the challenge) to help him better understand and delay the aging process. Disney brings in some of the top experts in the subject of longevity and explains the science behind the different approaches to improving health and longevity.
As I watched more television than I remember this weekend, I turned on Limitless, not as background content but to re-watch a couple of episodes. The final episode, Acceptance, was one of the episodes I watched and I intentionally decided to watch it. After visiting my grandmother over spring break it was hard not to think about getting older, what life might be like when I’m 92 years old, and what can I be doing to extend a high quality of life late into life–I have no interest in being 92 years old if I’m not able to be active, self-sufficient, and have my mind.
Thanks to the advancements in medicine, technology, and a growing interest in longevity by the public there is a growing number of experts in the topic of longevity and no shortage of life hacks that are designed to help our bodies and mind age gracefully. You’ve surely seen the cold plunges, red light technologies, breathing techniques, nutrition and supplements, and recommendations for sunlight as soon as you wake up–some of these I incorporate into my daily routine.
We are lucky to live in a time when we have access to such information and have more resources available to help us live longer and healthier, but I can’t help but wonder how much is too much. I mean, how much longer will cold plunges actually help me live (FWIW, this is something I plan on doing this summer but I promise not to fill your social media feeds with videos)? How many more years of a quality life will Wim Hof breathing actually give me?
While backed by scientific data, these advanced health techniques are probably only responsible for a small increase in the health and longevity of most people. And they are probably only helping the healthiest 1% because they have already mastered the low-hanging fruit of health and longevity—getting adequate sleep, eating healthy and real foods, moving and exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding lifestyle choices that increase the likelihood of death and sickness. Most of us can improve in these basic areas and increase our longevity and quality of life without diving into the more advanced techniques.
It’s fitting (and I’m positive intentional) that the final episode of the Limitless series is the Acceptance episode. After Helmsworth completes all of the extreme challenges (I won’t spoil them for you) he is faced with the truth that eventually he will age. Eventually, he won’t be able to see, hear, and move as well as his younger Self and he is in fact going to die—these are truths no amount of hacking can escape.
The episode presents an interesting thesis and one I think holds true, although I must admit I did absolutely no research of my own to confirm. While biohacking can help you delay the aging process, live longer, and hopefully maintain your health you still must come to an acceptance that you are going to age.
You are going to get gray hair.
You are going to get wrinkles.
You are going to move slower.
And you are going to die.
With this acceptance comes the ability to enjoy the aging process, instead of fearing it, which in itself allows you to age more gracefully and aids your longevity and health goals.
Accepting the aging process does not mean you stop taking care of yourself or taking advantage of the technology and information we have today. You should certainly do what you can to do your part of ensuring you are as healthy as possible for as long as possible, but you must accept that the process of aging and death is undefeated–you cannot escape it and there are aspects of the aging process that are beautiful and will be missed if you're focused on trying to avoid the inevitable.
So, just as it is with most things the “right” answer is somewhere in the middle of an obsession with avoiding aging and death and total acceptance and doing nothing. The recipe that I’ve chosen to follow is to focus on the low-hanging fruit like sleep, nutrition, movement, and avoiding detrimental behavior, add in some hacks like breathwork, cold plunges, and saunas, and enjoy life as it unfolds, wrinkles and all, as I age. I believe this will take care of 95% of my goal to live a long, healthy, and self-sufficient life.
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
