Three Not-So-Bad Things on Aging and Longevity
A Weekly Newsletter
There’s no denying it: we are constantly bombarded with bad news. A pandemic, climate change, inflation, war, political discord—the list goes on. Here at the Longevity Project, we understand that bad news can be enough to take years off your life, so we want to do our part (however small) to balance the scales.
At the end of the day, though, we’re realists. Good news is hard to come by, no matter how hard you look. So we’ll aim a little lower and without further ado, we are pleased to share our first weekly newsletter: Three Not-So-Bad Things on Longevity and Aging. Feel free to share with others and send us items you want to see included. With some luck, you will see this newsletter (and some more not so bad news) every Wednesday.
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APRIL 30, 2025
1. Put Down That Hockey Stick, Pick Up a Harmonica.
At TNSB Headquarters, this is basketball playoff, NFL draft, and allergy season. With apologies to our friends (perhaps former friends now) up north, we’re just not that into hockey. But we’re reconsidering that view now that we have watched the women of the Korea Town Senior Center harmonica orchestra open up the LA Kings playoff series with a heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem. It was a moving moment: even Barstool Sports, more known for off-color jokes than cultural commentary, called it “one of the most beautiful renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" that your ears will ever hear”.
The Senior Center started its harmonica class seven years ago, adding the Star-Spangled Banner to the repertoire during the pandemic. The group opened an LA City Council meeting in 2023, but the move into the big time came in March when the Kings invited them to perform before a game against the Boston Bruins. The Kings won the game, the fans loved the performance, and the Korea Senior Center harmonica group officially became a good luck charm.
So what happened? LA eked out a 6-5 victory, no doubt due to the efforts of the Harmonica squad. And it’s changed our view of hockey. To paraphrase hockey great Mario Lemieux, “every day is a good day for hockey,” especially when the Koreatown Senior Center Harmonica group plays.
2. Put Down That Harmonica, Pick Up a Trowel.
We’re full of good tidings this week. According to a new study published in the Journal Circulation, vigorous movements in performing normal everyday activities (think gardening or walking to the bus stop) could substantially reduce the risks of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease.
The researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia were wrestling with a significant compliance issue. Even though it is widely known that structured exercise can substantially reduce cardiovascular disease, in the UK, only 2 in 5 middle aged adults engage in exercise at least once a month, and dropout rates in exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs are often very high.
Because of this, researchers wanted to know whether variations in intensity in routine daily activities could impact cardiovascular health. Using sophisticated tracking devices and analytical tools, the researchers tracked the movements of more than 24,000 middle-aged people from the UK Biobank project.
What they found was rather extraordinary. Light everyday activities, such as a stroll to pick up lunch, could slightly reduce the risks of cardiovascular problems and deaths compared with people who remained seated for almost the entire day. But it takes a lot of strolling: the benefit did not kick in until there was at least two hours a day of light activity.
Moderate activity, on the other hand, was far more effective. If people spent 24 minutes a day moving around at a moderate pace, their risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular problems dropped by as much as 50 percent. And a small dose of vigorous everyday movement was surprisingly effective. According to the data, just five minutes a day of vigorous activity was associated with a nearly 40 percent less likelihood of dying from heart problems.
In practical effect, according to the researchers, that means looking for opportunities for short bursts of activities: climbing steps at a fast pace, sprint walking to a lunch break, or even gardening at a higher level of intensity than typical. To be clear, the researchers aren’t suggesting that you should quit the gym. They would recommend both working out and also vigorous leisure activity, but the good news is that if you are time crunched or gym averse, there is still a path forward for you.
Shameless Self Promotion #1.
You can find out even more about the best ways to exercise at Healthy Aging 2025 on May 5th. Anne Friedlander will host an all-star panel on that very topic with Michael Fredericson, the head of the Lifestyle Medicine Program at Stanford; Marily Oppezzo of the Stanford Prevention Research Center; and Kelly and Juliet Starrett of The Ready State. Virtual and in-person tickets are still available, but not for much longer.
3. Put Down That Trowel, Pick Up a Surfboard.
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that we are more comfortable working the garden than hanging 10 on a surfboard, but to each their own. Meet Felipe Pomar, a pioneer of the surfing scene in Peru, a world champion in 1965, and someone who has accidentally surfed a tsunami (you can read the fairly terrifying story here). Most importantly for our purposes, at age 81, Pomar is an advocate and practitioner of surfing in the second half of life.
And he’s not thinking about hanging up the board anytime soon. His group “Surf Till 100” advocates for a healthy lifestyle that will keep you surfing through your 10th decade. We’re not entirely sure about that goal but can definitely get behind the aspects of healthy living that Pomar promotes: diet, exercise, emotional resilience, relationships, and involvement in a supportive community. We say “cowabunga” to that.
Shameless Self Promotion #2.
Perhaps hanging 10 on Waikiki Beach is not your thing, or maybe you live near Kyle, South Dakota, which is more than 1,000 miles away from any ocean. Don’t worry, we have your back. You can just sit back and enjoy some comedy by watching our latest GrandPeople story on Natalie Levant, who started working the comedy clubs when she was in her 80s. Now 93, she no longer performs stand-up due to health reasons, but she remains an inspiration, and a delightfully profane one at that.
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