The evidence is clear… our physical wellbeing is more difficult to maintain in our later years than it was when we were younger.

At the ripe “not as young as I used to be” age of 47 I’ve definitely been feeling it a little bit more recently.

Our Cells regenerate slower starting in our late 30’s

Our muscle mass and bone density tend to start to decline on our 40’s along with significant change in our hormone levels.

And

The strength of our immune system starts it’s downwards slope from our 50’s 

Let’s not even start to talk about the hair loss and wrinkles!

But before you click off this article for being way too depressing… there’s also a bunch of good news!

In the modern age we’ve got plenty of science which tells us how to maintain our physical health for way longer than our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.

However strangely a lot of the things science tells us about our physical health now aligns with both the wisdom shared by both Eastern and Western ancient philosophers and the lessons we can learn from some of the oldest living people on the planet.

So, in this blog, if we’re in our 50’s and 60’s and looking to improve about our own physical wellbeing. I’m going to explore Five concepts we should consider to make sure our bodies can take us through all of the adventures we want to have in the next chapter of our lives…

…and we’re going to talk about how these scientific robust ways to improve our physical health also align with what both the Stoics and the Buddhists taught us about improving our own physical health later in life.

I think you’re going to be surprised but pleased that number 5 is on this list! 

We all know the importance of maintaining our physical health later in our lives.

If, in a period where some of us have got both more money and time than ever before, the element which can really have a negative is your health.

Every single physical wellbeing expert we’ve interviewed on What Happens Next including personal trainers and coaches Ben Price and Jamie Harrison, Sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley and nutritionist Georgia Farrar all agree…

Positive health, particularly in our later lives, is a decent chunk of true wealth.

However none of this is new news. Whilst the science is now categorical, western and eastern philosophy both agreed that maintaining physical and mental wellbeing is fundamentally important to live the life we want.

So today I want to explore Seven concepts both science and ancient philosophy agree is really improvement to improve our health and, in this article, I’m going to give you a bunch of book recommendations on, what I’ve found to be the most education for me on these particular subjects…

Breathe

For many of us, breathing, the very act that sustains our lives is something most of us take for granted.

However, when we consider the profound impact intentional breathing has on our physical health, we begin to realize its importance. Both ancient Buddhist teachings and modern scientific research emphasize the power of controlled, mindful breathing in improving our health.

Now we know that intentional breathing and meditation has been popular for thousands of years, and is often spoken about by the Buddhist teachings, however there is plenty of science which backs this up.

So, here’s the ‘sciency bit’…

One of the key systems affected by intentional breathing is the autonomic nervous system, which regulates many of the body’s involuntary functions, including heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. The autonomic nervous system is divided into two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (often referred to as the “fight or flight” system) and the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” system). Intentional breathing has the unique ability to shift the balance between these two branches.

For instance, deep breathing exercises activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps reduce stress, lower heart rate, and promote relaxation. On the other hand, shallow and rapid breathing can trigger the sympathetic nervous system, which can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress. By consciously slowing down the breath, we can reduce our stress levels and promote a state of calm.

Scientific studies have also shown that intentional breathing can lower blood pressure, reduce cortisol levels (a hormone associated with stress), and improve lung function. One study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine found that participants who practiced slow-paced breathing showed significant reductions in blood pressure and heart rate. Furthermore, breathing exercises have been linked to improved immune function, enhanced mental clarity, and better emotional regulation. These findings underscore the critical role of breathing in maintaining physical health.

So, both the ancient Buddhists and modern scientists both agree. More intentional breathing, be it Box Breathing, meditation or some other technique can be really good for our physical health.

The most insightful book I’ve read on this subject is a book simply called “Breathe : The new science of a lost art” by James Nestor! It’s definitely worth reading.

Focus on what you can control, and you can control your response

Both Stoic philosophers and contemporary scientists agree that taking responsibility for what we can control, and letting go of what we cannot, is crucial to mental well-being, resilience, and success.

The ancient stoics often talked about living our lives with a better focus on what we can control. However, we know that a lot of modern-day therapies like CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy), coaching and positive psychology all talk about this perspective.

One of the central tenets of cognitive-behavioural therapy and Stoicism is the idea that we cannot always control the events that happen to us, but we can control how we interpret and respond to those events. CBT helps individuals identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns that lead to stress, anxiety, and depression. 

By focusing on changing how we think about situations (rather than trying to control external circumstances), CBT enables people to regain a sense of agency and control over their emotional well-being.

Also, Research in psychology has shown that individuals who focus on controlling their own reactions, rather than external events, are more likely to experience better mental health outcomes. Studies have found that individuals who embrace a growth mindset—the belief that their abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and perseverance—tend to be more resilient in the face of challenges. This focus on personal effort and control, rather than the outcomes or circumstances, parallels the Stoic approach to life.

When we talk about physical wellbeing, we often ignore mental health. However, my experience is that a life well lived has to include a focus on positive mental health and often this can have a positive impact on every other aspect of our wellbeing.

There are two books I love about this subject. The first being “Flourish” by positive psychologist pioneer Martin Seligman. The other is the Daily Stoic, which contains a small stoic lesson every day, many of which are about both the importance of our focus and perspective.

Learn about nutrition

The older I’ve become, the more conscious I’ve become of how and what I eat and changed how I think about food.

Now, let’s be clear. You could have really clear rules about what you eat, but I’m not going to advocate this approach. 

I certainly try to eat better, but I also love beer, cheese, chocolate and wine too much to eat and drink entirely healthily!

However, it’s also fair to say we can have a little bit of what we fancy whilst improving how we eat.

For a deep dive into this particular subject, let me recommend the interview we did with Georgia Farrar where we explore in depth how to eat better.

However let’s talk about the simple rules we might want to follow as a framework for better eating…

Firstly, eating more conscious of eating whole foods and trying to avoid processed and ultra processed foods is probably one of the most powerful things we can do.

Secondly, Slow down your eating. In Okinawa, Japan (one of the blue zones – the places in the world where people are living longer, happier and healthier lives) there’s an interesting culture of both savouring your food and being more conscious of eating until you’re 80% full instead of full to the brim!

Lastly, and one I need to get better at, is hydrate more properly. Drinking more water is a super simple step we can all take to improve our health.

The Stoics knew the importance of what we put in our bodies and Hippocrates, the ancient Greek doctor, philosopher and someone who is known as “The founder of medicine” said the following:-

“Let food be thy Medicine and let medicine be thy food”

We know now the evidence which shows the positive and negative impact the decisions we make about food can have on our health and Hippocrates knew this all those thousands of years ago.

Many of the messages contained in Eastern Philosophies are about mindful eating and making mindful decisions about what we eat.

Now, whilst you didn’t have to worry about Ultra Processed foods in ancient Rome or Beijing, the message is clear. Being mindful of what we eat is great for both our mental and physical health.

Now there’s clearly a lot more we can do to improve our nutrition than I’ve mentioned and if you’re looking for a book which is going to help you understand more I’d recommend Dr. Tim Spector’s “Food for life” which taught me a lot!

I’d also recommend you check out Stephen Bartlett’s interview with Tim Spector is also worth your time.

Sleep

Let’s head back to Ancient Greece again where Hippocrates was pretty consistently talking about the restorative power of sleep.

Eastern Philosophies also talked about the importance of sleep and aligning our sleep with the seasons and aligning our sleep with the natural flow of time

Now, we know a lot more about the importance of Sleep today than we did thousands of years ago and I loved my conversation with Doctor Neil Stanley who has dedicated his working life to helping people sleep better. You can find this interview here.

However, in our busy modern lives we also seem to ignore the importance of sleep. However, I wonder how the quality of our lives would improve if we made sure we prioritised our sleep.

So, I’d love to know…

What do you know to prioritise your sleep? And what book on Sleep would you recommend I read?

Make Friends

It’s simple. Having and making Friends is good for our physical health.

Extensive studies have demonstrated that robust social connections, particularly friendships, are linked to numerous physical health advantages including Lower blood pressure and heart rate, a reduced risk of premature death and less chance of inflammation and therefore less chance of getting heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

The evidence is clear. As humans we’ve evolved to be social and loneliness is really bad for our health.

The Eastern philosopher Confusious used to talk about the concept of “Ren” (roughly translated as “humanity” or “Goodness”) which talked about the importance of deep social connections.

And

The Aristotle and Epicurus, from the Western traditions, used to always talk about the importance of friendship.

I’ve had loads of conversations about friendship recently and often how difficult it is later in our lives to make friends… and if I were to share one tip on this, it’s join a club.

It doesn’t matter what that club does. For me at the minute it’s a club where I’m playing a lot of Padel Tennis, but it might be a club which does great stuff in the community, or might be connected to your faith or belief, or it might be hanging around people with shared interests.

Joining a club of people who you like is one of the easiest way to make friends, and potentially, if it’s one of the clubs which helps out the community, do a bit of good in the world too!

I interviewed Penny and Thomas power on the importance of community and their insights are fascinating. You can find this here…

Also, the book I’m currently reading on this particular subject is “Bowling alone” by Robert D Putnam, which is such an interesting read about the decline of club memberships and why it’s having a detrimental impact not only on society but also our own lives.

So, that’s it. The 5 things you should consider which can have a positive impact when you’re thinking about ‘what happens next’ in your own life.

I’ve mentioned a few videos in this blog… but I’d recommend you check out two specifically. Firstly the Dr Neil Stanley interview on Sleep

And

Secondly the interview I conducted with Penny and Thomas Power on community.