The author of a new book about healthy ageing has outlined his strategy for ageing well. And it’s not a trick – it’s a matter of good habits and self-discipline.
Norman Lazarus, 84, wrote The Lazarus Strategy: How to Age Well and Wisely, after picking up healthy eating and exercises habits in his 50s.
His big argument is age-related diseases aren’t so much determined by genes or bad luck, as they are by our day-to-day activities and lifestyle habits.
“The way we approach ageing is totally inadequate,” Lazarus told The Australian.
“Ageing is not a disease and the disease of ageing have little to do with genetics. The real problems are social and lifestyle.”
Lazarus’ techniques of eating healthier, eating less and exercising more aren’t necessarily groundbreaking, but he’s seen great results applying them to his life with self-discipline.
“If you change your lifestyle, lose weight, eat properly and love an exercise enough to do it regularly, the probability is that you’re not going to get a disease. People say, ‘Oh, you get old, you’re going to get these diseases.’ It makes me want to cry. It’s rubbish!” he said.
A lot of Lazarus’ work is based on a 2018 study of people between the aged of 55 and 79, who belonged to a long-distance cycling club.
The cyclists were compared to people of the same age who didn’t exercise, and a range of tests were run regarding muscle structure, physiology and mental agility.
The cyclists consistently outperformed those who did not exercise in all categories, but that’s not the only benefit noticed by the study.
“An extra surprise finding was that these elderly cyclists’ immune systems had been protected from ageing effects,” Lazarus writes in his book.
“It is becoming clear that our behaviour, our physical activity, affects not only our whole body, but also all systems, including the cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems. The effects of being active trickle down to cells and even to hormones. The message is clear. Just go out and move.”
The takeaway?
It’s time to get on our bikes!
