There’s a lot of advice out there for slowing the aging process, but Steven Kotler has a different take on it. After studying human performance for the last 30 years, the 55-year-old has learned a thing or two about getting older. “Aging is a fact of life,” he explains. “But old is all a mindset.”
In his new book, “Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad,” Kotler looks at ways to boost longevity and maintain peak performance. “You got to shift your mindset, that’s where you want to go first,” he explains. These are his top tips for defying your age:
- Maintain your physical health - Kotler says there are five categories of functional fitness that need to be trained and maintained: strength, stamina, agility, balance and flexibility. He calls these use it or lose it skills that we need to hold onto physical abilities later in life.
- Increase your risk tolerance - Being overly cautious and not taking risks can have a negative effect on the way we age, the expert says, so he suggests building up “risk tolerances” to combat this. “Do something every day that scares you,” he advises.
- Be social - “There is 40 years of science that says maintaining social connection into later years is one of the single most important things you can do,” Kotler explains. Having a social network can help protect the brain and prevent cognitive decline.
- Stay creative - Keeping your mind stimulated is the key and creativity can come in many forms, including cooking, writing, dancing and gardening.
- Set challenges - Start off small and work your way up to bigger goals over time, as challenges are good for the brain and body.
- Positive thinking - “Notice that life is constantly changing, and that’s okay,” Kotler says. Instead of telling yourself that you’re too old for something, try focusing on the positive and it will help keep you youthful.
Source: NY Post