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What's your "why" for longevity?

19 hours ago (edited)

For a long time, health meant one thing to me: looking good. Build muscle, stay lean, repeat. I wasn't thinking about what my body would be doing at 60 or 70. Longevity was an abstract concept for future-me to worry about. Then life happened. I got married. Had a kid. Started watching my parents move a little slower each year. And somewhere in the middle of all that, I became acutely aware of my own mortality in a way I hadn't been before.

Holding your newborn at 3am while wondering whether your dad will still be sharp enough to play catch with him in a decade changes something in you. The question I ask myself now is completely different. It used to be: How do I look? Now it's: How many healthy, functional years do I have left, and how do I maximize them?

I want to be present and active for my son's milestones, not just alive for them. I want my parents to watch their grandson grow up from a place of vitality, not decline. I want to support my partner through decades of life together with a body and mind that can actually show up. That means caring about things I never used to think about. Metabolic health. Cognitive function. Joint integrity. Sleep architecture. Cardiovascular capacity measured in decades, not gym sessions.

So I'm curious about your story. When did your pivot happen? Was there a moment that made healthspan feel urgent instead of theoretical? Did watching someone you love change how you think about your own trajectory?

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· 4 hours ago (edited)

+1 Goal no. 1 is being there for the kids of my kids. Besides that being able to do mountaineering, go for runs and roadcycling rides with friends in nature as long as possible.

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· 3 hours ago

Beautifully written, @gabriel-alizaidy! Thanks for sharing your journey and personal why. Same here.

As a two-time dad, I want to be there for my kids for as long as possible. I really resonate with Peter Attia’s idea of the Centenarian Decathlon: being able to jump, climb, run, and play, not just with kids, but hopefully one day with grandkids too. That’s the goal.

Would love to hear your personal "why":

@anika-klemens
@ana-lorena-gomez
@sandra-hagen
@floris-roltsch
@hadi-saleh
@nick-mulder
@anne-latz
@marie-luise-huber

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