Practice Being a Super Ager

Hi my dears! This week I'm diving into one of my favorite topics: how to strive to have a great and long life. These are the amazing folks in their 80s and beyond whose memory is as sharp as someone 20 or 30 years younger. I share what researchers at Northwestern University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and beyond have discovered about how super agers keep their brains young, and I break it down into three simple strategies you might try: challenge your brain, move your body, and get your rest. We talk about Type 2 fun (the kind that's miserable in the moment but amazing looking back), why learning to quilt might do more for your memory than easy puzzles, how walking can actually grow your brain's memory center, and why sleep is when your brain takes out the trash. And yes, I bring back the Blue Zones too!

But first, I had to share my latest library jackpot: the Libby app! If you have a library card, you may have free access to hundreds of digital magazines, audiobooks, and e-books right from your tablet. I also share a little about my walks in the woods and by the bay, a story from my husband about why "it's not only about fun," and how a bedtime routine helped my kids sleep. 

Quote of the Week

"Stress + rest = growth. This equation holds true regardless of what it is that you are trying to grow."

— Brad Stulberg & Steve Magness, Peak Performance

Citations

•     Rogalski, E., Mesulam, M. et al. (research from the SuperAging Program, Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University); Harrison, T. et al., Superior memory and higher cortical volumes in unusually successful cognitive aging (J. of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2012); Cook, A. et al., Rates of cortical atrophy in adults 80 years and older with superior vs average episodic memory (JAMA, 2017); Cook Maher, A. et al., Psychological well-being in elderly adults with extraordinary episodic memory (PLOS ONE, 2017)

•     Barrett, L. F., "How to Become a 'Superager'" (The New York Times, 2016); Sun, F., Stepanovic, M., Andreano, J., Barrett, L. F., Touroutoglou, A. & Dickerson, B., Youthful brains in older adults (Journal of Neuroscience, 2016), Massachusetts General Hospital

•     Park, D. et al., The Impact of Sustained Engagement on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: The Synapse Project (Psychological Science, 2014), University of Texas at Dallas

•     Buettner, D., The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest; bluezones.com

•     Erickson, K. et al., Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory (PNAS, 2011), University of Pittsburgh

•     Watson, S., Weeks, B., ... & Beck, B., High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial (Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2018), Griffith University

•     Nedeltcheva, A. et al., Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2010)

•     Tasali, E. et al., Effect of Sleep Extension on Objectively Assessed Energy Intake Among Adults With Overweight in Real-life Settings (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2022), University of Chicago

•     Nedergaard, M. (research on the glymphatic system, University of Rochester); Xie, L. et al., Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain (Science, 2013)

•     Stulberg, B. & Magness, S., Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success

•     Libby app by OverDrive (libbyapp.com)

Disclaimer

I'm not a doctor. This episode is for information and inspiration only. Before starting a new health or exercise routine, especially heavy lifting, or if you have sleep concerns, please check in with your healthcare provider.

Connect with Fi

Website: projectweightloss.org  |  Instagram: @fina.projectweightloss

In This Episode

•     The Libby app: using your free library card for ebooks, audiobooks, and 550+ digital magazines like Magnolia, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living, and Time

•     What is a super ager? Northwestern University's 25-year SuperAging program, slower brain shrinkage, a thicker anterior cingulate cortex, and strong social connections

•     Strategy 1, Challenge: the Fun Scale (Type 1, 2, and 3 fun), Lisa Feldman Barrett and Bradford Dickerson's research on doing hard things, and Denise Park's Synapse Project (quilting and digital photography vs. easy, familiar activities)

•     Strategy 2, Movement: Dan Buettner's Blue Zones and "moving naturally," Kirk Erickson's walking study showing about 2% hippocampus growth, and the LIFTMOR trial on heavy strength training and bone density in postmenopausal women

•     Strategy 3, Sleep: how short sleep shifts weight loss from fat to muscle, Esra Tasali's finding that extra sleep led to about 270 fewer calories a day, and Maiken Nedergaard's glymphatic system (the brain's "rinse cycle")

•     Bringing it together: why challenge, movement, and sleep feed each other, plus one small strategy to try this week

Researchers & Experts Featured

•     Northwestern University SuperAging Program (Emily Rogalski, M. Marsel Mesulam, and team)

•     Lisa Feldman Barrett, neuroscientist, Northeastern University

•     Bradford Dickerson, Massachusetts General Hospital

•     Denise Park, University of Texas at Dallas (The Synapse Project)

•     Dan Buettner, Blue Zones

•     Kirk Erickson, University of Pittsburgh

•     Belinda Beck, Griffith University (LIFTMOR trial)

•     Esra Tasali, University of Chicago

•     Maiken Nedergaard, University of Rochester

•     Brad Stulberg & Steve Magness, authors of Peak Performance

•     Joanna & Chip Gaines, Magnolia (mentioned)

Related Episodes

•     Blue Zones episode  

•     Sleep episode 

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org