🟦 Rectangular Survival Curve

Welcome back to the second week of Move to Improve! If you’re new here, you are most welcome. If you’re an OG and we go wayyy back to last week, thanks for not unsubscribing :)

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Rectangles are fun! Not my favorite shape; that title belongs to the almighty circle. But when it comes to your lifespan (or healthspan), you def want that thing to be rectangular. Let me explain.

Source: A powerpoint from Dr. Fries at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (sorry I couldn’t find an exact website for this)

Take the picture above for example. Notice it's measuring quality of life over a person's years. It’s… not quite a rectangle, but until I re-master Microsoft Paint, Google Images will have to do. You’ll see my own little version below. What I want to highlight in this image is the yellow portion called “healthspan.”

Think of it like this: Most of us probably view our (or others’) health as peaking sometime in young adulthood, and then tapering off, sometimes exponentially, for many years until the end of our life.

With many of today’s modern diseases, along with advancements in medicine that allow us to keep people alive longer (but not necessarily in better health), the final years and even decades can be lived with quite a poor quality of life from a health standpoint. Chronic diseases (think, the long-lasting ones you’re on medication for and have recurring doctor visits) are more prevalent—and costly—than ever. They are drastically hindering millions of people from living their “golden years” to the fullest.

What we probably want to happen is that instead of a drawn out, debilitating decline in health throughout our entire adulthood, we’d rather keep that curve as high and flat as possible for as long as possible… with just a quick dropoff at the very end of life. That’s what’s referred to as the “rectangular survival curve,” as illustrated by the ~more~ rectangular line above that includes healthspan. This would look like robust health in our 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond, with minimal diseases and health problems right up until the end, when we pass quickly and peacefully.

(I only sort of apologize for talking about death two weeks in a row. I think we’re all too afraid to talk about it regularly, though, and need to normalize talking about this reality. It helps keep things in perspective. What actually matters? What doesn’t? I digress.)

Here’s my own drawn example of a rectangular survival curve (green) compared to a slow and steady decline (black) into years of poor health:

I hope that’s making sense. Definitely respond to this email if you have questions.

The Nuance: Not everyone can be blessed/lucky/privileged enough to live a long rectangular healthspan, as many factors ultimately remain out of our control. Sometimes accidents and diseases happen that we never could’ve predicted or prepared for. I am imposing absolutely 0 judgment on anyone’s loved one who has left us too soon. Trust me, I know that loss, and I exhibit nothing but compassion and empathy for these situations. What I’m saying in today’s article is under the assumption that we have the agency to take our health into our own hands and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, can keep our health high and extend our healthspan to live a high-quality, disease-free life for as long as we want.

This week’s newsletter is a bit more theory and a bit less application, but it basically sets the stage for everything we’re going to cover here in Move to Improve. What I want this message to be is one of encouragement. There are “everyday” people all around you who have made distinct lifestyle choices that enable them to remain in robust health in old age. 80-year-olds running races and back squatting and rock climbing… or even just fishing, golfing, teaching yoga classes, or running around with their grandkids.

Here are some photos of me with my Grandad, in his upper 70s at the time, running our hometown Ice Cream Social 5k. A chicken farmer for the majority of his life, he was never much of a gym-going exerciser, but stayed active through decades of manual labor. When he retired and his grandson started getting into running, he thought he’d give it a shot.

Battling Parkinson’s—and most societal norms—Grandad ran the 5k with me for several years in a row. And he’d be the first to tell you he’s just an “average Jack.” But our family genuinely believes that his dedicated years of exercise in his 70s significantly delayed his decline in health-related quality of life. It's never too late, folks.

You can make decisions and habits starting today that will enable you to live an active life for decades to come. Be kind to your future self by building a future where you can stay active and move through the world with joy and ease.

How do we get there? There are several principles or pillars to follow, and my guess is you already have a good idea of what they are: Everyday movement. Intentional exercise. Building muscle and strength. Healthy nutrition. Stress management. Connecting with nature. Community, love, and purpose. We’ll explore these topics in the many editions to come.

“Optimists live longer, even if they’re wrong.” Here’s to the optimists, and to possibilities.

✅ Take Action

Every newsletter's Take Action section will invite you to take small steps to improve your health. Recognizing that we all have different capabilities, I'll offer three different levels of action you can choose to take.

Level 1: Simply do a Google search of elderly people doing impressive, active things. That alone is enough to inspire me for a month!

Level 2: Invite a friend or loved one to do something active with you this week. Combining relationship with exercise is one of the best ways to live a long, healthy life!

Level 3: Sign up for something! It could be a 5k in the spring, a weightlifting class at your local gym, a paid app that teaches mindfulness or yoga, or anything else you can think of. Putting your money where your mouth is raises the stakes, gives you something to look forward to, and establishes lasting habits and rhythms. Let me know what you choose!

This newsletter is brought to you by… me! Interested in becoming a sponsor? Know someone else who might be? I’d love to get to know you and/or your business and see how we can partner together. Reply to this email!

✍️ Drew's Picks:

• If you’re a fan of Chris Hemsworth (if you aren’t, here’s the door 🚪), you must watch the show "Limitless" on Disney+. It’s a series that aligns with what we’re talking about today—pushing back against life’s clock with longevity experts. I especially recommend episode 4 on Strength if you only have time for one.

  • But remember, a long life means nothing if it’s not well-lived. Here at MTI, we seek to live long so we can leave well. More years is just a means to the end of an impactful, love-filled life in service to others and our world.

• “You Can’t Do That When You’re My Age”, another Look Good, Move Well podcast episode that helps us see beyond assumptions of deteriorating with age.

Thanks for joining me for another week of moving to improve! Have any thoughts or questions? Hit Reply and let me know.

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Keep moving,

Drew

The content in Move to Improve is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. It is always a good idea to consult with a trusted health professional before making any major lifestyle changes that could have a significant impact on your health. This is not a medical resource, and any opinions and articles are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional. Please think critically and take what I say with a grain of salt (aka don’t sue me).