My Centenarian Decathlon: Training for the Life I want in my 90s.
One of the biggest changes training in my 60s versus my 30s and 40s is my focus. Whereas back then my focus was always preparing for my next event. Today it’s about a broader horizon. It’s about the kind of life I want to live into my 90s. It’s not just life-span, modern medicine alone allows us to live longer, however, but it’s about quality of life about health-span. How long can we live a healthy active life. Peter Attia in his book “Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity”, he encourages his readers to ask a simple question “What do I still want to be able to do at 80…90…100? None of us know how long we will live, But we have the ability to influence what the last decade of our lives will look like. He proposes the concept of the Centenarian Decathlon. It’s about training for life, not just cycling. So I started thinking . . . what would my personal Centenarian Decathlon look like?
In the Olympics the decathlon is a competition where athletes complete in 10 sports as part of a single competition. The Centenarian Decathlon is simply 10 tings you want to still be able to do late in life. The Centenarian Decathlon is not about medals or perfection, it’s about capability and independence. So where in the past my training was all about cycling and getting faster. Today, cycling is just one of the things I do as I train for the last decade of my life whenever that may come.
Here is my personal Centenarian Decathlon:
1. Be an active cyclist - ride 100k at a strong pace:
This is my primary longevity sport to help develop endurance and improve cardiovascular health.
2. Easily lift a carry-on bag into an overhead compartment.
This is about functional strength. I enjoy traveling and seeing the world, so I want to be able to do this for as long as possible. This is a way to maintain independence and self reliance. So I work on upper body strength,
3. Lift a 30 lb bag of dog food off the ground.
Again, this is about functional strength. I’ve had pets my whole life and I want to continue that into the future. Therefore the need to have enough strength to care for them is important.
4. Jog a 5k.
I’ve never been much of a runner. Mostly because of weight issues. This type of training helps with bone density, critical in our later years, and also helps with moving through an airport quickly. I’m not there yet for this one, but as I lose more weight, I’ll start training for this as well.
5. Open a jar.
Grip strength is a longevity marker. It’s often overlooked, but it’s important for maintaining independence and self-reliance.
6.Climb 4 flights of stairs without stopping.
There was a time when walking up the stairs of my own home seemed quite the challenge. As I’ve improved leg strength, cardiovascular strength and lost weight, This is less of an issue, but I want to be able to climb at least four flights of stairs in my old age.
7. Walk my dog for at least 1 mile.
This is more about daily movement and sustainable mobility not about intensity.
8. Balance on one leg for 30 seconds.
According to the CDC falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among adults 65 years of age or older. It’s key to work on balance as we age to prevent falls and maintain neuromuscular strength.
9. Stand up from the floor un-assisted.
This is about total body strength, mobility and coordination. It’s also a huge independence indicator. If maintaining balance is important, being able to get up off the floor unassisted is an important independence indicator.
10. Lift a cast iron skillet with one hand.
This is another functional strength issue. I currently cook on cast iron skillets, I use a cast iron Dutch oven to bake bread. To keep doing this I have to develop shoulder and grip strength. Again, a marker of independence.
These are my 10 things I want to be able to do well into my last decade. For you it might be different, maybe yours includes the ability to pick up your grandchildren from the floor or to run a marathon or hike your local trails. Whatever it may be, my point is that training for what you want to be able to do later in life has to start today. As we grow older we lose muscle mass at a much more rapid rate, we lose balance and our cardiovascular system weakens. To avoid this, training has to start now and it has to not only maintain your strength, but compensate for the loss of the loss of these abilities.
My challenge to you is to develop your own Centenarian Decathlon and develop a training plan that will help your ability to do the things you want to do in your 70s, 80s or 90s.
Enjoy the Ride! 🚴🏽♀️
