How Chronic Inflammation Fuels Aging
How I’m building strength, resilience, and a longer life after 60 — and why small changes beat silent aging.
I fight disease with radiation beams.
But my fiercest battle? It’s personal: fighting to live not just longer but better — to thrive, not merely survive.
I watched too many patients lose their strength far earlier than they should have. I knew I had to fight for a different ending — for them and myself.
At over 60, I decided to walk a different path.
I now compete as a physique bodybuilder in the over-60 category, which forces me to apply science to my patients and myself.
Here’s what I’ve learned — in the clinic, the lab, and the gym.
1. The Power of Movement
Muscle is medicine.
Research shows that maintaining muscle mass predicts not just strength but survival.
I train with resistance exercises four to five days a week—heavy enough to stimulate growth and smart enough to avoid injury.
But that’s not enough.
Aerobic training, too — usually Zone 2 cardio — keeps my heart flexible, my mitochondria plentiful, and my endurance strong.
Movement builds the body.
Sleep repairs it.
Together, they are the scaffolding of survival.
Exercising in Zone 2 Cardio
How You Can Optimize Your Performance and Health.medium.com
2. Mastering the Mind: Meditation, Tai Chi, and Qigong
Years ago, I treated mindfulness as optional.
Today, it’s as essential to me as protein or sleep.
Through meditation, Tai Chi, and Qigong, I’ve discovered a resilience that’s harder to measure but deeply felt: Lower inflammation, sharper focus, and deeper peace.
Mind and body, I’ve learned, are not separate goals.
They are one system.
3. Eating for Strength, Eating for Life
Competing as a physique athlete demands precision and humility.
I can’t afford the luxury of dietary myths.
I’ve shifted toward protein-rich, fiber-dense, whole-food eating:
- Lean meats, legumes, and fermented foods
- Colorful vegetables and fruits
- Occasional fasting windows
Nutrition is no longer just about vanity. (Okay, who am I kidding — it’s a little about vanity.)
It’s about building a resilient, anti-fragile body.
4. The Forgotten Pillar: Sleep
Improving my sleep hygiene has arguably been the highest-leverage move in my life.
If movement builds the body, sleep repairs it.
- No screens an hour before bed.
- A cool, dark room.
- Regular sleep and wake times — even on weekends.
The Unseen Battle – How Chronic Inflammation Fuels Aging
Aging doesn’t begin in the body.
It begins when dreams fade into regret.
Or, as John Barrymore put it:
“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”
My dream is simple: to live—and help others live—with strength, clarity, and grace for as long as possible.
Final Thoughts – How Chronic Inflammation Fuels Aging
I’m not perfect.
I’m not special.
I’m simply a practitioner — a scientist of my own aging body.
And if you’re reading this, you are too.
Aging is inevitable.
But thriving into our later years? That’s a choice — a choice we can start making today.
Images created by ChatGPT4o.
Thank you for reading “How Chronic Inflammation Fuels Aging — and 4 Ways to Cool It Down.”
