Introduction

Why did I decide to write this book? To be perfectly honest, I have been asking myself the same question repeatedly ever since the idea for this project came to mind back in 2018.

Since then, I have been motivated by comments from my closest friends and some of my patients with whom I shared the idea for writing a book. When I told them the title, I received nothing short of encouragement from each and every one of the select few I told. Subsequently, when I mentioned I had started writing my book, and gave some details of the stages I had achieved, the encouragement was even more forthcoming. The finished product has taken some time, but I needed to make sure it covered all the messages and lifestyle strategies I wanted to discuss before it was published.

So, what do I know about health, healthy living, aging (or, more correctly, ‘anti-aging’) and longevity? I guess the real answer to that question starts with my early development years and my longstanding interest in physical activity and performance.

A bit about me

My sporting career began with my participation as a very young athlete in Little Athletics (LA) in Geelong. (Geelong was my hometown and where LA began in 1962.) My athletics involvement not only allowed me to appreciate fitness but also motivated me to study which types of exercise and fitness activities gave me the greatest performance return. It also sparked my interest in topics such as nutrition, sleep, training and recovery — all from the ripe old age of six years! LA was my first love as a sport, and I have the distinction of being the first male athlete to compete and graduate through the LA system and subsequently be selected in an Australian Olympic track and field team, in 1976 for the Montreal Olympic Games. (Debbie Wells from NSW, a talented teenage sprinter and teammate, was the first female).

My interest in the field of fitness and performance continued to flourish throughout my athletics career, medical training, and many years in private medical practice in the field of sports and exercise medicine. I have continued to learn and develop my expertise, and have remained curious about how to achieve high performance in life rather than purely in the athletic arena. In this book, I've included some of my personal experiences as an athlete, junior doctor and now a more senior specialist sports and exercise physician. Hopefully the anecdotes and life experiences add to the information provided and help you apply it to your own situation.

While I have had a longstanding involvement in the world of elite sport and sports performance, my current interest in optimal life performance was sparked back in 2005, when I was approached by the Melbourne City Council to provide a presentation on the topic of ‘work–life balance’. Ironically, this was not a term I was familiar with. After doing some background research, I was surprised to find quite a lot of interest and research in this field, albeit rudimentary and in its infancy at that stage. Within this theme of work–life balance, the focus for my presentation to Melbourne City Council employees and administration was how physical activity could be integrated into each work week. I spoke to the audience about the health benefits of exercise, which were well researched, particularly in relation to cardiovascular disease prevention, and how to create some personal ‘self-time’. Even then, I was encouraging my audience to take responsibility for their life health journey and to increase physical activity as a lifelong health-promoting habit.

Over subsequent years, I have presented this seminar in dozens of different formats, and the content has evolved dramatically. I've also developed gender-specific content, looking at the issues faced by men and women, particularly as they age, and their related health needs. However, my core messages have been consistent throughout that time — that is, my conviction about the beneficial role of physical activity and exercise in personal health protection, and the need for all people, regardless of age, to take control of their lifestyle habits and assume responsibility for looking after themselves.

Far too often over my many years of experience, I've seen people, including those in my profession, blindly accept declines in physical performance, enjoyment and overall lifestyle as a supposedly ‘inevitable’ consequence of the clock progressing. I've seen way too many individuals take a passive approach to health maintenance and then expect the medical profession to ‘fix’ the problems after they arise. This is not a sustainable attitude, and I've written this book to challenge some of those myths and concepts. Good habits need to be developed, ideally at an early age, but really at any age to minimise the oft-labelled ‘inevitable’ effects of aging.

Ultimately, I've written this book to help you work on your healthy lifestyle choices so you can be the best you can be, for as long as you can be.

What this book will do for you

Throughout my many years working in the medical, health and fitness industry, my goal has always been to help my patients and clients to achieve their optimal performance in life — whether they are involved in competitive sport or recreational exercise, or simply trying to be the best they can be in their overall life journey and career. I have also worked to apply the knowledge I have gained working in high-performance sport and translate this into achieving high performance in everyday life. In my time, I have achieved great satisfaction from assisting individuals to improve their lifestyle, fitness and health, and to achieve a higher level of functioning than they previously had.

I'm hoping that by reading this book, you will also embark on the same journey and ultimate achievement.

In the following chapters, I've provided lifestyle tips and habits designed to improve your wellbeing and health, and enhance your prospects of living a long and productive life. My focus is not simply about improving your longevity; I also want to help you improve your quality of life, now and in the future, and be your most productive self — in your personal life and in your career.

I've included scientific facts and the latest medical research, mixed in with my personal experience and some humour. Most importantly, the information included here is intended to offset the all too frequent acceptance of what many see as ‘aging changes’. I have always known there is no magic ‘fountain of youth’ and my research for this book confirms that. However, the messages contained here give you the ingredients to optimise your youthfulness, physically and mentally, as you gracefully age towards 100 years and beyond.

Some sections of this book are more straightforward and factual; in other sections I become more philosophical, as I reflect on things I would like to have done better. My life has not been smooth and is far from perfect. I have faced many setbacks, the majority of them personal and, in some cases, brought about through my own misguided or naïve decisions, at least in some part. I believe I am my greatest critic and the person I have disappointed most in life is myself. As with everyone, my journey continues.

In this book, I pass on the wisdom and tips I have gained, not because I want to be an evangelist or preacher, but simply to let you know that life is a continuing journey of lessons learned. I'm continuing to try to improve myself and be the best version of myself. I attempt to do the best job I can, albeit far from a perfect performance, for me, my children, my closest friends and all those whom I deal with in life. I hope this book helps you do the same.

How to use this book

The Healthy Hundred is all about giving you choices. After a quick outline of the current state of health in Australia in part I, I then cover in part II common chronic health issues — and how you can avoid them or reduce their impacts. Then, in part III, I outline many (specifically, 100!) actions you can take to improve your optimal performance and healthspan, and live a healthier, happier and longer life.

I've organised the 100 actions in part III under five key themes that, based on my research and personal life experience, I believe help you achieve the goal of living to a healthy 100 years and beyond. These themes are:

1. Exercise: Focusing on the role of physical activity as your best health habit and supplement.
2. Nutrition: Understanding the importance of healthy eating.
3. Habits: Considering how your lifestyle choices and behaviour practices affect your health.
4. Mindset: Developing your own healthy perspective on life.
5. Connection: Looking at the critical role friendships and social relationships and connectivity play in healthy life balance.

You don't need to adopt every action immediately, and you don't have to read the book cover to cover before getting started. Perhaps after reading parts I and II, you'll scan through the 100 ways outlined in part III and choose a mixture of options to commence your health journey. You can always choose more as you progress.

Also keep in mind that this book is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical care. This is not a medical textbook; the medical advice is general in nature and is intended to help you...