Maintain a Good Social Network — Another one of the secrets of healthy aging that people often don’t think about is maintaining meaningful relationships. Emotional support may be just as important as diet and exercise in promoting healthy aging. Meaningful relationships can help stave off depression that can result from spending a significant amount of time alone. Even having a pet, such as a dog or cat, can be a source of emotional support. Having a social support network to help you through the tough times will go a long way.
The term Blue Zones has been used to describe places where people live long and healthy lives. What exactly does it take to live a long and healthy life? What is the science and the secret behind longevity and life extension? In this series, we are talking to medical experts, wellness experts, and longevity experts to share “5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life”. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kent Probst.
Kent Probst holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a master’s degree in exercise science. As a personal trainer, kinesiotherapist, and bodybuilder, he’s dedicated his life to optimal nutrition, fitness and natural remedies. Now he’s taking his experience and knowledge to the next level by helping others through blogging.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
I grew up in a small Midwest town, the youngest of seven children. My parents always encouraged me to play sports, and I participated in basketball, track & field, and baseball in elementary and high school. Growing up, I was a small, introverted child, and bullies picked on me. I needed to do something to improve my self-esteem. After picking up a copy of a bodybuilding magazine, I started weight lifting. Eventually people began to notice the results of my weight lifting to the point where the bullies stopped bothering me. I eventually left team sports to focus on bodybuilding and health & fitness. By my senior year in high school, I was reading books on nutrition, natural remedies, and life extension. I had an insatiable appetite for learning as much as I could about health and fitness, which continues to this day.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Over the course of my career, the most interesting part is being able to meets lots of different people whose lives I’ve been able to change by helping them become healthier and more fit. That’s what gives me so much passion to continue working in the health and fitness industry.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My parents gave me the most help and encouragement to become the person I am today. They were always there for me, making sure I got a good education, providing emotional support, discipline, and a well-rounded childhood. Playing sports when I was growing up greatly influenced my interest in pursuing a healthy and fit lifestyle.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Perseverance, curiosity, and a great work ethic are the three character traits most instrumental to my success. Being able to overcome setbacks, and keep going in the face of failure taught me that we’ll find success if we persevere. As far as curiosity is concerned, I’ve always had an insatiable thirst for knowledge about health and fitness, which I’ve been able to use to help others. A great work ethic was instilled in me by my parents. A great work ethic improved my relationships with colleagues, helped me reach goals, and created higher quality work.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview about health and longevity. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fields of health, wellness, and longevity? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?
For more than twenty years, I’ve successfully worked in the healthcare and fitness industries as a personal trainer and kinesiotherapist, amassing a wealth of experience, knowledge, and skills. I’ve helped everyone from athletes to men and women wanting to become fit, to people needing rehabilitation. I’ve made it my priority to live the lifestyle I impart upon my clients and audience — great nutrition, fitness, and natural remedies. I’ve been a member of Life Extension for twenty years, staying up on the latest developments in health, nutrition, natural remedies, and fitness.
Seekers throughout history have traveled great distances and embarked on mythical quests in search of the “elixir of life,” a mythical potion said to cure all diseases and give eternal youth. Has your search for health, vitality, and longevity taken you on any interesting paths or journeys? We’d love to hear the story.
Since high school, I’ve been on a journey, searching for the so called “secrets” to a long, healthy life. During my journey, I’ve learned from many people, including nutritionists, scientists, college professors, and fitness experts, as well as being a voracious reader. Each element provided a piece of the puzzle to understanding how to live a long, healthy life. I contribute my success to putting all this knowledge into practice consistently, year after year, and showing others how to do the same.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Live A Long & Healthy Life”?
In all my years of being involved in the health and fitness industry, I’ve discovered several pillars of which I consider the fountain of youth, or the keys to a long, healthy, and fit life. While there are more than five, here are the five I consider the most important.
- Get the Right Amount of Exercise
We all know that exercise has many benefits. What’s not as well known is how much exercise is recommended, as well as the type of exercise and frequency. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous cardiovascular exercise to significantly reduce the risk of disease. Not everyone can do this much exercise starting out. Breaking it up into 10 minute segments is a great way to make it more manageable.
- Follow a Diet That Promotes Healthy Aging
We’re constantly bombarded by diet advice and the latest diet fads in the media. It’s no wonder people are confused about what to eat. So let’s clear up the confusion. One of the secrets of healthy aging is to eat like people who live in the Blue Zones. Eating like people in the Blue Zones is essentially following the Mediterranean diet. Valter Longo, PhD, author of The Longevity Diet has spent decades researching aging and improving the Mediterranean diet. Dr. Longo is the Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences and the Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California. The Longevity Diet is a clinically tested diet program, based on decades of research, to fight disease, maintain an ideal weight, and live a longer and healthier life.
- Get Adequate Nutritional Support
There are now large bodies of scientific evidence to show that nutritional supplements can help slow and reverse the aging process by preventing disease. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the different nutritional supplements that are available. You have a lot of options, but the supplements are only meant to complement a healthy diet. Consult with your healthcare provider to determine what anti-aging supplements are right for you.
- Do Annual Blood Testing
Annual blood testing is important because it can detect a problem well in advance of symptoms, so you can correct the problem before it becomes a serious disease. Unfortunately, the blood tests that many physicians order are insufficient for identifying the relevant disease risk markers that you need for healthy aging and longevity. The good news is that you can manage some of your annual blood testing on your own at a very reasonable price. You can purchase the blood tests online or over the phone. You will be mailed a doctor’s order to have your blood drawn at a lab. When you get the test results, you should take them to your doctor to discuss them and have them added to your health records.
- Get Adequate Sleep
Another one of the secrets of healthy aging is to not only get enough sleep, but to get quality sleep. The National Sleep Foundation says that a third of Americans experience insomnia. It’s an epidemic problem. A third get less than 7 hours of sleep per night. Did you know that chronic insomnia can lead to heart disease, poor learning and memory, diabetes, depression, weight gain, and premature skin aging? Insomnia also weakens your immune system by increasing levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which promote inflammation. A weakened immune system also increases the risk of bacterial, parasitic and viral infections. Getting a good night’s sleep (7 to 9 hours) helps you detox your brain of beta amyloid plaque, the substance found concentrated in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. When you improve your sleep quality over the long term, you’ll be happier and more productive during the day. Beating insomnia means significantly improving your health by reducing the risk of all the health problems that go along with it.
Can you suggest a few things needed to live a life filled with happiness, joy, and meaning?
A few other things needed to live a life filled with happiness, joy, and meaning are what I consider part of the “secrets” to longevity.
Keep Stress Levels Down — Let’s face it — stress is a fact of life. There are many sources of stress in our lives, but if you let stress overwhelm you, it can result in many health problems. One of the secrets of healthy aging is to keep stress at a level where it doesn’t have an adverse effect on your health. There are a number of options for reducing stress in your life. Taking a holistic approach will serve you well. Consider adding self-care activities such as meditation, spending time with nature, journaling, and massage as ways of managing stress in your life.
Maintain a Good Social Network — Another one of the secrets of healthy aging that people often don’t think about is maintaining meaningful relationships. Emotional support may be just as important as diet and exercise in promoting healthy aging. Meaningful relationships can help stave off depression that can result from spending a significant amount of time alone. Even having a pet, such as a dog or cat, can be a source of emotional support. Having a social support network to help you through the tough times will go a long way.
Keep Your Brain Active and Challenged — You already know that one of the most insidious effects of aging is a decline in cognitive function. It’s frustrating when you have short term memory loss, or have difficulty with problem solving and reasoning. Almost everyone wants to improve cognitive function. There are things you can do to improve cognitive function without drugs. A Mayo Clinic study published in the medical journal Neurology found that people who engage in two or more mentally stimulating activities have a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment.
Some argue that longevity is genetic, while others say that living a long life is simply a choice. What are your thoughts on this nature vs. nurture debate? Which is more important?
Genetics, or nature, do play a part in longevity, but nurture is also important. While you should be aware of your genetic risks, and know how to manage them, it’s important to focus on things over which you have the most control, such as diet, exercise, sleep, nutritional supplements, and the other things I’ve mentioned earlier.
Life sometimes takes us on paths that are challenging. How have you managed to bounce back from setbacks in order to cultivate physical, mental, and emotional health?
We all face challenges and setbacks throughout our lives. I’ve been able to bounce back from adversity by following the health practices I’ve talked about earlier. As I mentioned earlier, perseverance, curiosity, and a great work ethic are character traits that also help me cultivate physical, mental, and emotional health.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
“The doctor of the future will give no medication but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease” — Thomas A. Edison. This quote resonated with me because being healthy is such a huge component of quality of life. Life is miserable if you’re sick much of the time, not allowing you to live life to the fullest and shortening your lifespan.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’d like to see cities build more parks with outdoor exercise equipment and trails. This would give people more options for staying fit beyond just going to a health club.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Readers can follow my work online at Long Healthy Life Blog:
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.