Why Time Speeds Up as We Age

Your body's secret defense squad, why low-intensity exercise is for everyone and more! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Issue #13   I   January 2nd, 2025 Photography by David Harry Stewart           Welcome back to The Mindset by Super Age. Happy New Year! We just crossed the huge milestone of 50k subscribers on this Super Age journey! We're so thrilled to be here with you all. Let’s start this year with a truth that’s long overdue: Aging isn’t a flaw—Aging is living. It’s evolving. It’s thriving. Every year we live is proof of our resilience, adaptability, and the countless ways we continue to show up for ourselves and in the world.  At Super Age, we reject the narrative of “anti-aging” outright. Why? Because it reduces our rich, dynamic lives into a battle against time. To super age is to flip the script entirely—to see aging as an opportunity for growth, vitality, and thriving. In order to help reframe the conversation and inspire your New Year goals, we created The Ultimate Guide to Super Aging. We packed as much as we could into this first primer on what it means to super age. We hope you find it helpful! It’s the first of many long-form articles we’ll be sharing to help guide you on your journey. Remember, aging isn't a wind-down of our story—it’s a new beginning. And this is our call to action: to embrace this journey with optimism, strength, and purpose.  Onward and upward!         Why Low-Intensity Exercise Is for Everyone In the last issue, we talked about the importance of increasing your VO2 Max for healthy longevity. Today, we’re building on that by saying you can’t have a peak without a strong foundation. Enter Zone 2 cardio, lower-intensity exercises that build endurance and support metabolic health. Zone 2 refers to 60-70% of your maximum heart rate—a sweet spot where your body burns fat for energy, sparing muscle glycogen. Zone 2 improves mitochondrial efficiency, reduces insulin resistance, and boosts glucose processing by up to 97%. The trick to Zone 2 is to make sure the exercises are challenging enough to make a difference but gentle enough to do regularly without overexertion. Zone 2 workouts should be easy to recover from, making them perfect for consistent practice. Use the “talk test” to find your Zone 2—exercise at a pace where you can speak short sentences without losing your breath. That’s your Zone 2. Aim for 20-30 minutes of this longevity-boosting cardio, 3-5 times a week. It’s the base of your fitness pyramid, supporting both health and performance.     Time Speeds Up as We Age Ever feel like the years fly by faster as you age? There’s a scientific reason for that. Studies suggest that our perception of time speeds up with age because we experience fewer “firsts.” When we’re young, life is full of novel experiences—our first job, first love, first trip abroad—which create vivid memories and make time feel slower. As these firsts become rarer, days blur into routine, and time seems to accelerate. A 2019 study in Trends in Neuroscience found that novel experiences activate the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, creating richer, denser memories. Without novelty, fewer memory “landmarks” are created, making time feel shorter in retrospect. You can slow down your perception of time by seeking out new experiences. Travel to unfamiliar places, spend time in nature, learn a new skill, or break daily routines with small changes—like taking a different route to work. Want to slow time without leaving your house? Research also shows that looking at awe-inspiring nature imagery can also slow your perception of time. Novelty doesn’t just enrich life; it also stretches it.     Your Body’s Secret Defense Squad Polyphenols are tiny plant compounds with superhero powers—they fight inflammation, neutralize free radicals, and boost your health at the cellular level. And they also hold the key to living longer and moving better. A Journal of Nutrition study found that older adults with the highest polyphenol live longer! And it gets better. A 9-year follow-up study linked high polyphenol intake to better physical performance, potentially due to how they improve muscle efficiency, reduce inflammation, and boost your body’s defenses. Essentially, they act like a protective shield for your body, keeping you resilient and strong. Get your daily dose of longevity through polyphenol-rich foods like blueberries, green tea, walnuts, spinach, and olive oil—they’re an investment in your strength, mobility, and longevity.             Were you forwarded this email? Sign up here We want to hear from you! How can we help you Super Age? Reply to this email and tell us what you want to read about. This issue of Super Age was written, edited, and produced by David Stewart and Heather Hurlock. Privacy & Terms | Contact | Partner With Us Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved Super Age 3419 Via Lido, Suite 657 Newport Beach, CA 92663     Unsubscribe