Live Long with Peter Bowes

Royce Smith lifts weights with his gym buddies every morning at 5am. Then he goes to work - at one of two companies he runs - and puts in a full day in the office. He competes in obstacle course events like the Spartan Race, has a busy family life and at the age of 76, enjoys the best of health. What is his secret?  In many ways Royce epitomizes a lifestyle that promotes a long health span. In this LLAMA podcast interview with Peter Bowes the California businessman explains how he maintains his rigorous daily routine; why he keeps pushing himself to take part in obstacle course races and how he is inspired to work out alongside younger athletes.  This is the third and final episode in our mini series at Results Fitness, featuring older athletes. 

In this interview we learn about:

• How a 76-year old works six days a week and maintains a vigorous exercise regime. 
• Strength training to maintain stamina 
• How Royce is motivated by his daily routine, rising at 4am to go to the gym.
• Working hard and playing hard 
• Developing the right mental attitude to compete in a Spartan Race. 
• A muti-generational approach: Inspiring younger people to work out hard
• Delaying retirement.

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The Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

A decade ago Mark Figearo’s health was in such a perilous state that his doctors feared the worst. With a family history of heart problems the California businessman knew he had to take drastic action to reverse the inevitable decline in his health.  Now aged 68, Mark works out five days a week and is a keen obstacle course racer.  This is the second in our series of interviews at Results Fitness, in Newhall, California, featuring older athletes enjoying the best health of their lives. In this interview with LLAMA’s Peter Bowes, Mark explains his daily regime and shares the secrets behind his journey to optimum fitness and mental clarity. 

In this episode we learn about: 

• How Mark’s awareness of health started as a young boy when his father passed away. 
• The “horror” of the 1950s ‘contractor’s diet.'
• How a health scare ten years ago forever changed Mark’s attitude towards his own health and fitness. 
• How Mark combined his passion for cooking with a new-found appreciation of intense exercise, to get in shape. 
• What happens when life gets in the way of living an active lifestyle. 
• How to overcome a life-long hatred of exercise. 
• How Mark combined his passion for cooking with a new-found appreciation of intense exercise, to get in shape. 
• Still working at 68 and still enjoying it. 
• Bulletproof Coffee and Apple Cider vinegar.  
• Working out with fellow older athletes in a family atmosphere.
• Preparing for a Spartan Race and going back for more. 

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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The Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Rachel Cosgrove was always the coach and mentor that everyone in the gym looked up to. Lean, strong and successful she was the model, middle-aged athlete - a go-getter fitness coach who inspired her clients. But as Rachel turned forty she realized that she no longer had the body of an elite athlete.  The co-owner of Results Fitness in Newhall, California, was putting on weight and becoming a mid-life "statistic”.

What happened next is nothing short of remarkable.

In this interview with Peter Bowes, Rachel opens up about a personal journey that grew out of her 40s fitness crisis. This is the first of three episodes, featuring older adults (between 40 and 80), who find their form and achieve extraordinary results as obstacle course racers. 

In this interview we learn about: 

• Rachel’s love of Spartan races for their unpredictability and unique challenges.
• The mind games Rachel plays to help her survive swimming through freezing cold water. 
• Growing up as part of a family that struggled with weight issues and obesity. 
• Trying different diets and exercise programs and figuring out what works best. 
• The challenges of opening a gym and becoming an expert in the fitness industry. 
• Following the science to devise workout programs. 
• Confronting the time-crunch - the number one objection to exercise. 
• How results can be achieved with just two hours per week of working out. 
• What happened to Rachel when she turned 40. 
• Why living in “moderation” does not work. 
• How easy it is to let things go after achieving personal fitness success and a high-flying career. 
• What Rachel did to get back to her former, super-fit self. 
• How older athletes are achieving peak levels of fitness.
• How becoming a little more selfish and focussing on training as an older adult can reap rewards.
• Prioritizing time for health and fitness. 
• Craving an obstacle course escape from everyday life.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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The Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

When Captain Derek Herrera was shot by a sniper in Afghanistan his life was forever changed. Paralysed from the chest down, he left the military to embark on a new career in medical technology.  He devoured the scientific literature to try to find solutions to the chronic disabilities he faced. One problem, neurogenic bladder dysfunction - an inability to control the bladder - mirrored the difficulties faced by millions of people with spinal injuries and other conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Cpt. Herrera set up a company, Spinal Singularity, and working with doctors, engineers and potential users, he has developed a new device, known as the Connected Catheter, which could significantly improve the lives of sufferers.  In this interview with Peter Bowes, Cpt. Herrera describes the dramatic moment when his life was almost taken away; how he reinvented himself as an entrepreneur and built a company to change the way medical devices are developed.

In this episode we learn about:

• How Cpt. Herrera went from being a “barrel chested freedom fighter" to chronically disabled and wheel-chair bound, when he was shot in Afghanistan. 
• Embracing exoskeleton technology 
• Building on military discipline and culture to pursue a new career in medical devices.
• How personal disabilities - including an inability to control his bladder - led to Cpt. Herrera to develop a new type of catheter.
• How the connected catheter, an electronic device, could prove to be a life-changing advance for people with chronic bladder problems. 
• Current catheterization techniques involve multiple catheters being used every day - the connected catheter can stay in place for up to 29 days. 
• The connected catheter could help people with multiple conditions - from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s to traumatic brain injuries and age-related prostate problems. 
• The philosophy of stoicism - focussing on "what you can control and not on what you can’t.”  
• The importance of the "refuge of the mind."

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

The Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Advancements in science and technology make it easier and more fulfilling to grow old. But Paul Irving, chairman of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, says if we are to realize the “longevity dividend,” society must play a bigger role in promoting healthy and purposeful aging. Paul is also the chairman of Encore.org and distinguished scholar in residence at the USC Davis School of Gerontology. He says while medical breakthroughs make it possible to extend lifespans, older people face huge challenges as they embrace longer lives. In a return visit to the podcast, Paul tells Peter Bowes aging should be part of the curriculum for younger people and explains why he believes "intergenerational connection" should be a policy priority for institutions across society and for each one of us individually.

In this episode we discover:

• Why societal support matters for our aging communities.
• When it is good to have an ‘older person in the room.'
• How integrating the generations helps promote healthy aging and wiser younger people
• How Encore.org promotes second acts for the greater good. 
• Why older people are our only growing natural resource
• How social norms should be challenged to benefit young people alongside older adults. 
• Why during these “extraordinary times” there has never been a more important time to "connect generations." 
• Why focussing on people is as important as developing new technology.
• How we could all benefit from more “meaning and purpose.
• The possible benefis of moving away from “age segregated” retirement communities.
• Why educational establishments should embrace young and old students alike.

Listen to Paul’s previous LLAMA podcast conversation:
Episode 10: Promoting purposeful aging & fighting for older people

This is the latest in a series of interviews recorded at the USC Body Computing Conference.  Find out more about the event hereand the USC Center for Body Computing here. Listen to event host Dr. Leslie Saxon’s LLAMA interview with Peter Bowes:  Episode 13: Wearable and implanted technology to promote longevity

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

The Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Money worries in old age are an everyday concern for a huge number of senior citizens around the world.  In the United States, one in seven live in poverty. It is an unacceptable number and Dr. Paulo Narciso, Vice President of Impact Areas for the AARP Foundation, is determined to reduce it.  He and his colleagues are using financial technology to help vulnerable older adults save for unexpected expenses,  and Voice Enabled AI to detect social isolation and improve social connectedness.  Dr. Narciso previously founded CloudHealth Asia and, as a serial entrepreneur, he has led several startup ventures. In this LLAMA podcast interview with Peter Bowes, Dr. Narciso explains how even the poorest people in society can save for their old age; why unforeseen circumstances sometimes “spiral out of control,” and how Silicon Valley innovations could provide the best answers.

This is the third in a series of interviews recorded at the USC Body Computing Conference.  Find out more about the event here and the USC Center for Body Computing here.

In this interview we learn about:

• The principles of innovation that are being applied by the AARP Foundation to tackle poverty amongst older people.
• The four pillars of senior citizen poverty

1. Income security - enough money to cover expenses.
2. Housing security - making sure we can “age in place” if desired. 
3. Food security - having access to the right foods
4. Social isolation - increasing social connections and support as we age

• How digital technology and the principles of behavioral economics are being used to help people save, with an app. 
• Living the lives that we want, with a "saving mindset.'
• Why human nature means many people will give money to others while neglecting their own needs."

“"We see that in churches - people will tie 10 percent of their income despite the fact they don't have anything for themselves. They always are willing to give back. We just have to take that mindset and have them pay themselves as well.”

• Why some cultures, outside the U.S., put more emphasis on caring for older adults.
• How Dr. Narciso says his eyes have been opened to the plight of older people since joining the AARP Foundation.
• The resilience of people and Dr. Narciso’s "defining moment" working on a refugee camp during the exodus from Vietnam. 
• Why, as a businessman, Dr. Narciso’s measure of success is based on jobs created rather than profit. 
• Dr. Narciso is also an accomplished athlete and a veteran Iron Man competitor. Why he says the sport is “life changing” and how it mirrors his business life, when “life is not always fun and games."

“What I've learned from Iron Man is, it might look hard now but just keep moving and the next mile might be a little bit better."

At the 2017 USC Body Computing conference LLAMA host Peter Bowes moderated a session focussing on better outcomes for older people through the use of digital technology. Watch the video here.

Related LLAMA podcast interviews: 

• Lisa Marsh Ryerson (Ep.35) - President, AARP Foundation, 
• Dan Trigub (Ep. 34) - Lyft. The ride sharing company teamed up with the Center for Body Computing and the AARP Foundation to pilot a program to connect senior citizens with affordable transportation.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

The Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Maureen Feldman runs the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s (MPTF) Social Isolation Impact Project. The program brings together volunteers and entertainment veterans who are in need of some company. It may come as a surprise, but even in Hollywood, loneliness is at chronic levels amongst older adults. The project is working to unite isolated senior citizens with younger, like-minded professionals through its Daily Call Sheet. The service helps older film industry members make new friends. In this LLAMA podcast interview with Peter Bowes, Maureen explains why most of us are ignoring a vital pillar of healthy aging; how we should focus on social connections early in life, to avoid loneliness in old age; and what the MPTF is doing to make sure the oldest members of society are never without friends. 

This is the third in a series of interviews recorded at the USC Body Computing Conference.  Find out more about the event here and the USC Center for Body Computing here.

In this interview discover:

• Why people in high pressure, demanding jobs, such as in the entertainment industry, often find themselves lonely and isolated in old age. 
• Why looking after ourselves physically, sleeping enough and preparing financially for our retirement, is not enough. 

”People are not necessarily prepared for aging when it comes to social connections.”

• How older people can suddenly feel isolated in the home they have lived in for decades. 
• How growing to a great age and outliving our friends is a recipe for acute loneliness. 

"I have reached out and I look at everyone I meet as an opportunity for a social connection...it’s it's not that hard you just have to be present and available.”

• Why intergenerational programs are so valuable to reduce social isolation.
• It is never too late to make new friends. 
• How the MPTF’s Daily Call Sheet is helping the aging Hollywood community find new meaning in their lives. 
• How volunteers are teaching older adults to use mobile technology to help them integrate with the outside world. 

"This is a very high touch, low cost way to reach a lot of people and add some joy and create some quality at the end of someone's time.”

The Live Long and Master Aging (LLAMA) podcast hacks the aging process. Peter Bowes interviews world-renowned scientists, future thinkers and biohackers, all of whom have a common goal of figuring out how we can live longer and healthier. We also talk to inspiring individuals who have already mastered the aging process. The LLAMA philosophy is that there is much can do to extend our natural health span or the length of time when we enjoy optimal health. We talk a lot about food, fasting, fitness, the brain and good fortune.

If you enjoyed this episode please rate and review us here.  

As ever, thank you for listening. 

Support the show

The Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Dr. Scott Kaiser is a practicing geriatrician at the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF), a charitable organization that provides services, support, and assistance to the Hollywood community. As the MPTF’s Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Kaiser is committed to creating communities that support peoples' ability to live and age well, with dignity and purpose. A passionate advocate for the growing population of older adults, Dr. Kaiser bemoans what he calls “rampant agism within the medical community,” and the “institutional bias” he says he has encountered doing his job. In this LLAMA podcast interview with Peter Bowes, Dr. Kaiser explains his unique role, working with members of the entertainment community, and why he is privileged to hear “the best stories" from his patients. 

This is the third in a series of interviews recorded at the USC Body Computing Conference.  Find out more about the event here and the USC Center for Body Computing here.

The Live Long and Master Aging (LLAMA) podcast hacks the aging process. Peter Bowes interviews world-renowned scientists, future thinkers and biohackers, all of whom have a common goal of figuring out how we can live longer and healthier. We also talk to inspiring individuals who have already mastered the aging process. The LLAMA philosophy is that there is much can do to extend our natural health span or the length of time when we enjoy optimal health. We talk a lot about food, fasting, fitness, the brain and good fortune.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

The Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.