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Doctor's House Call     Al Sears
Al Sears, MD
11905 Southern Blvd.
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
June 25, 2014

Dear Reader,

It may be time to redefine “old age.”

I say that because researchers now expect life expectancy to increase by 2.5 years each decade, reaching 100 within the next 50 years. 1

The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) also says that of the people who reach the age of 60 in good health, 50% will live to be at least 100.

But it’s not just about living longer. It’s about being fit and active as you get older so you can enjoy your golden years – not spend them in a nursing home.

To help you keep going strong as you get older, here are two things I recommend you do starting today:

⇒ Get your B vitamins. They’re your best protection against heart attack and stroke and more powerful than any drug.

Key B vitamins like B6 and B9 (folic acid) are also “brain food.” They strengthen your immune system function and provide energy for your body. B12 also promotes cellular longevity. Together these three produce red blood cells, help your nerves function, and reduce homocysteine – the amino acid that causes cardiovascular disease when it gets too high.

Your best source of B vitamins is red meat. And for B12, red meat is your only source. You can also pick up a B vitamin supplement at any vitamin shop. Or choose a multi-vitamin with plenty of B vitamins in it.

⇒ Challenge your metabolic power. Avoid aerobic and cardio training which are low-intensity, long-duration exercises. That won’t protect you from heart disease or boost your energy. It’ll just make you sick, tired and old before your time.

Instead, work out with a focus on keeping the duration brief while progressively increasing the challenge to your lungs and heart. This will train your metabolism as well as challenging the rate you can get oxygen from your lungs to your tissues.

A Harvard Health Professional study backs me up on this. It followed 7,000 people and found that those who exercised with a focus on an intense challenge rather than endurance had a lower risk of heart disease.2

Challenging short-duration exercise is also a better way to burn fat and boost lungpower. And that contributes to longevity, too.

At home, I do body-weight exercises, or what we used to call calisthenics. They usually give you a much better workout than gym equipment, and you can do natural movements your body was designed to do.

Here’s an easy one that I do myself when I first get out of bed. It is called a “hip up.”

Lie on the floor with your back flat and your arms at your sides.
Keep your knees bent and feet shoulder width apart.
Now, lift your mid-section off the ground while you exhale and hold for 5 seconds.
Then lower back down to the ground while inhaling.
Do a number of reps until you are breathing a bit hard, the rest. Recover, and repeat until you are breathing just a bit harder. Recover, and then challenge yourself a bit more. You’ll be surprised how this simple callisthenic movement will work your legs, core, and heart and lungs.

As for some fat-burning and metabolism enhancing calisthenics you can try that will keep you young and fit, check out a program from a colleague of mine. He’ll show you some of the exercises that he used to get in the best shape of his life. They’re fast, easy and I like the fact that you can do them right in your own home.

You can learn about his program of great fat burning/youth-promoting and muscle building exercises right here.

To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
Al Sears, MD

1. “Broken Limits to Life Expectancy,” Science, May 10, 2002, 296 (5570) pp. 1029-1031.
2. Lee I, et al., “Relative intensity of physical activity and risk of coronary heart disease,” Circulation 2003;107(8):1110-6
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.