Over 50 and Want to Live Longer

Why I'm Writing This Down

I'm 54 now and I can feel the difference from 40. Recovery takes longer. Sleep doesn't come as easy. I wanted to stop guessing and start measuring.

So I'm tracking a few numbers I can check at home, following a simple routine, and writing down what happens. Every 2 weeks. The good and the bad.

This is a log of what I'm doing. It's not a plan for you to copy.

What I'm Measuring (Baseline Starts Late July 2026)

Full honesty: I'm at the starting line, not mid-race. My first tool, a grip trainer, lands the week of 22 July. A hand dynamometer and a blood pressure cuff come next.

So there are no numbers here yet. That's the point of starting in public. Below is exactly what I'll track, the goal for each, and why it's worth measuring. The first real readings go in the log the week my gear arrives.

Blood work: not scheduled yet. There's no lab near me, so it waits for my next trip to a city. When I get a panel done (testosterone, lipids, HbA1c, fasting glucose, CRP, vitamin D) I'll publish the full results here.

The Protocol (What I'm Doing)

Nothing fancy. Nothing expensive. Everything backed by research I can link to.

Exercise

The base is the public guideline, not something I invented. The CDC guideline for adults is at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity plus 2 days a week of strength work. I build on top of that.

• Zone 2 cardio: 3-4x/week, 30-45 min (walking/cycling in Thailand heat counts). Target: conversational pace, nose breathing.
• Resistance training: 3x/week with bands and bodyweight. Focus: grip work, squats, pushups, rows.
• Grip training: Daily. Gripper + dead hangs from a pull-up bar.
• Balance work: A few minutes most days. Gets more important as you age.

Nutrition

• Protein target: around 1.6g/kg bodyweight. That's the target I picked, not a rule for everyone. A 2018 meta-analysis (Morton et al.) found gains from extra protein leveled off past about that point.
• Time-restricted eating: 16:8 window, not dogmatic about it
• Whole foods first: Thai market produce is cheap and fresh. Advantage of living here.

Supplements

• Creatine: 5g/day. Well-studied for muscle and cognition in older adults.
• Vitamin D3 + K2: 4000 IU D3/day. Note: NIH lists 4000 IU as the adult upper limit, not a casual dose. I'm at the ceiling on purpose and plan to confirm with a blood test. Do not start here without one.
• Magnesium glycinate: 400mg before bed. Note: NIH sets 350mg/day as the upper limit for magnesium from supplements. I'm above that. Talk to a pharmacist before copying this.
• Omega 3: 2g EPA+DHA. Under the FDA 5g/day ceiling, but NIH warns high doses can raise bleeding risk with blood thinners.

Sleep

• Consistent wake time (5:30am, tropical sunrise helps)
• No screens 1hr before bed
• Cool room (fan + ventilation, no AC most nights)
• Magnesium before bed

Cold Exposure

• Cold showers 2-3x/week (no ice bath access in rural Thailand, working with what I have)

Update Log

How I'll measure, so you can judge the numbers: All readings in the morning, fasted, before coffee. Grip: best of 3 squeezes per hand on a hand dynamometer. RHR and HRV: lying still before I stand up. BP: arm cuff, 3 readings averaged. I'll note when conditions change, and I'll flag my own mistakes when I make them.

What I've Learned So Far

This section grows as the experiment progresses. I'll add insights, things that surprised me, and protocol changes with reasons.

Check back in 2 weeks for the first real data point.