9/7/2026
Before I return to the book about Huawei, I'd like to share an article from The New York Times, “9 Things Experts Wish You’d Do in Midlife to Increase Longevity,” by Dana Smith.
I read it a few weeks ago but didn't think much about it at the time. Yesterday, while talking with my son about the importance of maintaining a social life, the article suddenly came back to me.
The article offers nine recommendations for people in midlife:
Do interval training — not necessarily HIIT; HIIT is just one form of interval training.
Run errands with a friend — highlighting the importance of social relationships and activities for long-term health and mental well-being.
Eat fermented foods — such as yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, and sauerkraut.
Lift weights — resistance training helps preserve muscle mass and strength.
Include protein in every meal — the article cites a daily intake of roughly 0.8–1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, rather than simply recommending 1 gram per kilogram.
Take the stairs — incorporating more physical activity into everyday life, with about 7,000 steps a day mentioned as a useful target.
Get the shingles vaccine — the article also discusses research suggesting a possible connection between shingles vaccination and lower dementia risk.
Make a list of your parents' chronic health conditions — so you have a better understanding of your family medical history. While lifestyle affects people’s risk for age-related diseases, genetics also play a role. Know your potential risks.
Go to bed at roughly the same time every night — emphasizing the importance of sleep regularity.
The article defines midlife roughly as ages 40 to 60 and makes an important point: many of the conditions that become apparent in old age—cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia—can have their roots much earlier in life. The habits we establish in midlife can influence how we age decades later.
What I find interesting is that the article doesn't reduce longevity to simply diet and exercise.
Social relationships, sleep, vaccination, family history, muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, and ordinary daily movement all appear on the same list.
That gives us a much more balanced picture of healthy aging.
And perhaps that's the most important message: what happens in midlife doesn't stay in midlife. The choices we make today can become part of the life we live decades from now.
