The Final Countdown

Geplaatst op 15-11-2025

Counting up for the final countdown.

A practical, but honest and confrontational view on life lived and time to live left.  By brian B. Kanhai , Soulful Fitness.

Fifty.
In the year 2023 I reached the respectable half century benchmark. With pride I can share that - without being a healthfreak, moral saint or strictly clean eater - my arrival at level 50 was in very good health, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
On the physical side, apparently the lifestyle choices I`ve made in my teenage years and the mindset I adopted in my early twenties and carried on as life transpired, must have carried over decades later into great biomarkers.
At least, that's what I concluded when I got the results back from several tests and how those numbers reflected my mood and physical state and capacity, which is waking up fresh on most mornings and ready to take on every day no matter the circumstances.

Looking back, it was quite a remarkable and unexpected achievement to reach, taking roads and paths full of uncertainties with the inevitable highs and lows, paired with copious amounts of stress. I have not made it particularly easy on myself in various ways for decades. We all know now, that continuous high levels of stress is the single number one wrecker of human physiology and the gateway to all sorts of physiological dysfunction.
Despite travelling the roads less taken, when I looked around me at 50, I felt extremely blessed and fortunate with the people I had in my life and for those who chose to have me in theirs. Not in the least my beautiful significant other; the bond we have cultivated throughout the years is more meaningful than any formally signed piece of document could ever be.
Counting my blessings also made me highly aware of the empty seats; not everyone I cherished dearly arrived with me at level fifty. Terminal illness, fatal accidents, unexplainable sudden deaths alongside the natural flow of life have taken some special souls, who I still regard as an important influence on who I am today. Believing that they would have been very proud of the selfmade 50 year old B, helps me deal with their absence.

So now that I`ve made it this far, I`m in it for the long haul. I want to take this ride as far as I possibly can and bring everyone with me.
Bring everyone to where, you might ask. And, who is everyone?

Let me answer the easiest question first.
Who is everyone?
Well, anyone I personally know. But also, anyone I don't know and has crossed my path, follows my work and is inspired by the realm of beautiful souls I have surrounded myself with. Although I cannot take responsibility for the choices other people make - nor do I judge anyone's choices - I sure can lead, guide and inspire through example and have always been passionately obliged to do so.
And this brings me to answering the other question of where; where is all this guidance leading to?
To be honest, I don't know. I'm obviously still travelling myself.
My own Soulful Journey is still in unwavering full swing.
But if you insist on an answer, then I would say: I hope to inspire you to make all the sensible choices in life so you will stay in great physical shape and feel good about yourself for years to come.
 

Life span vs. Life expectancy.
Lifespan is a measure expressed in an actual number, telling how old an individual is. Life expectancy is the average lifespan of an entire population. For statistical purposes, a population can be divided into different categories, such as age, gender, race, region and financial income.
It's a crazy fact that around the year 1800, average life expectancy was not higher than 40 years in just about any part of the globe. Between the 1500s and 1800s in Europe, average life expectancy was juggling between 30 and 40 years. At any point in human history before 1800, when someone was somehow able to avoid childhood mortality, malnutrition, infectious diseases, pandemics, getting eaten by a big predator, or getting seriously injured, reaching 50 or perhaps 60 was a rare possibility. Exceptional but still. 

Life span vs health span.
How many years we can add to our lives is impossible to predict or even manage. Anything can happen at any time, completely changing the trajectory or cutting life short. In today's unprecedented times we are facing totally different threats than let's say 500 years ago. Surely we can try to be careful when we make ourselves part of daily traffic as we commute to work or engage in social activities. However, it's practically impossible to avoid breathing polluted air or totally avoid consuming sprayed fruits and vegetables, while consciously choosing not to smoke. 
Mindfully assessing what is within your circle of control and what is not, is the way to navigate through it all and save your delicate sanity.

How many life we can add to the years we are granted however, is something we can have a great influence on and therefore is totally within our circle of control. Adding life to your years may sound a little woo-woo, but in other words it comes down to managing quality of life.
How you feel, how proficient you manage your stress levels and the satisfaction you enjoy on a daily basis, is what basically determines the quality of your life. And although that seems to be a very subjective measure, it is undeniable that health status is a major factor to overall quality of life.
Health status can be objectively measured, as in lipid profile, full blood count, kidney and liver function, glucose levels, inflammatory markers and gender specific markers. When anything is out of the ordinary in any of these markers, it will immediately or eventually reflect on how you feel and function and repeatedly show up in test results.

What's on the table?
What you bring to the table is important and makes an impact on you and anyone sitting at your table, which is your direct circle of influence.
But I`ll even go a step further.
How you clear the table is just as important.
What should be first and foremost on any table, are various elements of physical activity, high-dense nutrition, quality sleep and social engagement. Robust and validated peer-reviewed research and studies have shown time and time again, the direct effects of each of these elements on everyday life.
Everything else is to be found under the table, which is not to say that what's under the table is automatically wrong, bad for your health or never works in any circumstance. It just means, it shouldn't be addressed as a first choice, not before everything on the table is thoroughly checked and preferably cleared first.
Clear the table first, before looking for solutions, enlightenment and elixirs somewhere else. 

35 Years left on the calendar.
Circling back to my personal situation, the true test of time will unfold in the next 35 years. That's when at some point, physical capability starts to decline, cognitive health will shift and the social environment and engagement will gradually change. I am no exception to that organic flow of life and time waits for no one, not even me.
But I sincerely hope that the choices I make today will keep inevitable trouble at bay, for as long as possible. Despite the fact I`ve been living, eating, breathing and sleeping in the inner city, during my entire fifty years. 

The average life expectancy in Western Europe ( I`m currently residing in The Netherlands and have been since birth) in 2024 was around 79 years for males and 84 years for females.

Let's assume a modern, free-spirited, intrinsically happy, healthy 50-year old in good shape and in good company, active in sports several times a week, sleeping 6–8 hours per night, with a relatively clean eating style (I`ve been cutting down on the sugary shenanigans really!).
Now, let's hypothetically assume this aforementioned 50-year old schooler has 35 more years to play with.
What exactly is going to happen is like I mentioned earlier, obviously unpredictable and unknown. So reaching the respectable age of 85 could be a bit of a stretch, but not all that unrealistic.
Let's break down what reaching the calendar age of 85 actually means in terms of life lived and time to live left.
In case you haven't noticed yet, I`m a numbers dude. I love statistics, schedules and graphics. So here are the raw numbers.

Summers left: 35. That’s 35 more seasons of warm evenings, eating fresh salads in a sunny garden and enjoying sweaty outdoor roller skate jams. It sounds like a lot, until realizing it’s fewer than the number of times I have already marked a summer in my calendar at this point.
Weekends left: 35 years × 52 weekends = 1,820 weekends.
Each one a tiny capsule of free time, some more fruitful than others, some golden. How many of those will I turn into golden moments?
Sleep time:Average of 7 hours per night → 7 ÷ 24 ≈ 0.29 of each day.
Over 35 years, that’s about 10 years of pure sleep. Ten full years of drifting, dreaming, and cellular repair while my body keeps me going.
Days left in total: 35 × 365 = 12,775 days (add a leap year every four years, so closer to 12,784). Not as many as one might think when you see it on paper, or is it just me who looks at it this way?

Science and the body’s clock.
Here’s where lifestyle choices matter. At 50, the human body is already trending toward sarcopenia (the gradual loss of muscle mass), slower reflexes, and reduced balance. But clean habits regarding eating style, exercise, sleep and social connection, can influence or alter the health trajectory immensely.

Engagement in sports activities multiple times a week is a powerful intervention. It improves:

• Balance and coordination

Fewer falls later in life, which is critical since falls are a leading cause of injury and loss of independence after 70.

• Cardiovascular resilience.

Regular training maintains arterial flexibility, keeping heart disease at bay.

• Cognitive sharpness.

Aerobic exercise is strongly linked to reduced risk of dementia.

• Bone density.

Weight-bearing movement staves off osteoporosis.

Essentially, what you do at 50, decides whether you’ll be walking up mountains at 80, cranking out Crazy Legs, Grapevines and Pendulum Turns on roller skates or counting ceiling tiles in a nursing home, while you're waiting for someone to wipe and clean you up.

Other life facts along the way.
Retirement years: In most Western countries, retirement hovers around 65–67 years. That leaves about 20 years post-retirement to live out a “second adulthood.” Those who stay active tend to thrive in this window; those who stop moving tend to shrink, literally and figuratively.

Social shifts: By 85, many peers will be gone. Maintaining strong social connections and joining communities - whether through sport, volunteering, or clubs - has a measurable effect on both lifespan and quality of life. Chronic loneliness, by contrast, statistically increases mortality risk as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Stress responses can be triggered in the body, leading to ongoing inflammation and declining immunity, which creates biological pathways for all sorts of health problems.

Independence check: The holy grail of aging well, isn’t just living long; it’s living long without needing help to put on your socks or let's keep it real, wipe your own ass!
Regular training at 50 makes it far more likely to retain independence at 70 and possibly at 80.

Cultural reality check: 35 summers is also 35 holiday seasons, birthdays, family gatherings. I will see the kids I have known up till now, shift from middle age into their senior years. Grandkids? They’ll grow from toddlers to adults.
Like I mentioned earlier, I`m a numbers dude. But I am fully aware of the fact that these aren’t just numbers; they’re stories in motion.
                    

The main takeaway.
With all the numbers front and center in my mind, like the 1,820 weekends, 35 more summers, a decade of sleep ahead and let's not downplay an almost paid mortgage with all the stress that comes with that, the next question that pops up is: how much of the “awake time” will I spend alive, kicking & rolling versus simply existing?

Training multiple times a week isn’t just about staying fit today. It’s about making sure, future-me can carry groceries, dance at weddings, play with grandkids, laugh without catching my breath and yes - here we go again - wipe my own ass.
The investment compounds. Not just for me, but for everyone else, because that is how the human body works. Every jump, lunge, deadlift, kettlebell swing or sprint you put in at 50, is like stuffing resilience, tenacity and strength into a savings account you’ll be very grateful for, when you’re well on your way to 80.

I`m not gifted with extraordinary genetics. When looking closely into family history, on one side some individuals made it well into their late 90s close to centenarian level. However, on the other side of the family tree, all males (except for one) did not make it past the age of 65, mainly due to cardiovascular and or kidney failure. Lifestyle, childhood malnutrition and genetic predispositions were all possible factors that have contributed to those stories.
So with this knowledge in the back of my mind and the fact that I have known so many people who did not make it to retirement, let alone 85, I`m honestly not totally fixated on any number. 
Don't get me wrong though, I`m up for a challenge of a lifetime and if I truly make it up to 85, I`m gonna be as funky as I wanna be and make life for those around me as fun(ky) as I possibly can. They'll have to hide my roller skates out of sight though, for real!

I don't just have 35 years left; I`m looking at 35 full rounds of chances at a strong, capable, independent life. But I`m also exploring another approach to present and near future life.
I refer to it as “Rolling up to the Marginal Decade ”. 

Understanding the Marginal Decade.
The marginal decade is the final 10 years of a person’s lifespan. A period where the gap between lifespan (years lived) and healthspan (years lived in good health) often becomes most visible. This decade is not defined by a specific age category, like folks enjoying life well into their 60's, or 80's, but rather by an individual's lifespan. 

These final 10 years are often marked by increased frailty, chronic diseases, mobility limitations, or cognitive decline. But the decade does not have to be an entire period of suffering.
The quality of these years is largely shaped by the decades before it, making midlife and early senior years crucial for proactive health measures.
No one knows when the final 10 years of their lives actually start. And is it going to be 10 full years of suffering or is it the last 2 out of 10 years, in which one does not see the detriment coming?
If I make it to 60, my final stretch may have already kicked in. There's no telling. But there are certainly ways to monitor health and keep a tap on which direction it's going.
For most of us, a simple blood draw and regular check ups will be enough to determine the status of our health. And I`m all for that.
So I`m doing everything I can within my control and as a bonus, I`m having massive fun while tracking my health and progress.

The prospect.
The philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti was attributed to the notion that “ it is no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society ”. You can look at this statement from different perspectives of course, but I`ll go for it in the most literal sense. 
As a caregiver, I`m witnessing the detrimental effects of declining health on a daily basis. In addition to that situation, I`m also experiencing the shortcomings and flaws of a dysfunctional health care system from up close. Once you are in the system, you are at the mercy of insurance companies who roll the dice. Not good at all.
Choosing corporate profit over human wellbeing is the astonishing development from sick to perverted that even Jiddu could not have envisioned, yet here we are. 

As a trainer and mentor, I can observe the consequences of lifestyle choices of relatively young people over a period of time and see how it lays the foundation for unnecessary suffering later in life.

What you can control is your frequency and amount of exercise and nutrition on a daily or weekly basis. Doing so will always guarantee various positive effects and it will keep you out of the health care system for the majority of your life. When you're struggling with motivation or purpose, then take the time to let this sink in. It's worth it.
Because your marginal decade is not going anywhere, but it's up to you, how smooth you will be able to roll with some of the unavoidable punches. 

As for my funky badself. 
I can picture myself at age 75 working up to conducting one more international seminar somewhere in the world for an enthusiastic crowd of rhythm skaters from all walks of life. Still moving well, still groovin’ funky.
The attendees have made a deliberate choice to listen and learn from an oldschool funkateer, who lived through it all and has something valuable to share that will hopefully inspire, instigate and consolidate a beautiful path forward for those attending.
I`ll be warming up with rope skipping and tyson push-ups just before lacing up and starting a passionate interaction.
Within the hour, people will be a little out of breath, while grabbing and squeezing their upper legs and quickly realize the tone is set for everything that follows. I hope I`m granted the time to experience the full scope of this little visualization.

Short reading list - study summaries & takeaways.
I have delved into tons of material over the years, so that the people I work with, don't have to. But I always encourage people to dive in themselves, although I fully understand that it can be quite overwhelming to find the right sources to draw applicable, validated information from. Here is a small collection of interesting reads.

1) Physical activity and all-cause mortality - multinational pooled analysis

What: Large multinational analysis examining physical activity (PA) and mortality across age groups.
Main result: Meeting recommended PA was associated with a substantially lower risk of death (HR ≈ 0.78); reductions were observed across ages and were often larger in older adults.
Why it matters: Confirms that staying active in middle age and beyond lowers overall mortality risk. For a 50-year-old training 4×/week this supports longer survival and disease risk reduction.
Takeaway: Regular exercise isn’t just about fitness today; it reduces long-term mortality risk. 

2) Systematic review: Exercise to prevent falls in older adults (Cochrane / large meta-analysis style)

What: Meta-analysis of tens of randomized trials testing exercise programs (balance, strength, multi-component) to prevent falls in community-dwelling older people.
Main result: Exercise reduced the rate of falls by ~21% overall; programs that specifically challenged balance and provided >3 hours/week had larger effects.
Why it matters: Falls are a major cause of loss of independence after 70. Maintaining balance and strength from age 50 onward reduces future fall risk.
Takeaway: Balance + strength training now compounds into fewer injurious falls later. 

3) Effects of physical exercise on balance and fall prevention (open-access review)

What: Narrative/systematic review on how exercise improves balance and prevents falls.
Main result: Strong evidence that exercise improves static, dynamic, and reactive balance, and that these improvements translate into fewer falls and injuries.
Why it matters: Supports the article claim that regular sport and balance work at 50 preserves functional autonomy decades later.
Takeaway: Prioritize balance drills and lower-limb strength as part of weekly sport sessions. 

4) Resistance training and sarcopenia — systematic reviews & meta-analyses

What: Multiple recent systematic reviews showing the effects of resistance training (RT) on muscle mass, strength, and physical performance in older adults and people with sarcopenia.
Main result: RT consistently increases muscle mass and strength, improves measures like grip strength and knee extension, and reduces sarcopenia markers. Effects are large and clinically meaningful when RT is progressive and regular.
Why it matters: Sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) is a primary driver of frailty. A man who already trains 4×/week is much better positioned to maintain muscle mass and functional independence.
Takeaway: Keep progressive strength work in the program — it’s the strongest intervention to preserve muscle with age. 

5) Physical activity and cognitive decline / dementia risk (meta-analysis & reviews)

What: Meta-analyses and systematic reviews of observational and interventional studies linking physical activity to cognitive outcomes.
Main result: Higher levels of PA are associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia; aerobic and resistance training show benefits for memory, executive function and global cognition. Associations are generally modest but consistent.
Why it matters: Exercise in midlife can help protect brain health decades later — not a guarantee, but a reduction in risk and slower decline is likely.
Takeaway: Aerobic + resistance training is a low-risk, high-reward strategy for long-term brain health. 

6) Cardiorespiratory fitness & dementia risk (large cohort analysis / press coverage of major study)

What: Large cohort work (e.g., UK Biobank analyses) linking higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) to lower dementia risk.
Main result: Better measured fitness was associated with a substantially lower dementia risk and later onset in some analyses.
Why it matters: Fitness - not merely activity - appears protective. Consistent training that raises CRF is important for brain resilience.
Takeaway: Keep some sessions that raise heart rate (intervals, sustained cardio) to preserve CRF as you age. 

7) Does physical activity increase life expectancy? (review of cohort studies)

What: A review of multiple cohorts assessing how PA relates to life expectancy gains.
Main result: Regular activity is associated with increases in life expectancy; estimated gains vary across studies (roughly 0.4 to ~6.9 years depending on activity level and study design).
Why it matters: Quantifies the “mortgage” you buy by staying active — it’s not trivial: habitual activity adds healthy years.
Takeaway: Consistent sport in middle age is associated with measurable gains in life expectancy. 

8) Sedentary time, brain volume, and cognition - emerging evidence.

What: Cohort studies using accelerometers and MRI linking prolonged sitting / sedentary behaviour with brain atrophy and cognitive decline, even after controlling for exercise.
Main result: Long uninterrupted sedentary periods independently predict poorer brain outcomes (and greater shrinkage), suggesting exercise alone may not fully offset sitting.
Why it matters: If you train 4×/week but sit many hours otherwise, you miss extra benefit. Break up sitting and be habitually active throughout the day.
Takeaway: Add low-effort movement and stand breaks into the day in addition to exercise sessions. 

9) Flexibility and mortality - recent observational finding.

What: Newer observational work finding that lower measured body flexibility correlates with higher mortality risk in middle-aged men and women.
Main result: Greater flexibility (Flexindex) was inversely associated with natural mortality risk; authors call for trials to see if flexibility training affects survival.
Why it matters: Flexibility is a component of fitness often neglected; it may be a marker of general physiological health.
Takeaway: Include mobility and flexibility work (thoracic extension, hip mobility, ankle) as part of a longevity-focused program. 

Practical synthesis for your 50-year-old, sporty reader.

Mortality & life expectancy: Regular PA and higher fitness are consistently linked to lower all-cause mortality and longer life expectancy. 

Independence & falls: Balance and strength training reduce falls and related injury; this protects independence as you move into older decades. 

Muscle & function: Resistance training is the single best therapy for preventing sarcopenia and preserving function. 

Brain health: Aerobic + resistance training reduces cognitive decline risk and supports brain structure; but also minimizes prolonged sitting. 

Full-body fitness: Don’t ignore flexibility and mobility — they’re associated with improved outcomes and better daily function. 

Reference List.

1. Jau, M., et al. (2024). Physical activity and all-cause mortality by age in 4 multinational cohorts. JAMA Network Open. PMID: 39570587

2. Arem, H., Moore, S. C., Patel, A., Hartge, P., Berrington de González, A., Visvanathan, K., Campbell, P. T., Freedman, M., Weiderpass, E., Adami, H. O., Linet, M. S., Lee, I. M., & Matthews, C. E. (2015). Leisure time, physical activity and mortality: A detailed pooled analysis of the dose–response relationship. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(6), 959–967. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.0533 PMID: 25844730

3. Chen, T., Zhang, L., et al. (2021). Effects of resistance training in healthy older people with sarcopenia: A meta-analysis. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. PMID: 34763651

4. Peng, D., et al. (2024). Effects of over 10 weeks of resistance training on muscle and bone mineral density in older people with sarcopenia over 70 years old: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Geriatric Nursing, 60, 304–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2024.09.016 PMID: 39368450

5. Zhao, M., Veeranki, S. P., Magnussen, C. G., & Xi, B. (2020). Recommended physical activity and all cause and cause specific mortality in US adults: Prospective cohort study. BMJ, 370, m2031. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2031 PMID: 32611588

6. Sherrington, C., et al. (2019). Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019(1), CD012424. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012424.pub2

7. Granacher, U., Muehlbauer, T., & Gruber, M. (2012). A qualitative review of balance and strength performance in healthy older adults: Impact for testing and training. Journal of Aging Research, 2012, 708905. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/708905

8. Blondell, S. J., Hammersley-Mather, R., & Veerman, J. L. (2014). Does physical activity prevent cognitive decline and dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. BMC Public Health, 14, 510. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-510

9. Sofi, F., Valecchi, D., Bacci, D., Abbate, R., Gensini, G. F., Casini, A., & Macchi, C. (2011). Physical activity and risk of cognitive decline: A meta-analysis of prospective studies. Journal of Internal Medicine, 269(1), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2010.02281.x

10. Piercy, K. L., & Troiano, R. P. (2018). Physical activity guidelines for Americans: Implications for clinical and public health practice. JAMA, 320(19), 1983–1984. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.14854

11. Awick, E. A., & Kramer, A. F. (2015). Physical activity and cognitive aging: Evidence from epidemiological and intervention studies. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 4, 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.04.001

12. Yamamoto, Y., et al. (2024). Flexindex: A new indicator for whole-body flexibility and its association with mortality risk in middle-aged and older adults. Scientific Reports, 14, 12345. PMID: 39161600