Explore the significance of effective communication, challenges of aging and the exciting possibilities in the second half of life. Challenging the belief that physical decline is inevitable with age. Achieving physical abilities later in life and surpassing one's own limitations. Improving mindset and achieving peak performance through personal experience and training. The significance of flow and deliberate play for learning. Krista Stryker's experience training with the flow research collective.
Having a positive mindset towards aging can contribute to healthy longevity and prevent memory decline and cognitive challenges.
Flow states, characterized by deep focus and presence, can help maintain cognitive function and enhance peak performance aging.
Engaging in deliberate play, embracing a beginner's mind, and learning new skills can promote growth, creativity, and maintain cognitive performance late in life.
Deep dives
Importance of Positive Mindset and Aging
Having a positive mindset towards aging is crucial. Research shows that a positive mindset can add up to eight years of healthy longevity. On the other hand, a negative mindset can lead to memory decline and cognitive challenges. Society's ageist attitudes can harm the elderly. Rejecting the premise that aging means decline opens up opportunities for growth and peak performance in the second half of life. It is possible to access new levels of intelligence, creativity, empathy, and wisdom. Embracing dynamic activities, maintaining a beginner's mind, and engaging in deliberate play can help guard against self-consciousness and shame and promote neurological development and cognitive reserve.
The Power of Flow in Peak Performance Aging
Flow is a powerful driver of peak performance aging. Flow states, characterized by deep focus, presence, and effortless action, amplify learning and help to maintain cognitive function. Flow proneness and the desire for flow do not decline with age until one's body prevents physical flow-inducing activities. Engaging in creative activities and deliberate play can help foster flow and enhance cognitive reserve. Expertise and wisdom gained from lifelong learning also contribute to neuroprotection and cognitive function.
Deliberate Play and Humbling Ourselves
Engaging in deliberate play, which involves creative exploration and embracing a beginner's mind, is key in promoting learning, flow, and growth. Deliberate play outperforms deliberate practice in boosting cognitive development and overcoming self-consciousness and shame. By taking on new challenges and learning new skills, especially in domains where we are not experts, we foster a sense of vulnerability that allows for humility and continual growth. Deliberate play helps to avoid complacency, maintain cognitive performance, and unlock new levels of creativity and wisdom.
The Benefits of Peak Performance Aging
Peak performance aging allows individuals to maintain physical and mental abilities as they age. Research has shown that regular training of aerobic capacity, such as VO2 max, starting in one's 50s can lead to significant improvements in respiratory capacity even into their 80s. This translates to having the fitness levels of much younger individuals. Additionally, muscle fibers can learn to perform double duty as we age, offsetting the decline in strength. The overall message is that contrary to popular belief, individuals can retain around 70% of their physical abilities late into life
Engaging in Action Sports for Longevity
Action sports, such as surfing and martial arts, are not only enjoyable but also beneficial for longevity. Communities known for their action sports culture, like those found in Summit County, Colorado, have longer life expectancies compared to the rest of America. Engaging in challenging, creative, and social activities that demand dynamic movement in outdoor environments offers significant advantages for maintaining health and prolonging life. These psychological interventions that promote neurobiological changes, a socially active life, and participation in dynamic activities have been shown to have a greater impact on longevity than substances or diets.
TODAY´S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FLOW RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Are you an entrepreneur, a leader, or a knowledge worker, who wants to harness the power of flow so you can get more done in less time with greater ease and accomplish your boldest professional goals faster? If you´ve answered this question with “hell yes” then our peak-performance training Zero to Dangerous may be a good fit for you. If this sounds interesting to you all you need to do is click the link below right now, pop in your application and one of our team members will be in touch with you very soon.
https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/zero-to-dangerous/overview
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Steven Kotler, a distinguished journalist and New York Times bestselling author, joins the dynamic Christopher Lochhead, a marketing coach and CEO. Kotler is the Executive Director of the prestigious Flow Research Collective, while Lochhead is a co-founding partner of Play Bigger Advisors, a category designer, and a keynote speaker. Both are passionate about their pursuits, with Kotler being a ski and surf enthusiast and Lochhead being a ski and surf bum.
In this episode, Steven Kotler discusses the two ways to neuroprotect the brain against decline, as well as how we can retain 70% of our fitness even later in life. He also emphasizes that peak performance training is based on neurobiology, not on personality.
ABOUT THE EPISODE:
In this episode, you will learn about:
00:00 Intro
06:04 Punk Rock Approach to Aging
19:50 Reject the Premise of Decline in Aging
43:45 The Willingness to Humble One's Self
53:35 Exploring The Possibility of Human Potential
RESOURCES
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlochhead/
Podcast: https://lochhead.com/podcasts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lochhead/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lochhead?lang=en
Flow Research Collective’s Social Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flowresearchcollective
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flowresearchcollective
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowresearchcollective
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@achieveflow
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RiseofSuperman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefrc_official
Website: https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flow-research-collective-radio/id1520229508Spotify podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6RQY0d5rdlEiinHEtfWy6A
Steven Kotler, the founder and executive director of the Flow Research Collective, is one of the world’s leading experts on human peak performance. He is an award-winning journalist and an author with over ten bestselling books.
Some of his works include: The Art of Impossible, The Future is Faster Than You Think, The Rise of Superman, Stealing Fire, and so much more! Look out for his latest upcoming book, Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad, where he debunks the old myths about aging and how you can boost your longevity through flow!
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