As I get into my later-40s, I think about my longevity. Twenty years ago I was ruling the world, out late more nights than I care to think about. In twenty years, I'll be retired.
I think I've made it clear I think self-care is a huge part of a good life: taking care of your skin through moisturizer and SPF, your gut biome through pre and probiotics, your body with regular exercise.
Is it the frequency illusion, or has research on longevity actually been everywhere lately? Either way, it seems to confirm that self-care is an important piece, but equally important: others.
The Exercise Research (But Not How You Think)
Harvard just dropped research that flipped how I think about fitness. Turns out it's not how much you exercise that matters most for longevity... it's variety.
Switching between activities like walking, swimming, yoga, gardening, and pickleball can result in a 19% decrease in your chance of death from all causes. That's huge. Not "run a marathon" huge. Not "join CrossFit" huge. Just... mix it up. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | CNN
The research gets more interesting when you look at elite athletes. Endurance-based activities like running confer greater longevity benefits compared with power sports like boxing or weightlifting. The biggest benefit? Runners who were also active in other physical activities had a 43% lower mortality risk compared to sedentary individuals. American College of Cardiology
Here's what stuck with me: consistency over intensity. Building sustainable routines instead of crushing yourself three times a year and calling it fitness.
The Pet Paradox
I have two dogs. And, the research makes a compelling case you should have at least one.
Dog owners have a 20% reduced risk of early death and a 23% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Part of it's the forced exercise as dog owners are four times more likely to meet recommended weekly activity guidelines. But it's more than that. 83% of pet owners age 50 and older said their pets give them a sense of purpose, and 71% said their pets help them enjoy life. Timeline | IHPI
Here's the weird part: pet owners in 2025 report fewer emotional benefits than pet owners did in 2018. We're still getting the dogs, but we're enjoying them less. Budget strain, burnout, the feeling that even the dog is one more thing to manage.
The data doesn't care about your excuses. The dog walkers are outliving you.
The Stranger Effect
This one surprised me the most.
Small talk with strangers—the kind of conversation you avoid by staring at your phone in the elevator—turns out to be wildly good for you. A study from the University of Sussex found that engaging in small talk with strangers can increase well-being, improve social skills, reduce anxiety and social biases, and create a greater sense of connection. National Today
Social connections are one of the most important predictors of both mental and physical well-being. Harvard's 80-year Study of Adult Development found that quality relationships are the biggest predictor of happiness and longevity. Not money. Not career success. Relationships. NBC News
But here's the problem: if people avoid conversations because they expect them to be boring, they may miss easy chances to connect. Even a brief conversation about everyday life may be more rewarding than we expect. APA
I call this "being a celebrity in your own world." When you know the checker at the grocery store by name, the barista, the waiter, the neighbor whose house you walk past when you're walking that dog... you smile, say hi, make pleasantries, offer compliments on their lawn. The relationship is reciprocal. Being known by the people in your world improves their mood and yours. It's not just nice. It's science.
What This Has to Do With Grooming (Because Of Course It Does)
I own a men's grooming company, so of course I'm going to tie this back to grooming. But hear me out.
Looking good is the infrastructure that makes the rest of this possible.
When you feel like you've got your act together—clean haircut, skin that doesn't look like you've been sleeping in your car—you're more likely to make eye contact. More likely to talk to the stranger. More likely to walk the dog and actually engage with your neighbors instead of hiding behind sunglasses and AirPods.
The research says connection matters as much as exercise. That variety beats intensity. That the small daily choices compound into longevity.
Self-care is part of that stack. Not the whole thing. But the part that makes the rest of it easier.
Forty years from now, I don't want to be the guy who optimized his supplement regimen and died alone. I want to be the guy who stayed in the game. Who looked good enough to feel confident. Who moved enough to stay mobile. Who talked to strangers and kept the dogs and didn't let the world pass him by.
The research says that's how you live longer.
I'm starting to think the research is right.
The Dog Walkers are Outliving Everyone Else (New Longevity Research)
As I get into my later-40s, I think about my longevity. Twenty years ago I was ruling the world, out late more nights than I care to think about. In twenty years, I'll be retired.
I think I've made it clear I think self-care is a huge part of a good life: taking care of your skin through moisturizer and SPF, your gut biome through pre and probiotics, your body with regular exercise.
Is it the frequency illusion, or has research on longevity actually been everywhere lately? Either way, it seems to confirm that self-care is an important piece, but equally important: others.
The Exercise Research (But Not How You Think)
Harvard just dropped research that flipped how I think about fitness. Turns out it's not how much you exercise that matters most for longevity... it's variety.
Switching between activities like walking, swimming, yoga, gardening, and pickleball can result in a 19% decrease in your chance of death from all causes. That's huge. Not "run a marathon" huge. Not "join CrossFit" huge. Just... mix it up. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | CNN
The research gets more interesting when you look at elite athletes. Endurance-based activities like running confer greater longevity benefits compared with power sports like boxing or weightlifting. The biggest benefit? Runners who were also active in other physical activities had a 43% lower mortality risk compared to sedentary individuals. American College of Cardiology
Here's what stuck with me: consistency over intensity. Building sustainable routines instead of crushing yourself three times a year and calling it fitness.
The Pet Paradox
I have two dogs. And, the research makes a compelling case you should have at least one.
Dog owners have a 20% reduced risk of early death and a 23% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Part of it's the forced exercise as dog owners are four times more likely to meet recommended weekly activity guidelines. But it's more than that. 83% of pet owners age 50 and older said their pets give them a sense of purpose, and 71% said their pets help them enjoy life. Timeline | IHPI
Here's the weird part: pet owners in 2025 report fewer emotional benefits than pet owners did in 2018. We're still getting the dogs, but we're enjoying them less. Budget strain, burnout, the feeling that even the dog is one more thing to manage.
The data doesn't care about your excuses. The dog walkers are outliving you.
The Stranger Effect
This one surprised me the most.
Small talk with strangers—the kind of conversation you avoid by staring at your phone in the elevator—turns out to be wildly good for you. A study from the University of Sussex found that engaging in small talk with strangers can increase well-being, improve social skills, reduce anxiety and social biases, and create a greater sense of connection. National Today
Social connections are one of the most important predictors of both mental and physical well-being. Harvard's 80-year Study of Adult Development found that quality relationships are the biggest predictor of happiness and longevity. Not money. Not career success. Relationships. NBC News
But here's the problem: if people avoid conversations because they expect them to be boring, they may miss easy chances to connect. Even a brief conversation about everyday life may be more rewarding than we expect. APA
I call this "being a celebrity in your own world." When you know the checker at the grocery store by name, the barista, the waiter, the neighbor whose house you walk past when you're walking that dog... you smile, say hi, make pleasantries, offer compliments on their lawn. The relationship is reciprocal. Being known by the people in your world improves their mood and yours. It's not just nice. It's science.
What This Has to Do With Grooming (Because Of Course It Does)
I own a men's grooming company, so of course I'm going to tie this back to grooming. But hear me out.
Looking good is the infrastructure that makes the rest of this possible.
When you feel like you've got your act together—clean haircut, skin that doesn't look like you've been sleeping in your car—you're more likely to make eye contact. More likely to talk to the stranger. More likely to walk the dog and actually engage with your neighbors instead of hiding behind sunglasses and AirPods.
The research says connection matters as much as exercise. That variety beats intensity. That the small daily choices compound into longevity.
Self-care is part of that stack. Not the whole thing. But the part that makes the rest of it easier.
Forty years from now, I don't want to be the guy who optimized his supplement regimen and died alone. I want to be the guy who stayed in the game. Who looked good enough to feel confident. Who moved enough to stay mobile. Who talked to strangers and kept the dogs and didn't let the world pass him by.
The research says that's how you live longer.
I'm starting to think the research is right.