Our Last Decade

We NEED To Talk About Our Last Decade

Nutrition| Fitness| Education
October 29, 2025•2 min read

🧠 Why We Need to Talk About the Last Decade of Life

(Thanks to Dr. Peter Attia)

We rarely prepare for our twilight years. Yet according to Dr. Attia’s recent interview on 60 Minutes, the final 10 years of our lives—what he calls the “marginal decade”—are among the most important. (CBS News)

🎯 What’s the “marginal decade”?

  • It’s the last decade of your life, when physical and cognitive decline often accelerate. (CBS News)

  • And here’s the catch: you don’t know when you’ll enter it. But one day you’ll wake up and realize you’re in it. (New York Post)

  • Yet few people train for it. Most expect to just manage decline.

  • Dr. Attia argues we should train for it—like athletes train for a sport. (CBS News)

🏋️ What does “training for your later years” mean?

  • Prioritize fitness markers like VO₂ max, muscle strength and mobility—they predict your health far more than just your cholesterol. (CBS News)

  • Choose your future life like a target: if you want to climb stairs in your 80s, get off the floor on one arm now; want to hike or carry grandchildren? Lift for that now. (Sage Personal Training)

  • Blend cardio + strength + mobility. Train not just for more years but better years.

🧩 Why this matters right now

  • We live longer. But longer doesn’t always mean better if we haven’t trained to stay active and sharp.

  • You may be 40, 50, or 60 — but if you wait to care about your 80s, you’ll already be fighting uphill.

  • This is not just for elite athletes. It’s for you. Every day. With real-life outcomes: being independent, energetic, mobile, and engaged.

🔍 Questions worth asking yourself

  • If I’m 50 today, how do I want to be at 70, 80, or 90?

  • What activities do I hope to do in my final decade — and what’s preventing me from doing them now?

  • Am I training like someone who expects decline… or like someone preparing to thrive?

📚 Sources to explore:

  • “Dr. Peter Attia: Exercise is key to longevity – 60 Minutes” (CBS News)

  • “The Marginal Decade: The last 10 years of Your Life” (Sage Personal Training)

  • CBS News: “Dr. Peter Attia on how to make your final decade of life as enjoyable as possible” (CBS News)

Your healthspan—the years you live active, strong, and mentally sharp—is shaped now.
Let’s build for that, not just for “more years.”

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