"Greenwood Grinders" Healthspan Micro Group

We're in the beginning phase of formation of a GMG micro group with the goal of increasing our healthspan. 

This group will be relentless in its pursuit of better health. At our age, this effort can be a bit of a grind. That's why we're "grinders". We love a tough challenge and are eager to get better, no matter what. Life is short so let's give it our best effort.

We support the following principles:

• Mutual support and camaraderie.
• Celebration of small successes.
• Education.
• Exploration of new ways to increase healthspan.

Relevant Articles

We will start posting articles with the aim of helping you to improve your healthspan, in particular your physical health and fitness.

• Four Worst Exercises for People Over 40

What Is Healthspan?

You're familiar with what lifespan means. It’s literally just the number of years you live. 

But your healthspan is different. It measures not just how long you live, but how long you stay healthy. As the saying goes, “It’s not about the years in your life, but the life in your years.” 

While your genetics may play a role in both your lifespan and healthspan, there are steps you can take to stay healthy longer. This micro group intends to take those health-building steps.

Exercise Is the Low-Hanging Fruit

Increasing your healthspan is a multi-faceted process. Rather than try to do everything all at once and risk failure, we intend to focus on the most critical variable first.

That critical variable is physical activity and exercise. 

We will move on to other factors such as nutrition after we have nailed exercise.

Exercise and Healthspan Go Together

Exercise significantly lengthens healthspan by delaying age-related diseases and maintaining physical and mental function, acting as a powerful "medicine" that reshapes the molecular basis of multiple organ systems, including cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, neurological, and immune systems.

Research shows a strong correlation between increased physical fitness and a reduced risk of all-cause mortality and chronic illnesses like heart disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer.

What's not to like about exercise?

Weaker Men Die Sooner

Males with the least strength die sooner!!

Sedentary Men Lose Muscle Faster - Much Faster!

The red line below shows the relatively rapid, relentless loss of muscle among sedentary people. The green line shows that active people do much better in retaining their muscles.

Active people do much better in retaining their muscular strength

So what? What's next?

The intention is to launch this micro group no later than Jan. 1, 2026.

Work going on in the background. More to come as time permits.

UPDATE: We have identified a gym in Greenwood that we may incorporate into our future program. 

Their "Elevate" program is a specialized program for active older adults. It focuses on many factors essential for fitness of older adults including strength, mobility and balance. Their goal is to improve quality of life through functional movement as well as build community that carries on outside the gym.

More coming soon...

The mission of of seattleseniormen.com and greenwoodmensgroup.com is to provide a supportive environment where men from diverse backgrounds can foster camaraderie, develop friendships, share wisdom, enrich one another's lives -- and contribute to all Seattle communities, including Greenwood, Ballard, Crown Hill, Fremont, Green Lake, Licton Springs, Loyal Heights, Magnolia, Phinney Ridge, Ravenna, Sunset Hill, Wallingford, Wedgwood, Whittier Heights and beyond.

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