「Younger Next Year」透過生動有趣的章節，為50歲以上的男性提供一套以最新老化科學為基礎的生活方案，目標是讓人在接下來的五至十年中「功能性地更年輕」，並維持類似五十歲的生活狀態，即便踏入八十歲也有活力與健康。作者提出「Harry’s Rules」—簡單卻有效的法則：每週運動六天、吃該吃的食物、與人連結並投入熱情事物。這套計畫能有效對抗衰老導致的筋骨衰退、疼痛與冷漠問題，也能減少超過一半的疾病與傷害風險，是一個具說服力的生活革命。
本書由 Chris Crowley（曾是律師，現在超過七十歲，仍持續滑雪與長途騎行）與 Henry S. Lodge 醫生（內科與預防醫學專家）合著。兩人透過 Crowley 擔任「真實案例」與 Lodge 提供醫學科學，交錯敘述與對話，讓人既感真實又充滿動機，像是朋友式的鼓勵與專業醫師的明確指導結合。書中也深入探討運動對細胞層級的生長信號、生理情緒與人際連結如何影響身體的化學反應，並強調「運動、關懷、投入」三者是長壽且高品質生活的核心。
以下摘要書中有趣的內容與您分享：Listen, if you don’t have a partner, or if your relationship is bad, that’s fine. This book is certainly not just for married people. There are other ways. Friends can help. Even one close friend can work wonders. Like-minded people can network, especially when you’re connected by a passion for something. The best trick is to get connected in a way that gives you some support as you head into the next phase. We are wired to function in packs. Lone wolves get the sniffles. Especially when winter sets in.
聽著，如果您沒有伴侶，或是您的關係糟透了，也沒關係。這本書當然不只是為已婚人士而寫。還有其他方法。朋友可以幫忙。只要有一個親密的朋友就能創造奇跡。志同道合的人也可以建立人際網路，尤其是當你們因為對某件事情的熱情而連結在一起的時候。最棒的訣竅就是建立連結，讓您在進入下一個階段時能獲得一些支援。我們被設計成在群體中運作。流浪者會流鼻涕。尤其是冬天來臨的時候。
隨著年齡增長，維持社交連結的重要性，指出人類從生物學層面就被「設計成在群體中運作」。無論是否有伴侶，建立並維繫深厚的關係，無論是透過朋友、家人，或是因共同興趣而連結的社群，都至關重要。作者警示，缺乏這些連結會導致「流浪者會流鼻涕」般的不利後果，暗示孤立對身心健康的負面影響。因此，積極投入社交生活，尋求並提供支持，是確保退休後生活品質的關鍵策略。
The more I looked at the science, the more it became clear that such ailments and deterioration are not a normal part of growing old. They are an outrage. An outrage that we have simply gotten used to because we set the bar so shamefully low. A lot of people unconsciously assume that they will get-old-and-die: one phrase, almost one word, and certainly one seamless concept. That when they get old and infirm, they will die soon after, so a deteriorating quality of life does not matter. That is a deeply mistaken idea and a dangerous premise for planning your life. In fact, you will probably get-old-and-live. You can get decrepit, if you like, but you are not likely to die; you are likely to live like that for a long, long time. Most Americans today will live into their mid-eighties, whether they’re in great shape or shuffling around on walkers. And that number is rising over time, too, so you may well live into your nineties, whether you like it or not. Which is good reason to make the Last Third of your life terrific—and not a dreary panoply of obesity, sore joints and apathy. “Normal aging” is intolerable and avoidable. You can skip most of it and grow old, not just gracefully but…
越深入研究科學，越是清楚這些病痛和衰退並非變老的正常部分。它們是一種暴行。一種我們已經習慣的暴行，因為我們將標準設得太低。許多人無意識地認為自己會變老然後死亡：一個詞組，幾乎是一個單詞，當然是一個無縫的概念。他們認為當自己變老且虛弱時，很快就會死去，所以生活品質的惡化並不重要。這是一個嚴重錯誤的想法，也是規劃人生的危險前提。事實上，您很可能會變老然後繼續活著。如果您願意，您可以變得衰弱，但您不太可能死去；您很可能會那樣活很長很長的時間。今天大多數美國人將活到八十多歲，無論他們身體狀況極佳還是步履蹣跚地使用助行器。而且這個數字也隨著時間的推移而上升，所以您很可能會活到九十多歲，無論您喜不喜歡。這就是讓您人生最後三分之一過得精彩的好理由，而不是肥胖、關節疼痛和冷漠的沉悶景象。「正常老化」是無法忍受且可避免的。
許多人認為是「正常老化」的病痛與身體機能衰退，實際上是可選擇的「腐敗」，而非不可避免的命運。作者批判社會對老化設下的「可恥的低標準」，導致人們普遍誤以為變老必然伴隨虛弱與死亡。然而，根據最新科學，現代人很可能「變老然後繼續活著」很長一段時間，因此關鍵在於如何確保這些歲月充滿活力而非僅是衰弱的延續。「正常老化」是無法容忍且可避免的，大多數功能性衰老都能透過積極選擇來超越。
It goes like this: Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life. Sorry, but that’s it. No negotiations. No give. No excuses. Six days, serious exercise, until you die. Well, if you’re still in your forties and stretched to the breaking point with work, kids and travel, we can talk about four or five days, but six is much better even then. And after age fifty, six is mandatory. By then the tide is starting to pick up, and you need help staying off the rocks. In fact, my version of the rule would have been “Exercise hard six..."
它這樣說：您餘生每週運動六天。對不起，就是這樣。沒有任何討價還價的餘地。沒有任何妥協。沒有任何藉口。每週六天，認真運動，直到您死去。嗯，如果您仍在四十多歲，工作、孩子和旅行讓您筋疲力盡，我們可以談談四到五天，但即使那樣，六天也更好。五十歲以後，六天是強制性的。那時潮水開始漲潮，您需要幫助才能避開礁石。事實上，我的版本會是「努力運動六天...」
哈利的第一條規則：餘生每週運動六天：這條規則被視為不容妥協的生命基石，強調其對抗衰老「潮水」的強制性，尤其對於五十歲以上的人而言。作者指出，這種持續、認真的運動量並非極端，而是通往健康老化的「中庸之道」。將運動視為一份新的「工作」並每天「出現」，能夠有效扭轉身體的衰退趨勢，使其在功能上保持年輕，甚至逐年改善。
All right, with this surprising knowledge in your brainpan, you’re ready to start thinking about Harry’s Second Rule, which goes like this: Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life. The first rule still applies, of course. You still have to exercise six days a week. It’s just that four of the six have to be devoted to aerobic exercise, no matter what. (We’ll talk later about strength training on the other days.) Aerobic exercise, as you doubtless know, is the steady exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up: biking, jogging, hitting the treadmill, speed walking and the like. It does not include doubles tennis and golf—wonderful sports and wonderful for you, but not aerobic. We’re talking about steady,...
好吧，有了這些驚人的知識，您已經準備好開始思考 Harry 的第二條規則，它這樣說：您餘生每週進行四天認真的有氧運動。當然，第一條規則仍然適用。您仍然必須每週運動六天。只是其中四天必須投入有氧運動，無論如何。(我們稍後會談論其他日子的力量訓練。) 有氧運動，您無疑知道，是穩定地提高心率並保持心率的運動：騎自行車、慢跑、跑步機、快走等等。它不包括雙打網球和高爾夫球--這些都是很棒的運動，對您也很好，但不是有氧運動。
哈利的第二條規則：餘生每週進行四天認真的有氧運動。這是在第一條規則（每週六天運動）的基礎上，更具體地分配運動類型。有氧運動被定義為持續性活動，旨在提升並維持心率，如騎自行車或慢跑，而非間歇性運動。其主要益處在於改善血液循環，將氧氣和燃料更有效地輸送到肌肉，同時清除代謝廢物。作者強調，建立穩固的有氧基礎是健康和活力的關鍵，並建議根據個人當前體能狀況選擇合適的運動強度和時長。
Billions of years ago, bacterial mitochondria somehow moved inside the cells of our primitive ancestors, who harnessed them to their muscles and gave birth to aerobic metabolism. It was access to the unlimited supply of cheap, oxygen-based energy that fueled the explosion of higher life-forms from then on. Bacterial mitochondria make all higher animal life possible, and they live in every muscle cell of every animal on the planet today, including you. All animal motion is fueled by the mitochondria inherited from bacteria—the energy you use to walk in the park, run a marathon, scratch your nose or swim a lap. The DNA in your mitochondria is still bacterial, not human. You inherited it like some ancient, permanent trust fund. Incidentally, plants inherited photosynthesis from algae the same way we stole mitochondria from bacteria, so all life energy on earth today comes from machinery developed by either algae or bacteria.
五億年前，細菌的線粒體以某種方式移動到我們原始祖先的細胞中，我們的祖先將線粒體運用在肌肉上，誕生了有氧新陳代謝。正是由於獲得了無限供應的廉價氧基能量，從那時起高等生命形式才得以激增。細菌線粒體使所有高等動物的生命成為可能，它們存在於今天地球上所有動物的每一個肌肉細胞中，包括你在內。所有動物的動作都是由從細菌遺傳下來的線粒體所提供的能量，也就是你在公園散步、跑馬拉松、抓鼻子或游一圈所使用的能量。你線粒體中的 DNA 仍然是細菌的，不是人類的。你繼承了它，就像一些古老的、永久的信託基金。順便一提，植物從藻類那裡繼承了光合作用，就像我們從細菌那裡偷走線粒體一樣，所以今天地球上所有的生命能量都來自藻類或細菌開發的機器。
從演化生物學角度闡釋了線粒體在運動和能量生成中的核心作用。線粒體起源於數十億年前的細菌，後來融入了原始祖先的細胞，開啟了有氧代謝，為高等生命的爆發性發展提供了無限能量。作者指出，現今所有動物的動作能量，包括人類，都由這些從細菌繼承而來的線粒體提供。因此，透過運動來增加線粒體數量，是提升身體能量、維持活力和健康的根本方式，它激活了我們體內數十億年來的生物遺產。
Part of what I was curing was mild arthritis, which is nothing more than inflammation, often brought on by idleness. So when some of my pals say they can’t do weights because they have arthritis and it hurts, I tell them they probably hurt and have arthritis because they don’t do weights. Consider the fact that, for most forms of arthritis, the prescription is a six-week course of physical therapy. Guess what? Physical therapy is, in large part, nothing more than supervised weight training. You should not just be doing it for six weeks, which is when your insurance usually runs out. You should be doing it for life, two times a week. It will do more than anything else to prevent most forms of arthritis if you don’t already have it.
部分我正在治療的是輕微關節炎，這不過是發炎，通常是由於閒置所引起。所以當我的一些朋友說他們不能舉重，因為他們有關節炎而且會痛，我告訴他們他們可能因為沒有舉重而疼痛和患有關節炎。想想看，對於大多數形式的關節炎，處方是為期六週的物理治療。猜猜看？物理治療在很大程度上不過是有人指導的重量訓練。您不應該只做六週，因為那時您的保險通常就用完了。您應該終生做，每週兩次。如果您還沒有，它會比其他任何事情更能預防大多數形式的關節炎。
強調力量訓練對於預防和改善關節炎等老化相關問題的關鍵作用，作者指出，許多人因關節疼痛而避免舉重，但事實上，他們的關節炎可能正是因為缺乏力量訓練而加劇的，因為關節炎常與「閒置引起」的發炎有關。物理治療在很大程度上就是監督下的重量訓練，因此建議將力量訓練視為終生、每週兩次的必要活動。這不僅能有效預防大多數形式的關節炎，還能強化反射與肌肉，從而降低跌倒風險並減輕受傷程度。
Aerobic exercise is primarily about your muscles’ ability to endure. Strength training is primarily about your muscles’ ability to deliver power, which, surprisingly, has as much to do with a special form of neural coordination as actual strength. That’s a critical point. Strength training causes muscle growth, and that’s important, but it’s the hidden increase in coordination that changes your physical life. This is not eye-hand coordination; it’s the coordination of fine muscle detail through the elaborate networks of nerves that link your brain and body.
有氧運動主要是關於肌肉的承受能力。力量訓練主要是關於肌肉的發力能力，令人驚訝的是，這與一種特殊形式的神經協調有著相同的關係，就像實際的力量一樣。這是一個關鍵點。力量訓練會導致肌肉生長，這點很重要，但改變您身體生活的是隱藏的協調能力的提升。這不是眼手協調，而是透過連結腦部和身體的神經網路來協調肌肉細節。
深入剖析了力量訓練的生物學機制，指出其核心益處不僅是肌肉增長，更重要的是提升「神經協調能力」。這種協調並非一般的手眼協調，而是透過大腦與身體之間複雜的神經網絡，實現對「細微肌肉細節」的精確控制。力量訓練能夠喚醒因久坐而休眠的神經連接，激活未充分利用的肌肉細胞，從而改善平衡、身體姿態和整體動作的效率與優雅性。這對維持年長者日常生活的自主性和活力至關重要。
The signals of approaching famine may differ between humans and other animals, but the biology of our reactions is essentially identical. It is the biology of decay. As you know by now, this whole book has one core message—either you grow or you decay. And sure enough, that’s the essence of the biology of nutrition as well. Put simply, the chemistry behind obesity involves decay. Shutting down every system you possibly can so that you can survive winter, drought or famine. The fact that there is enough to eat today, or even vast excess, doesn’t change this. If you are sedentary, your body reads the bacon cheeseburger as the carcass of the animal that starved to death just before you—your last-gasp chance to gorge.
人類與其他動物在感知飢荒訊號上可能有所不同，但我們的生物反應本質上是相同的。這就是腐蝕的生物學。如您所知，這本書有一個核心訊息：您不是成長就是衰退。而這也正是營養生物學的精髓。簡單來說，肥胖背後的化學反應涉及衰退。盡可能地關閉所有系統，以便您能熬過冬天、乾旱或飢荒。即使今天有足夠的食物，甚至過剩，這也不會改變。如果您久坐不動，您的身體會將培根起司漢堡視為您之前餓死的動物屍體—您最後一次狂吃的機會。
營養生物學的核心，即身體在「成長」與「衰退」之間的選擇，並指出肥胖本質上是一種「衰退」的化學反應。作者解釋，久坐不動的生活方式會讓身體錯誤地解讀現代環境為「飢荒」信號，啟動保存能量的衰退機制，即使食物充足也會促使脂肪儲存。
The good news is astonishing. I’ve been drinking for a while, but I was stunned, on New Year’s Eve 2002, to read in The New York Times, and later in Scientific American, that steady drinking in moderation (which means two drinks or less a day for men; one for women) is not just fun . . . it is powerful medicine. (Before you get too excited, a “drink” is one and a half ounces of booze, or five ounces of wine.) Booze, used regularly and in moderation, is terrific for just about everything that ails you. Not, let me quickly say, if you become an alcoholic. Then it kills you. And lots and lots of perfectly nice men do become low-level (and high-level) alcoholics in their sixties and seventies; that’s what scares Harry. But, in moderation, it is good for you. There are so many of these studies, and the results are so clear, that it is hard to argue with them, unless you want to step onto some kind of religious or moral ground. Here’s some of what I read that day in The Times:
好消息令人驚訝。我喝了好一陣子酒，但在 2002 年除夕夜，我在《紐約時報》及後來的《科學美國人》雜誌上讀到一則令人驚訝的消息：適量穩定地飲酒（這表示男性每天兩杯或更少；女性每天一杯）不只是好玩......它是強效的藥物。它是強效的藥物。(在您太興奮之前，一杯「飲料」是指一盎司半的酒，或五盎司的葡萄酒）。經常適量地喝酒，對您的任何疾病都有很好的療效。但如果你變成酒鬼，那就不一樣了。那它會殺了你。很多好人在六七十歲的時候都會變成低度（或高度）的酒鬼，這才是哈利害怕的地方。但是，適量飲酒對身體有益。這些研究有很多，結果也很清楚，除非您想踏上某種宗教或道德的立場，否則很難反駁。
適度飲酒的「驚人」益處，指出男性每天兩杯或更少、女性每天一杯的適量飲酒，具有「強效藥物」般的預防作用。研究顯示，適量飲酒能顯著降低心臟病發作、中風和癡呆的風險，甚至優於低脂飲食和劇烈運動。然而，作者也嚴格警示，過量飲酒的「黑暗面」風險極高，可能導致成癮並對健康造成致命打擊。因此，關鍵在於嚴格遵守「適度」原則，否則其益處將蕩然無存。
We believe that getting out on the road in the Next Third means reconnecting and recommitting to other people. As a matter of fact, that’s Harry’s Seventh Rule: Connect and commit. It means rededicating yourself to family, friends, companions. Get involved in groups and do communal things, whether work or play. There is a strong temptation to do less on this front as we age, but that is a huge mistake. Because, it turns out, we were literally built to be involved with and to care for one another, and that does not change one bit as we age. That’s what being a mammal is all about. That’s Harry’s next chapter, and it is powerful stuff. If we don’t exercise our social skills—if we let ourselves become cut off and increasingly solitary as we age—we will become ill and die. Hundreds of fascinating studies demonstrate the point. So “caring” means caring about other people and being involved with them . . . acting like the pack animals we are, right to the end.
我們相信，在「下一個第三世紀」上路，意味著與其他人重新聯繫並重新承諾。事實上，這是 Harry 的第七條規則：連結與承諾。這意味著重新投入家庭、朋友、同伴。無論是工作或玩樂，都要參與團體，做共同的事。隨著年齡的增長，我們很容易在這方面做得較少，但這是一個巨大的錯誤。因為事實證明，我們生來就是為了要與人交往、互相關懷，這一點不會隨著年齡增長而有任何改變。這就是哺乳類動物的本質。這就是哈利的下一章，它是很強大的東西。如果我們不運用我們的社交技巧，如果我們讓自己變得孤立無援，隨著年齡的增長，我們會生病和死亡。數百項引人入勝的研究證明了這一點。所以「關懷」意味著關心其他人並與他們交往......就像我們是群居動物一樣，一直到最後。
強調在人生「下一個三分之一」的歲月中，「連結與承諾」（哈利的第七條規則）是掌控生活的核心。作者指出，人類天生就是群居動物，彼此關懷是哺乳類動物的本能，這種需求不會隨年齡增長而改變。若不積極參與社交、與他人建立連結，任由自己孤立，將會導致疾病甚至死亡。因此，無論是透過工作、玩樂或僅僅是關懷他人，積極投入群體生活並「像群居動物一樣行動」，是維持身心健康直至生命終點的生物學命令。
It is our mammalian character at work here, you will not be surprised to learn. It works just as well for rabbits as it does for kids. In another wonderful study, rabbits were stacked in cages up to the ceiling. They were being jammed full of cholesterol or something to study plaque buildup, but there were some anomalous results. The rabbits in the lower tiers did much better than the ones up high. Turns out the lab person loved animals. And she was short. She patted and fussed over the ones she could reach. And they had 60 percent less plaque in their veins than the ones up high. To check their suspicions, the scientists swapped the rabbits around, high for low. And the ones that were now reachable also prospered. It was the patting and touching, no question about it. Harry tells me that one has to be careful about drawing human inferences from animal studies, but my guess is, if you want less plaque, less blacky carbon and gummy sludge, get someone to pat you.
這是我們哺乳類動物的特性在起作用，您一定不會感到驚訝。它對兔子和孩子一樣有效。在另一項精彩的研究中，兔子被疊在籠子裡，直到天花板。它們被塞滿了膽固醇或其他東西，以研究斑塊的堆積，但卻出現了一些反常的結果。低層的兔子比高層的好得多。原來實驗室的人喜歡動物。她很矮。她對她能觸及的兔子又拍又撫。他們血管中的斑塊比高處的少 60%。為了驗證他們的猜測，科學家們把兔子調換了位置，高的換成低的。現在可以觸摸到的兔子也很健康。毫無疑問，這是拍打和觸摸的結果。Harry 告訴我，從動物研究中得出人類的推論必須謹慎，但我的猜測是，如果您想要減少牙菌斑、黑碳和膠狀淤泥，就找人來拍拍您。
一系列研究強調社交連結對身體健康（不僅是心理健康）的深遠生物學影響。其中一項關於兔子膽固醇斑塊的研究表明，物理接觸和「拍打撫摸」能顯著減少動脈斑塊，這直接印證了「愛能拯救生命」的觀點。此外，章節指出孤獨和隔離與更高的疾病及死亡風險相關，而積極參與社交、親密關係，甚至只是養狗，都能顯著提升生存率和生活品質。因此，像哺乳類動物般彼此連結、付出關愛，是維持健康和幸福的生物學必需。
This has been a deeply optimistic look at aging—and for good reason. You have a choice in how the rest of your life goes, and it can be great. The rules are straightforward: Exercise hard and you will grow younger. Care about other people and you will grow happier. Build a life that you think means something and you will grow richer.
這是一種對衰老的樂觀態度，而且是有理由的。您可以選擇餘生如何過，而且可以過得很好。規則很簡單：努力運動，您會變得更年輕。關心他人，您會變得更快樂。建立一個您認為有意義的生活，您會變得更富有。
對老化「無情的樂觀主義」，強調個人擁有掌控餘生品質的選擇權。核心規則簡潔明瞭：「努力運動」能讓人「更年輕」；「關心他人」能使人「更快樂」；「建立有意義的生活」能使人「更富有」。作者們認為，雖然我們無法改變身體遵循的生物學法則，但可以透過選擇生活方式來「控制開關」，決定是成長還是衰退。這種主動權能徹底改變對衰老的看法，帶來充滿好奇、活力和豐盛的晚年。
結語
本書以科學與生活實踐結合，提出一套延緩老化、實現長壽與養生的核心原則。作者強調，衰退並非必然命運，而是生活選擇的結果。關鍵在於長期規律運動—每週六天，其中四天必須為有氧運動，搭配終身的力量訓練，不僅維持肌力與關節健康，更能促進線粒體增生，提升能量與免疫力。同時，積極參與社交、建立深厚連結，可顯著降低疾病與死亡風險。這種「運動＋連結」的養生模式，能讓人生的最後三分之一依舊充滿活力。
書中倡導「不是成長，就是衰退」的養生哲學，將飲食、運動、情感與意義感整合成長壽方案。適量飲酒可作為保健手段，但須嚴守「適度」原則以防成癮；保持親密關係與觸覺互動，能直接改善心血管健康；建立有意義的生活目標則能提升幸福感。作者以樂觀態度看待老化，指出只要掌握生活主動權，便可「變老且保持年輕」。這不只是延長壽命，更是確保晚年健康、快樂與尊嚴的養生藍圖。
