AN OASIS OF VITALITY
Like many of you, my wife Kathy and I found that life during the pandemic was unlike anything we had experienced. A mix of fear, uncertainty, and separation seemed to be the initial themes.
We used that time to focus on our health, which had been somewhat neglected during a lifetime of entrepreneurial adventures and raising five sons. We had sold our last business and thought for a moment we might retire. It was on my mind that my mom had become ill and died quite suddenly at the age of 62, and as the pandemic began, I had just turned 61.
I was overweight, pre-diabetic, and completely unaware of the concept of healthspan. I had not yet learned the distinctions between medicine 2.0 and 3.0, but I did know I was heading down a risky path, and time might not be on my side.
Throughout my life, ideas and inspiration for new businesses came from travel. In my thirties, we took a decidedly American concept—the sunglass store—to England. I will never forget when I shared the plan with my London black cab driver, who cheerfully said, “The sun never comes out here, you know.” Fortunately, it worked out, and years later, we brought the decidedly European ritual of living a part of one’s day by candlelight back home to America. A trip to Chicago twenty-five years ago inspired a popcorn adventure that lasted two decades and delivered us to an idyllic island in the Puget Sound and into forced pandemic solitude.
This time, inspiration found me. My friend Peter, who knew I had a gym at home, mentioned that his physical therapist had implored him to begin strength training. He said he needed to follow a specific protocol that would produce significant results and could do so in just twenty minutes each week. He instructed me to read two books, which I ordered that same day.
I threw myself into these workouts and information gathering, and sure enough, within ninety days, I found myself much stronger. I learned that lean muscle, which we begin losing steadily by age 30, is an elixir of health and vitality—and incredibly more important than anyone told us.
Within six months, I had redesigned my home gym, adding new machines that greatly enhanced the process of rebuilding lean muscle. We then enrolled thirty volunteers in a 90-day free trial to see if we could make a difference in their lives. And we did. Remarkably, one member in this group, who continued to work out weekly for over a year, reversed her osteopenia diagnosis without medicine.
At about that time, we traveled to Santa Barbara, where we had routinely seen doctors for over twenty years. When I expressed concern that I was now pre-diabetic, I was told that I was one of the healthier patients in the practice, and the condition was not treated until one had an A1C of 6.5. Translation: no treatment until after you are diagnosed with diabetes.
I was flabbergasted. Fortunately, there are many authors and thought leaders in this area, including Dr. Peter Attia. I dove in. I learned that Medicine 2.0 is focused almost entirely on lifespan and specifically works diligently to keep you alive after a diagnosis. I noted that strategy did not work well for my mom, who died three weeks to the day after her diagnosis.
I signed on with a new concierge doctor committed to Medicine 3.0, which includes an intense focus on healthspan, best defined as the period we live without a diagnosis. Within six months, I was no longer pre-diabetic and felt better and stronger than I had in decades.
Kathy and I became inspired to combine all we had learned about strength training and recovery with our compelling experience of Medicine 3.0. We looked in the mirror and accepted the fact that we would be unsuccessful at retirement.
Partnering with Dr. Alan Viglione, we created Healthspan+ Montecito, which combines Medicine 3.0 diagnostics with unique and compelling exercise and recovery modalities. Dr. Jeremy Alvarez, an expert in movement analysis and injury recovery, rounds out the Healthspan team, ensuring your experience will be safe and effective.
Healthspan is an oasis of vitality created with you in mind. It is unlike anything you have seen or experienced before. We are excited for you to visit and look forward to the day that you walk through the door. You will discover a better life, a bigger world, and deeper insights than you thought possible.
To your health and vitality!
Wally & Kathy Arnold