It’s Independence Day in the United States. The earliest celebrations date back to 1777 in Philadelphia, but it wasn’t until 1870 that Congress declared July 4th, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day the first four federal holidays. 

The Weekly Pounce provides science-backed healthspan tips that we refer to as the Pounce Pot Protocol. Each week, you can power up your future self by integrating these five, evidence-based, longevity and pro-aging strategies into your routine. 

It’s not too late (and it’s never too early) to pounce on life’s possibilities! Join our supportive community. We can achieve more together! Need to catch up? Read our archive here.

How long has it been since you’ve tried to paint, sketch or sculpt? Maybe even decades? With the heat dome keeping a lot of us inside in the air conditioning this week, an indoor creative project seems just about right. 

Creativity and the arts have been extensively researched. I think this published study is particularly interesting. We all know that we can learn certain artistic skills. But the scientists remind us that talent, an inborn trait, is often never discovered!

Talent can stay dormant within us because we never give art a try, or perhaps the opportunity was never offered to us. 

Take a moment this week to think about what form of visual art has always interested you (or used to years ago). Watch some instructional videos on the ones that spark your curiosity, learn a few tips and skills, and then see if some talent surfaces. 

At the very least, you’ll be strengthening your brain health and having a little fun in the a/c.

Are your friends in your social circle all about your same age? The concept of birds of a feather flocking together is called “age homophily.” 

Strengthening intergenerational relationships can be incredibly enriching. Age-diverse connections foster empathy, reduce ageism, and keep your mind agile by exposing you (and your friends) to new ideas. 

Reach out to someone much younger or older than you this week, or plan some ways you might mingle with people from different decades. Discover the benefits in this excellent article→

Laughter can be a very effective way to counteract a long, stressful week, and lowering chronic stress is one of your most powerful hidden powers.

While short-duration stress can be very helpful (quickly getting us out of danger, for example), ever-present stress harms our bodies. Explore more to understand the dangers of chronic, low-level stress. 

Why not watch some stand-up comedians this week for some hardy belly laughs?! Here’s a short list of some of my personal picks. Hit reply or email me here and let me know your favorites. I’m always looking for new suggestions for talented, family-friendly, (and really funny) comedians.

• Michael McIntyre 

• Anjelah Johnson 

• Brian Regan 

Strawberries have been knocked out of their #1 spot at the top of the produce with the most pesticides list. 

The new “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce” now places spinach at the top of their “Dirty Dozen,” citing that it wins the prize for the “most pesticide residues by weight than any other type of produce.” Yuck.

Don’t stop eating spinach, but please wash it and all of your produce very thoroughly, and buy organic when possible.

To understand why pesticides and other toxins are harmful to your body, visit this article→

I touched on this last week, but it’s worth repeating. While any activity is certainly better than none, if you’re already walking, try bumping up your speed a little. Research confirms that it can shave years off of your biological age and potentially add years to your life. 

Stopping and starting seems to be beneficial, as well. Think of your body like a car. Cars use more gas when they start up again from a full stop. Similarly, we use more energy when we start walking again after a brief pause.

Walking for 3 minutes at your regular pace, then 3 minutes very quickly for about 5 rounds to complete a 30-minute walk seems to be the sweet spot. 

Walking outside and getting sunlight in the morning is best, but if you need to, just start by walking around your kitchen or march in place for just one minute using this video as a guide.

When you’re ready, move up to 10 minutes. Follow those up with a quicker paced one-mile indoor set you can follow online. I know you can do it!