People need people: On books, exercise, and the power of connection - Striking a Chord…

First, thank you to the person — you know who you are — who gave me the novel “Words Spoken True” to read some time ago. Well, I finally got around to reading it and enjoyed it. In case any of you might be interested in reading it, here’s a brief synopsis.

The novel, by Ann H. Gabhart, follows the story of two warring newspapers in Louisville, Kentucky, in the summer of 1855. With political tensions mounting and a string of unsolved murders, the city is set on edge as the local papers race to capture the headlines. Adriane Darcy has grown up working for her father’s daily, The Tribune, and she catches the eye of the new editor in town, Northerner Blake Garrett who writes for The Herald. They begin to fall for each other, but Adriane is already betrothed. Is love enough to bring them together, or will outside forces tear them apart? Although that teaser might make it sound quite predictable, there are enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. An easy read and suspenseful, it kept me turning pages to the very end.

Let me know if you have any book recommendations and perhaps I could use this space for a book review occasionally.

-In other news, a new study found that doing exercises that increase your heart and breathing rate on a regular basis may reduce your risk of an early death across all causes by up to 40%. This was according to a meta-analysis of 85 studies that looked at 7 million people worldwide, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine last Thursday.

Although the positive impact of exercise is certainly not a new topic, this was “the most comprehensive analyses ever conducted” on physical activity from early adulthood onward, said study coauthor Gregore Mielke, health professor at the University of Queensland.

The report indicated it didn’t seem to matter when people started exercising; even people who began at older ages still increased their longevity. The study actually showed a stronger correlation between increased exercise and longevity among older adults than younger adults, providing up to a “10% to 15% further reduction in risk” of premature death because they were more likely to already be facing multiple health problems.

“This highlights that it is never too late to start being physically active, and starting at any point in adulthood can still lead to a longer, healthier life,” said Mielke.

The analysis looked at individuals who had at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (or a combination) in a week’s time. Although that might seem like a lot, 150 minutes spread over six days is a 25-minute walk per day, plus a rest day. That’s doable for most people. If not, start with whatever you can do and build from there.

There’s still a lot of summer left, so this new report is a good reason to get out and take advantage of the nice weather by being active. I am preaching to myself as well on this one.

- Next, a note on Americans’ social calendar. Last week, Derek Thompson published an article on his Substack titled, “The Death of Partying in the U.S.A.—and Why It Matters.” Thompson cited several statistics from the American Time Use Survey that reveal Americans’ antisocial tendencies:

• Only4.1%ofAmericanssaidthey“attended or hosted” a party or ceremony on a typical weekend or holiday in 2023. In other words, in any given weekend, just one in 25 U.S. households had plans to attend a social event.

• Between 2003 and 2024, the amount of time that Americans spent attending or hosting a social event declined by 50%. For young people, the decline was more significant. Last year, Americans ages 15 to 24 spent 70% less time attending or hosting parties than they did in 2003.

Thompson cited three main factors contributing to Americans socializing less: work, parenthood, and screens. Specifically, in most homes today, there is the expectation or oftentimes the necessity that both parents work to make ends meet. That leaves less time for socializing or just coordinating the logistics of a social gathering.

Also, “parenting norms have changed. Americans used to have more kids whom they watched less; now they have fewer children whom they watch more,” Thompson notes. Finally, screens have taken over much of our already limited free time, crowding out opportunities for real-life connection All these factors make a lot of sense; however, they don’t make our need for community any less, and the data are clear about that. Specifically:

• People who see their friends three times a week or more report a life satisfaction increase equivalent to a $150,000 per year raise (adjusted for inflation. This is according to a study published in The Journal of Socio-Economics in 2008).

• The Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies on happiness, tracked 724 men since they were teenagers in 1938 and found that the single greatest predictor of longevity, physical health, and self-reported happiness levels was having “warm, positive relationships,” including family relationships and friendships. Having positive relationships was a greater predictor of wellbeing than social class, IQ, or even genes. These secure relationships were also linked to better cognitive function later in life.

“The data show us that this is the single most important investment we could make for our physical and mental health,” said Liz Forkin Bohannon, entrepreneur and author who has chosen to live on a plot of land with five of her closest friends and their families, and intentionally share life with them. While that might be taking the extreme approach, the statistics still support the core idea: people thrive with community. People need people.

“Without love we could not survive. Human beings are social creatures, and a concern for each other is the very basis of our life together.” ~Dalai Lama