Chris Crowley, New York Times' Bestselling Author

Five years ago, New Yorker Chris Crowley, 70, a retired Wall Street lawyer, went for his annual check-up with a new doctor, Harry S. Lodge, MD, 47, an internist and professor at Columbia University’s College of Physician and Surgeons. The physician told Crowley he could either be “on the slow, stead curve from fifty to death, or be younger next year and for many years to come in all the ways that matter.”

“What do I have to do?” Crowley asked his new doctor. At that meeting, the two men forged a friendship and a bond, and went on to co-author two best-selling books (one for men and one for women) on how to make aging well the most important job of your life.

Their book, “Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond,” describes ways to change how you age, with methods backed by science. Dr. Lodge provides the scientific background while Crowley lends a hilarious slant and interpretation. The book will show you how to avoid 70% of the normal problems of aging and eliminate 50% of illness and injury. The key is found in Harry’s Rules, a program of exercise, diet, and maintaining emotional connections.

Can we really hold age at bay as these authors promise? We asked Crowley, now 75, to help us understand the years after menopause when women typically experience increases in bone loss, acceleration in heart disease, cancer, arthritis, fatigue and depression. Lodge and Crowley have a practical plan to make the next third of your life – think 30+ years – some of your best. “Our body holds the remarkable ability to repair and renovate itself, provided we help it,” Crowley said.

What made you write a book for women? How is it different than the book you wrote for men? 

The publisher suggested it and said women are generally more interested in reading about health. We found that women age and resist aging exactly the same way that men do – the rules in the first book apply equally to women, but women come at aging in a very different way. Women are much more optimistic about aging, they are not as scared, and they age a bit more gracefully.

Did you come across any surprises in writing this book?

In doing research for the book and spending time with women over 50, I found a surprisingly broad surge of optimism in women in their 50s and 60s – they have spent so many years being good, looking after their kids, and taking care of ‘Old Fred,’ and at this point they say ‘Hey, what about me? This is my turn and my time to shine.’ We found that men get a little scared in their 50’s and 60’s whereas women are optimistic.

What is the typical process of aging and how can I change it?

The typical process of aging in this country is the steady downward curve from 50 to the day you die – every year, you are a little fatter, a little slower, a little less fun. But we want to show you how to flatten out that curve. If you do a few key things, you can be about the same or better than when you were 45 or 50, and these things can make life even better till you are 80 and beyond. The fundamental key is relentless, serious exercise six days a week – four days of aerobic exercise and two days of strength training.

What is the most important thing to do to become, functionally, younger next year?

Exercise is the silver bullet – we just can’t emphasize that enough. Exercise, exercise, exercise – it is a miracle! Listen to these two things: You can avoid 70% of aging until the very end just by doing serious exercise. You can completely avoid 50% of all serious illness – heart attacks, adult on-set diabetes, lots of cancers, Alzheimer’s, – by doing serious aerobic exercise, 45 minutes a day, four days a week. It is a miracle!

What do you say to someone who says, ‘I have never worked out, so is there hope for me too?’

Absolutely! When you think of those numbers I gave you, it’s just nuts not to do something in terms of exercise. We were designed in the evolutionary crucible of survival as athletes. We are all designed to move. Just start going to a gym, do classes, fast walk. Start to do something today and do it for the rest of your life.

In the book you say ‘learn to eat rationally.’ What does that mean

Quit eating crap! I am working on a new book and one of my new rules in the book is: ‘Never eat anything that comes to you through a car window.’ We just eat mountains of crap in this county. At least 50% of our diet should be plant based. I am sure you have read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which says that we are all being hosed down with corn byproducts and fructose. There is a prevalence of corn in the American diet and it is not good for us. We are being force-fed all this junk that is so toxic.

You use yourself as an example in the books. Can you tell us about your typical day of living by the ‘Younger Next Year’ rules? Do you ever have a glass of wine with dinner? Is diet coke ever allowed?

Chris with wife Hilary in Colorado

I am an old person and we old people tend to wake up early. I am a pretty good kid about the exercise. I exercise almost every day of the week. In the Berkshires, we have a gym in an old barn in the back that I frequent.

If the weather is borderline OK, I hop on my bike and ride 19 miles in the hills. I ski a lot. My wife and I are both retired, so we are going on a six-week ski vacation in Colorado.

Does your wife Hilary follow the rules?

She is pretty good. We work out together a lot. We work at about the same pace with about the same level of interest. She does a lot of yoga, which I don’t enjoy, but otherwise we ski, bike and take classes together.

What has it been like to go from being a retired guy to becoming a best-selling author?

Wonderful – I think everybody should do it! I am doing a lot of writing now and giving speeches. First of all – who knew? We thought the first book would do well, but who knew that five years later, we could sell 8,000 copies in January, 2010. It has been an amazing journey. We get oodles of lovely letters from readers saying ‘Hey, you changed my life,’ or ‘Hey, I lost 40 pounds after reading the book.’

After I met Harry, I went from being a weekend exercise guy, to being a six- day-a -week exercise guy, and that essentially changed my life. Just last week my wife and I went to a fancy party in New York at a nice club to celebrate a 70^th birthday. I looked around and so many of these folks who were my age were taking these little, short, timid steps….there were some with canes. I thought, ‘Gee whiz, you guys are not paying attention! And these were able people too. They didn’t look like they were having any fun either. And I said, ‘The hell with that, I am going to keep moving in a big way.’ My advice to you is: make sure you are having fun, stay involved and connected, and keep moving.