- Edward Thorp, a 91-year-old former hedge fund manager, gives some advice for living a long life.
- “Minimize the chances of really bad outcomes of one kind or another,” Thorp told Bloomberg.
- It also recommends habits that maximize good results: regular physical activity and a healthy diet.
Take the case of a 91-year-old mathematician: living a long and healthy life is like a game of probability.
You want to “minimize the risks of very bad outcomes of one kind or another,” Edward Thorp, a mathematics professor, hedge fund manager and blackjack player, told Bloomberg.
That means trying to reduce the likelihood of things that could kill you, like heart disease or other “leading causes of death,” he said. His advice is therefore to schedule regular check-ups and vaccinations and manage overall risks.
You also want to develop habits that can extend your life expectancy by several years. Thorp called these “magic solutions,” which include regular physical activity and a healthy diet.
Thorp’s exercise routine includes aerobic exercises like walking or a short jog and basic muscle-strengthening activities. At 91, he can do two pull-ups and 15 push-ups. He told Bloomberg that he stays away from the “typical American diet” because it can lead to weight gain and cause several diseases. Thorp, who weighs 155 pounds, said he has only gained 2 pounds in 70 years.
Additionally, Thorp stated that he regularly took four out of five supplements. He also takes the drug Finasteride for his enlarged prostate, which has the added benefit of preventing his hair from thinning.
Thorp said that people who beat the odds in blackjack, in the financial markets or in life do one thing better than others: they anticipate risks and figure out how to overcome them.
“If I have an advantage, it’s that I try to think for myself, look at empirical evidence, manage risks and work hard to make the necessary changes,” he said .
Those who want to implement some of Thorp’s healthy habits into their lives but need a little motivation should try to accumulate habits.
“It’s easier to create a habit when you add it to something you’re already doing,” Dr. Kien Vuu, a physician specializing in anti-aging and regenerative medicine, previously told Business Insider.
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