Dr. Jeffrey Gladden’s foremost ambition is to help people live well beyond 100 years. That goal also entails assuring that individuals who live to be 120 or 130 years keep active and in tiptop shape — both physically and mentally.

“Being in shape is being fast, agile, strong, quick, balanced, flexible with great cardiovascular endurance and good recovery,” he explains. “If you’re going to have that later in life, you’ve got to focus on all of those things.”

His medical program, Gladden Longevity, is engaged in working to realize those ambitions.

“We currently have a research protocol that’s in play for people to participate in, where that’s literally what we’re going for,” he says. “What we’re really going for is making 100 the new 30.”

While his program has therapies and devices that he says can help people achieve those objectives (though they can be costly), individuals can take direct action themselves to conquer the aging process. Rather than acquiescing to the traditional idea that aging means slowing down and losing impact, they can reject that belief and keep moving positively forward. Good sleep and eating habits, and remaining physically active, can contribute to that upward arc.

“If you’re asking questions,” he says, “that’s growth. If you’re stuck with your answers, that’s decline, quite honestly. Having a growth mindset is critical.”

Dr. Gladden’s strategy involves four interlacing “circles” – health, longevity, performance and life energy. He says people should approach these concepts exponentially rather than from a linear perspective.