“Exercise is by far the most potent longevity ‘drug.’ No other intervention does nearly as much to prolong our lifespan and preserve our cognitive and physical function.” –Peter Attia

Anyone who knows me knows that exercise, especially cycling, is a huge part of my life. Many may be aware that I also have a daily yoga practice. Both make a significant positive difference in the quality of my life, and I don’t want to imagine my life without them.

As important as cycling is to me, and as much as my yoga practice does for me mentally and physically, it’s important for all of us to incorporate a variety of movement into our daily lives.

In response to some questions that I have received within our PenPedalPose community, I decided to write a series of blog posts about the components of an exercise program for women in midlife and beyond.

Crucial Components of an Exercise Program for Midlife+ Women

Today, I’ll list the elements that are included in an optimal exercise program for women our age. Then, over the next several posts, I’ll go into more detail about each one and explain how to incorporate them into your life.

·         Cardio: This should include 75-150 minutes of movement that raises your heart rate and probably gets you sweating a bit. It’s best to get some aerobic exercise for at least a half hour or so, most days of the week. Some of the many options in this category can include:

o   Walking

o   Cycling

o   Swimming

o   Running

o   Cardio machines

o   Dancing

o   Kickboxing

o   Rebounding

·         Strength: While we need to lift some heavy weight for our bone density muscular strength, possibilities for strength training include body weight exercises, bands and tubes, dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells and should be included at least twice a week.

·         Mobility: Mobility work preserves our body’s ability to remain stable and in control while moving through an active range of motion. We can incorporate movements that support mobility into a variety of training modalities.

·         Flexibility: Where mobility refers to our body’s ability to move through an active range of motion with control, flexibility refers to our body’s ability to stretch more passively. It allows us to release tension in our soft tissues and to move more deeply into various postures. Like mobility, flexibility work can be incorporated into several types of movement throughout our weekly plan.

·         Stability: Stability work helps us to stay safer, minimizes our chances of tripping and improves our ability to function in all aspects of life. A comprehensive exercise program pays attention to stability and includes movements that enhance it.

·         Balance: Falls can have a significant negative impact on both lifespan and healthspan, so it is important to ensure that we are consciously working on it throughout our lives, and there are many forms of movement that can enhance balance.

·         Power: Building power improves our ability to react and respond as needed in life, and it can bolster our bone density, which is so important as we get older. There are many ways to include power moves into our exercise program, depending on our own specific needs.

·         Joy: In my opinion no exercise program is complete without including the joy factor. While we may not enjoy every moment of every exercise session, we simply must find some forms of exercise and/or ways of doing them that bring us joy. After all, this is our one and only opportunity to make the most of this life. Our movement practices should help us do that.

This may look like a daunting list, but it really comes down to including specific exercises for our cardiorespiratory health, muscular strength, flexibility and balance and seasoning them with the other components. Each component is not necessarily a distinct session. In future blog posts we’ll explore each component more deeply, and we’ll talk about what a comprehensive program might look like.

Something that I heard repeatedly in grad school and that has always stuck with me is that, when it comes to exercise, “Anything is better than nothing, and, to a point, more is better than less.”

When we think about it this way, it may feel more accessible. But, as Dr. Peter Attia said above, moving our bodies regularly and with purpose is one of the most important things we can do to improve our chances of living a long, healthy life. It’s worth the effort!