Ageing expert reveals 4-step plan to get fit and mobile even ‘if you’re starting from zero’
A board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and longevity specialist has explained exactly how to start a fitness routine and get your health back on track
Regular exercise is key to staying healthier for longer - but the good news is that it's never too late to learn how to start a fitness routine. If cardio, strength training, and mobility exercises haven't been part of your life up until now, a few small lifestyle changes can make all the difference.
That's according to several recent studies and experts like orthopaedic surgeon and longevity expert Dr Vonda Wright, who is a regular guest on Mel Robbins' podcast. She believes that ages 44 to 60 are the most critical of our lives, and that this stage is the time to make changes.
She says one of the biggest lies about ageing is that there’s nothing you can do to stop it, something she's written about in her bestselling book, Unbreakable, which aims to help women achieve lifelong independence and give them tools for ageing with power.
Dr Wright has devised a four-step plan to help people who are getting back into exercise after a break, or even starting to exercise for the first time. “All you have to do is start,” she tells Mel. The key to success is to start small and build up as you become fitter and stronger.
How to start a fitness routine
1. Go for a walk once a day
A short walking workout is great for metabolism, mobility, and mental health, and most people can find the time to head outside, even if it's just for 10 minutes.
“All you have to do is go for a walk today, for as long as you can,” she says. “And you’re going to do that for seven days. I don’t want you to lift tomorrow. I just want you to walk for seven days because that is a streak.”
If you use Strava or other workout apps, you'll know that completing a streak makes you want to make it a habit, and this is the feeling Dr Wright wants to instil. “If you walk every day, preferably after your biggest meal, you’re not going to not do it on the eighth day because you’ve accomplished something, and you’re going to feel good about that.” This is how routines are formed.
2. Lift weights every week
Dr Wright says after you’ve started incorporating walks into your routine, it’s time to start lifting weights. There are so many different types of strength training you can do, from bodyweight exercises at home to full dumbbell gym workouts.
“It doesn’t have to be complicated or lifting heavy weights,” when you start, she says, because if you do it regularly, she believes everyone will see real progress in six months.
“Once you’re lifting, you can maintain by lifting twice a week” in a full-body workout. She tells Mel that you can become more specialised with your routine once you’ve made strength training a regular part of your life.
A set of the best dumbbells is an easy way to start lifting weights at home. You can do full-body workouts from the comfort of your living room. Digital Health Editor Grace Walsh recommends opting for an adjustable set if you're short on budget or storage space - simply roll on and off the weights to change the resistance.
3. Retrain your balance with daily exercises
Balance is an important indicator of physical health and a good predictor of lifespan, according to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Researchers looked at the performance of participants in a 10-second one-legged stance, finding that adults between 51 and 75 years old who couldn't complete the test had a "significantly" higher risk of premature death compared to those who completed it.
It's why Dr Wright's third suggestion is to retrain your balance and flexibility, to help prevent falls and fractures.
She recommends coupling basic exercises, like standing on one leg as you brush your teeth, with flexibility-focused workouts like yoga or Pilates, or even just stretching in your living room.
4. Get your heart rate up
“To build fitness, we have to challenge ourselves,” says Dr Wright. She suggests sprint intervals at the end of a cardio session. This is a 30-second burst of activity to raise heart rate before taking 30 seconds to recover, done four times.
“It’s really remarkable for building overall fitness,” she adds. It doesn’t have to be running. It could be a short cycling workout, going on the rowing machine, speed walking, or doing a dynamic strength movement like swinging a kettlebell.
A fitness tracker isn't a requirement - you can go on how your workout feels - but it can help you record your workouts and daily step count to set your streak. When doing cardio exercise, the live heart rate monitor can tell you whether you're working hard enough.
“It’s about your heart rate, not necessarily the apparatus,” she explains.
While we often speak about the benefits of strength training for women in perimenopause and beyond, cardio is still essential. Heart disease is still one of the most common issues faced by women.
“Almost globally, the number one killer of women is heart disease,” she says, and doing regular cardio exercise can help lower the risk.
