The Number One Midlife Fitness Question: How Do I Get Started?

Feeling stuck? The hardest part of fitness is knowing where to start—let’s simplify it

The most common question I receive from people interested in midlife fitness, especially those starting later in life, is: How do I get started?

For those who haven’t been active most of their lives, figuring out the best approach can be overwhelming. Should you do yoga? Lift weights? Focus on core exercises? Plus, there are often physical issues and limitations to consider, which can make the process even more daunting.

On the other hand, some people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are already active but aren’t training with their future selves in mind. They might hike, play pickleball, or swim regularly, but still have significant gaps in their fitness routines that could impact their health in later years.

If your goal is to remain as vibrant as possible for as long as you can, and to manage the risks of potential falls and other age-related issues, your fitness plan should incorporate Strength, Stability, and Cardio. Without a balanced approach, muscle atrophy, loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers, reduced grip strength, and declining VO2 max will set in at an accelerated rate.

A useful concept to help create your training plan is Backcasting. In terms of fitness, backcasting means envisioning how you want to live in your last decade and then working backward to determine the steps you need to take now to make that vision a reality.

The Vital Five

Every effective training plan should include a combination of Strength, Stability, and Cardio. This is why I developed the Vital Five. When designing your fitness routine, whether on your own or with a trainer, make sure it incorporates these essential elements.

Two key realizations for me were the importance of strength training and how critical cardio is for creating mitochondrial efficiency—a fancy way of describing how your body converts food into energy for movement, thought, and growth.

With the help of professional trainers, we designed Beginner, Advanced Beginner, and Advanced exercises that fall into the Vital Five category. Explore our Exercise Library, where you'll find the FutureYOU exercises to conduct your own Fitness Check Point. Each exercise includes a link to a resource or video demonstrating proper form, ensuring users have clear guidance on how to perform each exercise effectively. You can download them here for free. The tasks are designed to be accessible, with many requiring little to no equipment, making them suitable for everyone. You can do them on your own or with a trainer or friend.

And dont forget. Friends are a great way to start your journey!