• Taking care of our musculoskeletal health can help us stay strong and active as we age.
• Dr. Vonda Wright describes the age between 35 and 45 as the “critical decade” for developing healthy habits.
• Muscle declines as we age, so building up shop when we’re younger can help keep us mobile.

A doctor who specializes in active aging shared three things she does to stay healthy and mobile as she ages.

Dr. Vonda Wright, a double-board-certified orthopedic surgeon in Florida whose roles include helping Olympians avoid injury, told Business Insider that maintaining strong muscles and strong bones is key to living a long life. and healthy.

Research suggests that 50 percent of people who break a hip never fully regain mobility, and 30 percent over the age of 65 die within a year, Wright said.

That’s why Wright sees healthy musculoskeletal aging as “a lifelong pursuit.” Under development healthy habits between the ages of 35 and 45, what she calls the “critical decade,” can help you maintain your mobility and strength as you age, she said.

“It’s critical to start paying attention now,” added Wright, author of “Fitness After 40.”

Wright shared three tips she follows to help her stay active well into her golden years.

Learn how to lift weights

recommends Wright strength training to build as much muscle as possible possible, especially in the critical decade.

As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass, which is crucial for everyday movements such as standing up from a chair. The process begins between the ages of 30 and 40 and begins between 65 and 80.

“Let’s build as much muscle as we can because from that we’re going to live longer and be stronger and build better bones,” she said. “If we need, let’s hire someone. Let’s save some money and learn how to lift.”

A growing body of research has linked lifting weights to live longer. In a 2022 study published in the journal JAMA, researchers analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey that detailed how much and what type of exercise more than 115,000 people over the age of 65 did over about eight years.

They found that those who said they did strength training at least twice a week were less likely to die from any cause than those who said they did less.

Eat a diet high in protein and plenty of vitamin D

to build muscleyou also need to make sure you’re eating enough protein, Wright said.

Mike Molloya nutrition coach for elite athletes, previously told BI that he advises people to eat about 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram, or 1.6 grams per kilogram, of total body mass.

Protein is a major component of bones, so it is also important for building strong bones.

Vitamin D, which helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, is crucial for maintaining bone density, she said, so it’s vital to get enough. Most people get enough vitamin D from sunlight, but those who live in colder climates probably don’t get enough in the winter and fall.

Vitamin D is found in a small number of foods such as fatty fish, red meat and egg yolks.

Take exercise micro-breaks from your desk

Many of us spend our entire careers sitting at a desk several hours a day, which leads to muscle loss and an “incredibly weak” musculoskeletal system, Wright said. “It’s one of the hallmarks of aging,” she said.

It is also linked to early death. A 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, which collected data from nearly 6,000 mobile women aged 63 to 99, found that those who sat for 11.6 hours or more a day were 57% more likely to to die of any cause.

To combat this, Wright recommends taking short breaks regularly throughout the day to do some physical activity.

“Doing 10 wall squats or 10 chair squats or 10 prisoner squats is really amazing for maintaining musculoskeletal health,” she said.

She recommended setting a reminder to go off every 45 minutes.