We're all going to age. Everything gets older. There's no avoiding it happening. The question isn't if you'll age—it's how you'll do it.
Backcasting Your Future
Peter Attia talks a lot about backcasting, and it's completely changed how I think about aging. Here's the exercise: Think about the last decade of your life and decide what you'd like to be able to do physically. Simple things like:
- Put a suitcase in an overhead compartment
- Walk down stairs confidently
- Get up from the toilet without assistance
- Take a walk around your neighborhood
Then go to your age now and see where you're at. That gap between where you are and where you want to be? That's your roadmap.
Attia focuses on grip strength with exercises like the dead hang and farmer's carry. I personally do both of these, but here's the real bottom line: You can eat protein all day long and get your max grams in each day, but if you aren't doing some type of strength training, you will lose muscle strength as you age. You can't avoid it.
The Protein Myth (And a Few Misunderstandings)
Let me clear up a few things about protein:
It doesn't really matter when you eat your protein. What matters is if you're able to digest it. Women I work with and women who reach out to us at XO Jacqui share often that digestion and bloating are big issues during peri and menopause and even after. That's why we picked brown rice as our protein source. It's organic and free from heavy metals—tested for that. It's a low-bloat formula that doesn't mess with your skin like whey or make you gassy. It's the protein your body can actually use and digest, and that's what's best for you.
My Top 5 Ways to Strengthen Your Muscles
1. Bodyweight Exercises Lunges, planks, squats, and bear crawls. You can do these at home anytime with no equipment.
2. A Weighted Vest Wear it a few times a week when you walk and a few times without. The progressive overload works wonders.
3. The Gym Route Go to a group class or hire a trainer a few times to put a routine together for you. Having professional guidance, even briefly, makes a huge difference.
4. Local Classes Maybe you can find a barre class, Pilates, or yoga sculpt. These combine strength work with flexibility and community.
5. DIY Strength Training Get some hand weights and resistance bands and find a few routines you love on YouTube for free. Or lift heavy alone with headphones on, listening to your favorite music.
Make It a Habit
Minimum 3 times a week. That's non-negotiable if you want to maintain muscle strength as you age.
I choose to exercise in the morning so I don't put it off, and it gives me energy the whole day. Find what works for your schedule, but find something.
Resources Worth Your Time
I suggest picking up a copy of How Not to Age—I'm sure the title is for marketing purposes, but truly it should be named How to Age Well. His other books are also pretty great, and Peter Attia's book Outlive is also one to read.
With so much information out in the culture about what to do when perimenopause hits, it's good to do some research and get curious about what works for you.
The Bottom Line
Two things are true:
- You can't avoid getting older.
- You can age with grace.
A key to doing that is to regularly strengthen your body with strength training exercises, minimum 3 times per week. Your future self will thank you.