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August is National Wellness Month, which sounds like a good excuse to check in with yourself. But we don’t mean with a scale, a stopwatch, or some guilt-inducing list of things you’re supposed to do or not do. Just ask a few simple questions to help you focus. Give yourself one point for every "yes." Then see where you land. □ I strength train at least twice a week. Strong muscles make everyday life easier. They help you climb stairs, carry groceries, get up off the floor, an

This past weekend, I had the chance to spend time with my extended family at a reunion. There were cousins I hadn’t seen in years, kids running around, plenty of food, lots of laughter, lawn games, campfires, and the kind of conversations that remind you how important it is to slow down and enjoy the people around you. As I watched everyone interacting, I found myself noticing something (because apparently I can’t completely turn off my “trainer brain”!). The best moments wer

Joy Upshaw is 65 and a champion track-and-field athlete. And one of her secrets to success is key to all of us as we age and try to stay our best: Some days you got it, and some days you don’t. “You got to be careful with our age,” she says about her daily training regimen. “I try to make every day an ‘A’ day, but it could be a ‘B.’ And if it is, I'm not going to worry about it.” Joy’s articulating something smart that can help anyone with their health and fitness goals, eve

This past weekend, I had the chance to spend time with my extended family at a reunion. There were cousins I hadn’t seen in years, kids running around, plenty of food, lots of laughter, lawn games, campfires, and the kind of conversations that remind you how important it is to slow down and enjoy the people around you. As I watched everyone interacting, I found myself noticing something (because apparently I can’t completely turn off my “trainer brain”!). The best moments wer

Six months into the year, a lot of people start grading themselves. · Did I hit my goals? · Did I fall off? · Am I ahead or behind? Here's a better way to think about it: this isn't a report card, it's halftime. No coach spends halftime handing out grades. They look at what's working, adjust what isn't, and figure out how to play the second half better than the first. That's it — just a clear-eyed look at the game so far and a plan for what's next. Maybe you

Have you ever noticed that when you're tired, hungry, stressed, and haven't exercised in days… everything feels harder? You have less patience. You worry more. Little problems feel like big problems. You can't focus. And somehow the laundry becomes the final straw. It's tempting to think, "I just need to get my mindset right." But what if mindset isn't the place to start? I've been reading Brain Energy by psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer, and one of the things that struck me mos

The other night, a handful of our ProActive members and I went to see Bonnie Raitt in concert. As we made our way through the crowd, we kept bumping into other ProActive members. It was fun seeing so many familiar faces outside the gym, all of us enjoying a great night of music together. I expected a good concert because I've always liked Bonnie Raitt's music. What I got was much more than that. Her voice was incredible—honestly, if you closed your eyes, you could have believ

For people over 50 who know they should exercise but don’t, it’s always one thing after another. They say they don’t have the time. Or the money. Or they’re too old... But none of that will keep you independent as you age. It won’t keep you strong enough to enjoy life on your own terms. And it won’t keep your weight down, regulate your blood pressure, or provide a key social outlet. Facts are: You have the time, money and motivation. What kills time, eats money, withers motiv

Bone health might be one of the most important topics for anyone over 50. It is always a good time to take stock of where your bones stand and what you're doing to protect them. Here are the facts that matter most. 1. It's more common than most people realize. An estimated 2.5 million Canadians have osteoporosis and up to 54% of post-menopausal women have osteopenia (low bone density). It's a widespread condition that often goes undetected until something breaks. 2. Fractures

There’s something about this time of year that just feels right for a reset. Especially when it FINALLY feels like spring around here. I mean, it’s been—what—17 whole days since our last snowstorm in Saskatoon? Practically tropical. Windows are opening, people are reappearing outside, and there’s that collective sense of “Okay! We made it.” And yet, for some reason, we’ve all been conditioned to believe that January is the time to set big goals and reinvent ourselves. Which,

A few weeks ago, I revisited a book that I first read about two years ago, The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter, and it's been on my mind a lot lately. The premise is simple, but a bit uncomfortable (which is kind of the point): modern life has made things so easy, so convenient, so COMFORTABLE, that we’ve lost our ability—and sometimes even our willingness—to do hard things. And that becomes a problem. Especially as we get older. Because life doesn’t stop asking hard things

There’s a sneaky little shift that can happen as we get older, and if we’re not careful, it starts running the show. We look backward more than forward. We think about what we used to do.How we used to feel.How things used to be “easier.” And just like that, we start comparing our current selves to a past version, who, let’s be honest, had a completely different life, schedule, and set of responsibilities. Not exactly a fair fight. But here’s the thing: possibility doesn’t

When Kim’s new grandbaby comes to visit, she doesn’t think twice about carrying him up and down the stairs. Between visits, she carries a 15-pound weight on those same stairs — just to stay ready. That’s the kind of practical, purposeful thinking that defines her approach to fitness at 70. Since joining a gym with her husband, Rick, 74, last year, Kim has lost 25 pounds and dropped a clothing size. But those numbers aren’t really the point. “I’m more fit now than I was 10 yea

What if it goes badly? That’s the question most of us ask on autopilot. What if I fail? What if I look stupid? What if I can’t keep it up? What if this doesn’t work for me? And just like that, we’ve talked ourselves out of trying. Or we show up half-heartedly, already bracing for disappointment. But here’s a thought I’ve been coming back to lately: What if it goes right? What if this time you do follow through? What if your body responds better than you expect? What if you ac

Karen Bridges had a moment of clarity that a lot of people over 50 will recognize. She was having trouble doing ordinary daily things, like working in the garden. Her balance was faltering. Her desk job kept her sedentary all day, and earlier years of being active "off and on" ended with the pandemic. "I hit a wall of reality," the 65-year-old says. "I realized that if I didn't change anything in my life, then nothing would change." That mindset shift made all the difference.

Spend time around people who remain active into their 60s, 70s and beyond, and you start hearing the same ideas over and over. They’re not complicated or trendy, but they sure do work. Here are 10 lessons from folks who age well and stay active, maintaining health, energy, and independence through exercise. 1. Don’t wait for life to be perfect Barbara Warren kept competing in track events while waiting for knee replacement surgery. She sometimes finished last. She was still m

You may have noticed it creeping back in. The headlines. The red-carpet commentary. The sudden celebration of “heroin chic” bodies that look suspiciously like the ones we were told to starve ourselves into back in the 1990s. Skinny culture is making a comeback. For women our age, this isn’t exactly new territory. Many of us grew up in a time when the message was clear: smaller was better, hunger was discipline, and strength was…unfeminine. A lot of women paid a high price for

Something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: muscle loss during cancer treatment. For many people with cancer, losing muscle affects treatment, quality of life, and outcomes. Severe muscle and weight loss, known as cancer cachexia, contributes to nearly one-third of cancer-related deaths. That’s why researchers are paying closer attention to the role of movement and strength. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), muscle loss during cancer trea

Ralph Preziosi doesn’t just love to ski. He started a non-profit organization to lead international trips so others could enjoy the sport, as well. For Ralph, 69, skiing is a lifelong passion. And regular workouts at the gym make it possible for him to continue. “There’s nothing like it, going down a mountain and feeling a breeze on your face,” says Ralph, a retired food distributor. “It’s just an amazing feeling of freedom.” He’s far from unique among people over 50 who want

Have you ever finished a workout and thought, “Well… I showed up, but did I actually do anything?” You moved. You checked the box. You sweated a little. But you weren’t really there. It happens to all of us sometimes. We’re distracted, rushing, thinking about work or dinner or the million other things pulling at us. We go through the motions — reps get counted, sets get done — but our brain is somewhere else. Here’s the problem: your body can tell. There’s a big difference be