Movement in Midlife: Finding Strength, Joy, and Longevity
“You got this!”
It’s the kind of phrase you hear tossed around in gyms, fitness classes, and online workouts. Supposed to be motivating. Supposed to make us push harder. But the truth? If you’re in midlife or beyond, those words can feel hollow.
What many of us actually want isn’t a cheerleading chant. It’s someone who sees us, understands our history with our bodies, and can help us keep moving well — not just for fitness, but for life.
The Bodies We’ve Lived In
If you’re 45 or older, you’ve probably lived a lifetime of movement already. Maybe you played sports in high school, biked for hours with friends, skated until dark, or ran around the neighborhood until you were called in for dinner. No one tracked your steps. No parent organized your schedule. You simply moved because it was what you did.
And while those memories are golden, the truth is our bodies aren’t the same. The knees click a little louder, the back asks for a little more care, and recovery takes longer than it used to.
But the spirit — the desire to move, to play, to feel capable — is still alive.
A Story of Basketball and an Achilles
One of my clients recently played a pickup basketball game. His heart was in it, his mind still sharp, and for a little while, he felt 20 again. Until his Achilles gave out. Suddenly he was staring at weeks of recovery and wondering, “Am I done?”
That moment is familiar for so many of us. We don’t bounce back as fast. We can’t go quite as hard. But the answer isn’t to stop altogether. It’s to find a new way forward — one that honors where we are now and still keeps us doing what we love.
The Gift of Recovery
My 15-year-old son gave me a different perspective recently. He ran track this year, and after a season of triple and long jump, his quads were so blown he could barely walk. Within a week of rest, stretching, and a few Pilates sessions, he was nearly back to normal.
That’s youth. The body heals fast. In our 50s, 60s, or beyond, that same recovery might take three times as long. It doesn’t mean we’re broken — it just means we have to be more intentional. We need movement that strengthens without breaking us down, mobility that keeps joints happy, and balance that lets us move confidently through daily life.
Midlife as a New Chapter
The more I work with clients in midlife (and as I live it myself), the more I see this stage not as decline but as a shift. It’s about finding the sweet spot between challenge and care. It’s about asking:
What do I want my body to let me do?
How can I move in a way that supports my life, not limits it?
What will keep me vibrant, not just now, but for the next decade?
Sometimes the answer is strength training. Sometimes it’s mobility work. Sometimes it’s Pilates, health coaching, or simply moving every day — a walk, gardening, dancing in your kitchen. And sometimes it’s all of the above, woven together with rest, good food, and joy.
The Bottom Line
Midlife doesn’t mean giving up on movement. It means rewriting the rules. Some of the strongest, most capable people I know are in their 60s and 70s. They hike, ski, plank, squat, and live fully. They’ve discovered that with the right kind of training, health, and support, age becomes just a number.
And no — I’ll never tell them, “You got this.”
Instead, I remind them that they already do.