When people think about exercise, they often imagine hours on a treadmill or heavy lifting at the gym. But what your body really needs — especially as you age — isn’t complicated. It’s movement that mimics real life. Movement that protects your joints, builds your strength, supports your brain, and keeps you independent.
It’s not about sculpted abs or punishing routines. It’s about function, longevity, and freedom. In other words: move it or lose it.
Here are the six types of movement your body actually needs to age with strength, grace, and confidence. No trends. No six-week boot camps. Just smart, practical movement that helps you keep doing the things you love — like walking the dog, carrying your own groceries, or dancing in the kitchen like no one’s watching (except your dog, but she can keep a secret).
The 6 Types of Movement That Matter
Think of these as your personal longevity toolkit. If you’re doing a little bit of each regularly, you’re not just “exercising”—you’re investing in your future self (and avoiding the day you need help getting off the floor after playing with your dog).
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- Walking for endurance and heart health
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- Lifting for strength and stability
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- Bending for mobility and spinal support
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- Squatting for lower body power and independence
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- Gripping for dexterity and nervous system health
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- Brain exercise for cognition and emotional well-being
These aren’t about trends or fancy equipment. These are the movements that help you live fully—now and later. Let’s break them down and make them feel real.
1. Walking: The Unsung Hero of Movement
Walking isn’t sexy, but it’s a powerhouse. It improves cardiovascular health, boosts your mood, supports metabolism, reduces inflammation, and helps regulate blood sugar. It’s also free, requires no equipment, and unless you are snowed in or trapped in an elevator (in which case: press that call button), it’s always an option.
As we age, walking becomes less about “getting your steps” and more about staying mobile. This is the foundational movement that keeps everything else functioning—your joints lubricated, your muscles active, your mind clear. It’s like oiling your own gears, one step at a time.
And here’s the kicker: brisk walking is enough to lower your risk of disease. You don’t have to power walk with hand weights like it’s 1987. Just move with intention. A short daily walk can shift your energy, your mindset, and your body.
Walking is also my daily base exercise—the non-negotiable that everything else stacks on top of. When I started my health journey, I wasn’t lifting or doing “workouts.” I was just walking. Fifteen minutes a day. And honestly? I was muttering “I don’t wanna do this” the entire time while watching the clock tick down so I could stop. But I did it anyway. Those 15 minutes became proof that I could show up for myself even when I didn’t feel like it.
And that 15 minutes became 4+ mile walks (or hikes) daily.
Finally walking doubles as mental therapy. Some of my best thinking happens mid-stride. Add a podcast, your favorite playlist, or—if you’re feeling brave—try walking in silence and actually listening to your thoughts (wild, I know).
Now? I walk a minimum of four miles every single day. No muttering. No clock-watching. Just me, my body, and a whole lot of gratitude for how far I’ve come—literally and figuratively. In addition, every day after work, my dog Olive gets her workout. She’s 14 now (98 in dog years). Our 10 mile hikes together are a thing of the past, but she still moves with me every single day 1-2 miles (which adds another mile or two to my 4 miles mentioned).
Walking is the best way for me to connect with Olive (my dog), nature and myself all at the same time!
2. Lifting: Strength That Serves You
If walking is your foundation, lifting is my fortress. It protects bones, builds muscle, revs your metabolism, and makes everyday tasks easier—like hauling groceries, moving furniture, or wrangling an overexcited dog who just spotted a squirrel and forgot her manners.
As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass (thanks, aging process). But strength training slows that down—and builds it back. It’s not about lifting heavy just to say you did. It’s about lifting smart so your body stays capable and resilient—so you can keep doing life on your terms.
When I first started, I wasn’t pumping iron. I was lifting three-pound weights. And yes—my lat pulls had no actual weight on the machine. That’s where I began. No shame, no comparisons, just honest effort. Now I lift 10-pound weights and do 20-pound lat pulls. Not because I have to, but because I can. And because the act of lifting something heavy makes me feel strong—physically and mentally.
Lifting teaches you that you can do hard things. You feel it the moment you finish that last rep. That’s where confidence grows—rep by rep, set by set. There’s no substitute for that feeling.
And if weights feel intimidating? Start with your own body: air squats, step-ups, planks, or resistance bands. No barbell necessary. The goal isn’t to become a bodybuilder—it’s to become strong enough to fully live your life. To carry your own stuff. To open your own jars. To feel like a badass when you pick something up and your brain says, “Hey… that used to feel heavy.”
3. Bending: Hinge It Like You Mean It
Bending is not the same as squatting. Read that again. And again. Squatting drops you low—bending sends your hips back. It’s a hip hinge, not a butt-to-floor situation. And it matters more than most people realize.
Bending well protects your lower back and strengthens both your core and glutes. It’s the key to picking things up without throwing your back out—laundry baskets, dog bowls, dropped phones, gardening tools, your pride… whatever the day throws at you.
The problem? Most people bend by rounding their spine like a sad cooked shrimp. We’ve forgotten how to hinge from the hips—one of the most functional, essential movements your body was built to do.
Learning to hip hinge (more like a deadlift than a toe touch) can change everything. It engages the back body, protects the spine, and actually makes you feel stronger instead of wrecked afterward. Here are the steps: feet hip distance apart, hinge at your hips while pushing your booty out, bending your knees, while keeping your back flat, push through your heels and lean forward like you’re about to lift a heavy barbell or set of weights, maintaining a straight back and engaged core throughout the movement (extra points if you actually life a bar or weights).
I do actual dead lifts every other day with 10 pound weights. But first thing every morning, I do 20 “good mornings.” I hinge at the hips and lower to the ground (deadlift style), then I straighten my legs and touch the ground (like a toe touch) reaching down as far as I can go (think palms on the floor), then hinge back up to standing while lifting my arms overhead and hinge backward (leaning back) as far as I can go. It’s a full range-of-motion wake-up call for my legs, spine, hips, arms, and shoulders—and it’s made bending throughout the day feel smoother, stronger, and less like a trip to the chiropractor waiting to happen.
4. Squatting: Drop It Like It’s Functional
Squatting is the movement that lets you get up off the couch, out of a chair, off the toilet, and down to the floor without needing a crane—or a hand from the nearest teenager. It’s not just about strong legs—it’s about independence (and dignity).
Unlike bending, which hinges at the hips, squatting involves bending the knees and dropping your hips and butt toward the ground while keeping your chest lifted (think sitting down or chair position if you are doing yoga). Totally different pattern. Totally different purpose. And yes, you need both squats and bending/hinges.
Squats work your glutes, quads, hamstrings, hips, and core all at once. They build strength, improve balance, and help you move through life without creaking, wobbling, or bracing yourself on furniture like it’s an Olympic event.
Just practice lowering yourself to a chair and standing back up—with control and without using your hands! Do it five times before you actually sit down or get up. To make it harder, try pausing halfway. Try doing it without making that little grunt noise (you know the one that sounds like you’re moving furniture in your own body).
I squat as part of my regular workout circuit but I use a 10-pound kettlebell. It’s not just about the reps, this movement helps me check in with my body—do my knees feel creaky or strong? Can I hold the position while I breathe?—and it makes squatting throughout the day feel smoother and easier. It’s one of the best ways to stay connected to your lower body and to keep moving through life on your own terms
5. Gripping: Don’t Let Go of This One
Grip strength doesn’t usually get the spotlight, but it should. Research shows it’s a powerful predictor of overall health and longevity. Translation? If you can’t open a jar or carry a bag of groceries without assistance, it might be time to give your hands and forearms a little love (and a little work).
Gripping isn’t just about your hands—it’s about your nervous system, your coordination, and your ability to function without calling in reinforcements every time a pickle jar puts up a fight. We use our grip for everything: opening doors, turning knobs, cooking, gardening, lifting, carrying, climbing, dragging garbage cans to the curb—you name it.
And like everything else, if you don’t train it, you’ll lose it. I’ve made a point to train my grip intentionally—using kettlebells, dumbbells, resistance bands, grip rings, finger stretchers and even just holding onto a heavy bag for a while. You can also try dead hangs, squeezing therapy balls, or walking around with something heavy in each hand like a farmer who means business.
I injured my hand and wrist lifting my (heavy) bike onto a bike rack and although it’s been almost a year, it’s never quite been the same in terms of my grip. Even though I did all my physical therapy as prescribed, it taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of grip strength. My wrist continues to get better every day, but even if you haven’t previously injured yourself like I did, there is great value in keeping your grip strong. Of course I lift weights, kettlebells, and grocery bags. Sometimes I even hang from the bars at the park. But every day when I walk, I do simple finger/hand exercises touching my thumb to each finger while I walk.
The cool thing is, as your grip gets stronger, everything else gets a little easier. You’ll notice it when you carry all the groceries in one trip like a boss, pop a stubborn lid off without swearing, or lift something awkward without fumbling it like a hot potato. Grip strength is power in disguise—and it’s worth holding on to. Literally.
6. Brain Exercise: Move Your Body, Challenge Your Mind
We talk a lot about muscles, but your brain is the real power center. And just like any muscle, if you want it to stay sharp, you have to use it—on purpose. No dusty crossword puzzle required (unless you’re into that, in which case: own it).
The good news? Movement is brain training. Every time you challenge your balance, learn a new skill, or coordinate your body in a new way, your brain lights up like a disco ball. That mind-body connection isn’t fluff—it’s legit neuroscience.
I’m not just talking Sudoku or Wordle here (though they’re fine warm-ups). I mean physical activities that work your focus, coordination, and pattern recognition. Line Dancing. Tai chi. Pickleball. Yoga flows that require you to remember sequences. Even walking backward or sideways on your next walk (yes, I do this—and no, I’m not lost… probably).
My brain feels clearer when I move in new ways. It’s like shaking off mental cobwebs with a little movement magic. And the more I do it, the more agile I feel—not just physically, but emotionally and mentally too. Staying sharp isn’t just about memory—it’s about adaptability, confidence, and being the person who says “yes” to life instead of “ugh” to everything new.
So go ahead, try something that makes you feel a little awkward. Awkward is where the growth happens—and hey, it’s also where the best stories come from.
Why This Matters
Aging isn’t a slow decline—it’s a chance to evolve, to deepen, to move with more purpose and presence. But if we want to stay independent and fully alive, we must stay active—and we have to train for it.
These six types of movement aren’t random—they’re what your body and brain actually need to function well over time. This is about real-life strength. The kind that helps you lift your own suitcase, squat down to play with your grandkids, bend to pull weeds, open that stubborn jar, or walk a trail without worrying if you’ll make it back.
You don’t need a gym (unless you love that). You don’t need a perfect plan (is there such a thing?). You just need to move—with intention, with curiosity, and with a little bit of grit.
So—what about you? Which of these six movements are already part of your routine… and which ones could use a little more love this week?
Every step, squat, hinge, lift, grip, and brain boost is a vote for your future self. You’re not just building a stronger body—you’re building a life that feels good to live in.
Move it or lose it isn’t just a saying—it’s biology.
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