Empowering Women Through Ageing
Dr. Vonda Wright, an orthopaedic surgeon, addresses the struggles of women experiencing frailty and health issues in their later years. She recalls a patient who suffered a hip fracture while simply standing at the sink. Many of her patients face challenges like incontinence, immobility, or memory loss. “As women right now,” she states, “we spend the last 20—sometimes 30—years of our lives dying.”
A significant part of this distress stems from societal attitudes towards ageing in women. There’s a prevalent belief that physical and mental decline is just part of getting older. This leads to a “learnt resignation,” according to Wright. However, she insists that focusing on mobility, muscle building, flexibility, and hormonal health can alter this narrative. She’s committed to ensuring that doesn’t become the norm.
Wright notices that many women are not doing themselves any favors. She often encounters women who are “underfed” and “under-proteined.” They casually mention their eating habits, saying things like, “‘I drink coffee in the morning, have a salad for lunch, and might not eat again until 2 or 3.’” She emphasizes, “Our body needs plenty of protein to build muscle,” explaining how many in her generation were conditioned to think they should be “this big” — with her fingers demonstrating how small that is. “To age well, you have to feed yourself properly and avoid becoming frail.”
At 58, Wright is quite remarkable. As the founding director of the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes and a longevity specialist, she has recently testified before the FDA about menopause and HRT. With her striking appearance, jet-black hair, and well-manicured nails, she radiates vitality. In her new book, Unbreakable: A Woman’s Guide to Ageing With Power, she discusses reclaiming her “badassery,” which seems hard to believe she ever lost.
Reflecting on her early forties, when she was at her strongest—competing in triathlons with 19 percent body fat—she recalls how difficult the perimenopause was for her. “At 47, I thought I was going to die,” she admits. Brain fog and physical discomfort were part of her reality. She laughs, saying, “I had back fat hanging out of my bra.”
But she has transformed herself and believes we can do the same. Unbreakable aims to invigorate and inform all women, blending meticulous details with scientific backing.
Stay Active to Counteract Ageing Risks
Wright asserts that exercise serves as a potent antidote to the “time bombs” of ageing. Inactivity, on the other hand, can raise the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and metabolic syndrome—a condition she refers to as “sedentary death syndrome.”
Among the ageing concerns are genetic issues, like DNA damage from telomere shortening. Remarkably, just six months of aerobic activity can help lengthen these telomeres, which safeguard our genetic material. There’s also “inflammaging,” a chronic state of low inflammation that can stem from factors like stress and menopause. For Wright, a structured regimen of cardiovascular and resistance training, coupled with an anti-inflammatory diet, is crucial.
Additionally, she outlines dysfunction within mitochondria as another ageing concern. These cellular powerhouses convert food into energy, and when they falter, metabolic issues arise. Activities like running, swimming, and cycling can help generate new mitochondria. Cell senescence, where damaged “zombie cells” contribute to inflammation, can also be mitigated—just 12 weeks of moderate aerobic exercise can reduce their numbers and enhance cellular self-cleaning.
Recognize the Musculoskeletal Impacts of Menopause
Wright recently identified “the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause” to explain the disparate symptoms affecting 70 percent of women, like joint stiffness and muscle loss. She describes muscle as “the engine that drives your health span,” highlighting its role in regulating metabolism and producing essential hormones.
With menopause accelerating muscle loss and inflammation, Wright points out that oestrogen is vital for muscle health, muscle protein synthesis, and even bone strength. The decline in oestrogen can lead to an increase in conditions like arthritis among women.
Besides supporting structural functions, bones also release osteocalcin, which helps the brain and regulates insulin sensitivity. Wright emphasizes that a significant drop—up to 20 percent—of bone density can occur in the five to seven years surrounding menopause.
While she supports HRT for osteoporosis prevention, Wright cautions that it doesn’t encompass all solutions. Strength comes from commitment to physical activity, nutritional choices, and social interactions.
Importance of Flexibility, but More Than Just Pilates
Wright promotes exercise through the FACE framework—Flexibility, Aerobic capacity, Carrying load, and Equilibrium plus foot speed. She believes flexibility routines should be a frequent practice, indicating that stretching counters the effects of ageing on tendons and ligaments. Neglecting this can lead to diminished mobility and stiffness, resulting in a shuffling gait rather than a confident stride.
Though activities like yoga and Pilates enhance muscle endurance and combat stiffness, Wright feels they fall short in building significant lean muscle mass. She notably refers to Pilates, saying it should be the “garnish” of one’s fitness routine. “I don’t suggest abandoning it. I just say, it won’t be enough.”
Jump Training: Bringing Back Power
Wright advocates for jump training, or plyometrics, as it taps into fast-twitch muscle fibers that diminish over time. Engaging in jumping activities not only builds those muscles but also helps the body to strengthen bones. Some women in midlife may hesitate to jump due to pelvic-floor concerns—but Wright reassures that these can be retrained.
Jumping doesn’t have to be dramatic. Simple activities such as skipping can suffice, with just 10 to 20 repetitions a day potentially enhancing strength and bone density. Sharing my newfound enthusiasm for bouncing around, I tell her how freeing it feels. “I love that you mentioned it,” she recalls. “There’s a capability that comes with being able to navigate challenges with ease—mind and body working together.”
Moderation in High-Intensity Training
Wright warns against excessive high-intensity interval training (HIIT) during midlife, emphasizing that while a couple of sessions can be beneficial, overdoing it can lead to reduced energy production from mitochondria and various negative outcomes. Overuse injuries and elevated cortisol from strenuous workouts can be detrimental, contributing to weight gain and other health problems.
She categorizes exercise intensity into five zones, suggesting that most training should happen in zone two, where you can converse but know you’re exerting yourself. The remaining training can be in zone five. Many, she notes, tend to gravitate towards the middle ranges—zones three and four—which can raise cortisol levels without being effective in body recomposition.
For her zone two workouts, Wright often opts for walking on an inclined treadmill or other heart-rate elevating activities, all while consulting with her healthcare provider.
Building Strength for Everyday Life
Wright’s approach to weightlifting isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about practical needs—like lifting her grandson or handling tasks independently without seeking help. To really build strength, it’s about quality, or power, rather than quantity. “Lower reps with heavier weights is the way to go,” she suggests, detailing that, for example, bench presses can be done in sets of four until nearing the point of failure.
She explains that mastering this skill may take time, but once comfortable with heavier weights, one can then introduce speed into lifts to maximize power.
Ultimately, she emphasizes the importance of technique and proper training, underlining the necessity of investing in a trainer for the right guidance.
Unbreakable: A Woman’s Guide to Ageing with Power by Vonda Wright is now available.
