If you think reaching 70 means becoming frail, slowing down and losing your independence, Carrie Sisson offers a very different picture of what ageing can look like.
The fitness coach started taking strength training seriously in her 30s because she ‘wanted to feel good long term’, she wrote on Instagram.
Now, at 70, she’s ‘having the time of her life’ – something she largely credits to years of consistently prioritising strength.
‘I’ve always been inspired to get stronger with age – not more fragile,’ she said in another Instagram post.
‘I used to think 70 sounded old. Instead, I’ve found myself feeling more grateful for my life than ever. I’m strong. I’m mobile. I feel good in my body,’ she wrote in a separate post.
And, she says, none of it has happened by chance.
‘It’s not luck or genetics – it’s years of small deposits adding up.’
Here are the five habits Carrie recommends adopting between your 30s and 60s if you want to stay strong, capable and independent later in life.
5 habits to start before 70, according to fitness coach Carrie Sisson1. Focus more on what you can lift than what you weigh
‘I promise your strength is going to matter so much more to your future than fitting into a smaller pair of jeans,’ Carrie says.
Rather than chasing a number on the scales, she encourages women to celebrate getting stronger.
Research supports that approach. A 2022 review of studies involving adults aged 65 and over found that progressive resistance training significantly improved muscle strength and bone density.
‘Bone density, balance, confidence – all of it is trainable, at any age,’ Carrie added in another Instagram post.
2. Build muscle like your future depends on it
Because, in many ways, it does.
‘Muscle is like our insurance policy for ageing,’ Carrie said.
‘Every time you train you are really building stronger bones, muscle you hold onto instead of lose, and a body that keeps up with you as the years pass.’
She points to everyday examples of what that strength can mean.
‘You can be the friend who still gets down on the floor with her grandkids and pops back up without help, who carries her own suitcase through the airport, who says yes to the hike. It’s not luck or genetics – it’s years of small deposits adding up.’
Research backs that up. One study involving mobility-limited adults with an average age of 85 found that just 10 weeks of strength training increased leg muscle mass and improved functional performance by 7-11%.
3. Include cardio – but don’t rely on it
Strength training forms the foundation of Carrie’s routine, but she still makes time for cardio.
‘I’ve never used cardio to maintain my weight. Not at 40, not at 50, not now at 70,’ she wrote in an Instagram post.
‘If you’re starting out with more body fat and not a lot of muscle yet… lifting is what makes that happen. You don’t need to run for an hour. You need to pick up something heavy and do it consistently!’
That doesn’t mean cardio isn’t valuable.
A systematic review involving more than 2,000 adults aged over 70 found aerobic exercise improved cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health, physical function, cognitive performance and quality of life.
4. Don’t let your age define what you can do
Carrie also believes many of the limits we place on ourselves come from society rather than our bodies.
‘Wear the clothes. Try the thing!’ she says.
‘You don’t have to “act your age” just because society has decided what 70 is supposed to look like.’
Research has linked authentic self-expression with greater wellbeing, with one study finding a positive relationship between the two.
5. Feed your mind as well as your body
Finally, Carrie says healthy ageing isn’t just about exercise and nutrition.
‘The people you surround yourself with, the thoughts you rehearse and the things you give your attention to all shape the life you’re creating,’ she said.
Research suggests she has a point. One 2024 study found that people exposed to positive news experienced more positive emotions, while exposure to negative news had the opposite effect.
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