Jill Jones is on a mission to change the status quo of aging.<\/p>\n
The ISSA-certified personal trainer, owner of Colosseum Gym<\/a> in New Jersey and co-founder of online platform FitQuo<\/a>, believes building muscle is the ultimate aging defence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cStrength training should be accessible, sustainable and part of everyday life at any age,\u201d she tells Fit&Well.<\/p>\n Article continues below <\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n It\u2019s why she launched FitQuo with co-founder Elizabeth Reeder, to help people get stronger, feel more energized and better able to take charge of their health in the gym or at home.<\/p>\n Now, after years of working with older adults and beginners, she has realized that a handful of factors underpin longevity.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve found that five things matter most when it comes to aging well,\u201d says Jones.<\/p>\n \u201cNot just living longer, but living better.\u201d<\/p>\n 1. Balance and stability<\/p>\n \u201cFalls are one of the leading causes of injury in adults over 65,\u201d says Jones.<\/p>\n Most are preventable. \u201cBalance is a skill, and like any skill, it gets better with practice,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Jones urges everyone to incorporate single-leg work, slow and controlled movements, and exercises that challenge your coordination, like single-leg deadlifts, to \u201ctrain your body to catch itself\u201d if you trip or stumble.<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n \u201cMy clients come in wanting to look better. They stay because they feel better, safer, steadier and more confident in everything they do.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Mobility and joint health<\/p>\n Pain and tightness are not inevitable.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of my clients come to me believing that pain is just part of getting older,\u201d says Jones.<\/p>\n Then, within weeks of working together, their stiff hips, tight shoulders or aching knees become a thing of the past.<\/p>\n \u201cJoints need to move to feel good, and when we stop moving through our full range of motion, the body starts closing those ranges off permanently,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n \u201cOur bodies adapt to our level of movement. A sedentary lifestyle is the real enemy, not our age.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. Resistance training for bone and muscle strength<\/p>\n After 30, we naturally start losing muscle mass.<\/p>\n \u201cThis process accelerates after 60,\u201d says Jones. \u201cBut here\u2019s what most people don\u2019t realize: resistance training doesn\u2019t just slow that loss, it can actually reverse it.\u201d<\/p>\n Building strength is equally protective for your bones too, she adds.<\/p>\n \u201cUsing weights signals the body to maintain bone density, which is critical for preventing fractures.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need heavy weights, you just need to show up consistently and do the exercises that actually matter.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Cardiovascular fitness<\/p>\n Traditional cardio isn\u2019t the only way to improve your heart health.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don’t have to run a 5K to improve VO2 max\u2014the measure of how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise,\u201d explains Jones.<\/p>\n \u201cFor beginners and older adults, simply raising your heart rate in a controlled, rhythmic way through marching, stepping or brisk walking is enough to make meaningful progress.\u201d<\/p>\n The goal is effort, not speed.<\/p>\n As your fitness improves, Jones says you can introduce new movements like dynamic mountain climbers to keep sessions physically challenging and mentally stimulating.<\/p>\n