My feet are bigger than they used to be, so I can no longer stuff my paws into a dainty size 6.5. And my bottom teeth are so crooked now, going from kinda not that noticeable to cartoonish, that I’m seriously considering Invisalign.

WTF is going on here?

Aw, well, you know. It’s just aging.

It’s both a comfort and a nightmare to have these changes confirmed for me. The NYT just ran a story with the headline “5 (More) Surprising Signs You’re Getting Older” that quotes a bunch of academics and doctors—science!—on the finer points of this slow march to decrepitude.

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This is a follow-up, mind you, to an earlier missive titled “4 Weird Signs You’re Getting Older.”

Neither is light reading.

Here’s a litany of woes that only begins to scratch the surface, added to fallen arches and less padding on our feet (hence the smooshed profile) and shifting orthodontia:

• Our vocal cords thin out, altering our voices (they may go higher in octave for men, and lower in women).

• Our skin also thins out and dries out. Tiny cracks can open up, making us itchy and inflamed.

• We shrink, on average 2 inches for women by the time we’re 70 (about an inch for men). And when we hit 80? There goes another inch.

• We lose some of our sense of taste.

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Not wanting to be alone in my misery, I turned to my friend Alicia. She and I are in the same demo, in that we both love Cheap Trick, Mary Tyler Moore and bitching about our aches and pains. I “gifted” her with the “5 Surprising Signs” link.

Her reply: “Yipes!”

Me: “Right?!?”

Her: “Should we laugh or cry or both?”

Me: “Both.”

Actually, a group of us had just been discussing our longer, wider feet at Saturday morning boot camp. I don’t recall how it came up, but Alicia and I and every warrior goddess at Super Fun Exercising in the Great Outdoors had the same story. Nope, can’t wear my old shoes anymore. Had to go up a size, or more.

It’s a shared experience, a way for us to commiserate and laugh. Good for the brain, the blood pressure and the abs.

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But it’s also a reminder to double and triple down on taking care of ourselves. There are things we can control, like moving and strengthening our bodies. Lift, my friends!

For some of the other indignities of aging? Well, I’m really into Truff sauce these days (get the green one, it’s epic) and I’m loaded up on CeraVe.

Next up: visiting one of those smash rooms. Primal therapy + full-body workout! Please feel free to share your coping mechanisms in the comments.

Fit Bits

• Just watch Dolly.

• Cow cuddling? I wrote about it in my On Trend column in Muse late last year, and now Stoneyfield Organic has organized an entire pasture-fresh spa day around it. Sign up here, and take me with you!

• Just when I’d completely lost faith in Gen Zalpha, a 15-year-old boy is running for governor of Vermont. Dean Roy probably won’t beat out the heavily favored incumbent, but props to this civic-minded young dude.

• It’s too hot to wear clothes. Full stop. But brands say they can help.

Foot traffic has increased at the gym, as has the head count in our group fit classes.

Ahhhh, fall has arrived, or “fall,” since it’s 95 degrees in Burbank.

This mini attendance surge happens in late August every year, and the equation looks something like this: kids + back to school = more parents working out.

There are a few likely explanations, mainly that summer vacations are over, and families are returning to their regular schedules.

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But as I was chatting about this annual phenom with other instructors recently, I started to think about all those absences over the past several months and the reasons we delay our wellness.

We might tell ourselves “I’ll get to it after I finish this work assignment, after the holidays, after things settle down, after the Little League tournament, after I get back from Kuala Lumpur, after mercury goes out of retrograde…”

What I think we’re looking for is a wide-open blank space on our calendar, some mythical, magical runway with no obstacles. It’s a lovely thought, it’s just not realistic. In fact, it simply doesn’t exist.

When are we not busy? When do we not have far more obligations than there are hours in the day? When do the demands ever end? No need to answer.

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There will always be a hurdle, or multiple hurdles, in our path. And it gets worse, not better, all the time. Hello, sandwich generation, I see you!

A fellow Substacker named Emma at ESG Fitness weighed in on the topic recently in a post headlined “Why you shouldn’t wait,” with pearls of wisdom such as this one: “Every time you wait for better circumstances, you reinforce the belief that you can only look after yourself when circumstances are good.”

Delaying just makes it tougher to start, she says. “You need to stop seeing your life as something that gets in the way of your goals. Otherwise, it always will.”

She’s 100% on the money.

There are plenty of similarities here to the “perfect workout trap” that I wrote about not long ago. That’s when we skip our physical activity all together if we can’t go full beast mode for some proscribed (lengthy, grueling) session. All in, or forget it.

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These are both traps that we set for ourselves. So how do we fix this?

Here are a few tips that I hope can help, but the key is to reframe your thinking. Instead of saying “I’ll get to it one day, eventually, when all the stars align” try “I’ll do it now, while everything is messy and complicated, and establish a pattern that will benefit me for the long haul.”

• Take baby steps, especially if you’re a lapsed exerciser. Start with a few outdoor activities you enjoy or a one-day-a-week gym commitment, and build from there

• Have a backup plan for when chaos inevitably strikes, like swapping out a pilates class you couldn’t attend for a power hike in your neighborhood

• Remember that something is always better than nothing. Yes, a 10-minute “tank top arms” video with Katie Austin counts, as does a yard work session

• Reward yourself when you move your body. I suggest inexpensive gear, healthy food, free podcasts and playlists, a solo trip to the movies, whatever makes you happy

Feel free to drop your own ideas in the comments.

Even if you’re not a tech bro, you might have been swept up in the ongoing health optimization trend. Counting, tracking, mapping, maxxing. A handful of supplements here, a longevity retreat there, a cold plunge everywhere.

And though it bubbled up first in Silicon Valley, it soon spread far and wide until it seemed like everyone was doing it. Blame TikTok. Go ahead.

But who among us hasn’t found ourselves at least a little swept up in this wave, buying a pill, potion or gadget that promises to fight our inflammation, boost our brainpower or slow our aging? (I am not talking about the Shake Weight, my friends, cuz that “flab busting breakthrough” is gold. Find it at a yard sale near you).

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Confession: I’ve barely dented a huge jug of creatine I bought a while ago. It was not cheap. Maybe I’d have a much sharper mind if I were taking it on the reg and my muscles wouldn’t be screaming today after a tough back-to-back strength and pilates workout? I may never know.

Because the cycles are so lightning fast now, optimization quickly became over-optimization and over-optimization quickly led to burnout and backlash. All the while, the global wellness industrial complex is booming, to the tune of $6.8 trillion.

I’m seeing a number of important conversations coming out of this phenom. 1) Do we really need all the data, or is it just flooding us with useless numbers and stressing us out? 2) Women are disproportionately targeted by products in this space, and it’s bleeding us dry. 3) Have we stopped listening to our bodies, outsourcing how we actually feel to a Whoop device?

A fellow Substacker recently posted a thoughtful story under the headline, “The Price of Feeling Well,” arguing that some of the most reliable health hacks are 100% free. (They require action and consistency, not cash).

Some of her wise words: “The idea that ‘health is the new luxury’ is everywhere. My feed overfloweth with it. My issue is that we speak about it as though it’s something we buy rather than something we do.”

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Read here for her tips on separating need from noise.

And a story in British Vogue comes from a marathon-running, Hyroxing, Barry’s Boot Camping gal who says, “My £1,000-A-Month Wellness Obsession Was Making Me Sick.”

Translation for us Yanks: that’s $1,348.56 a month, which meant all her disposable income was going to gear, ClassPass, retinols, waxing and other self-care, she explains. She also admits she teetered over into obsessive territory.

Yet another example here, a video from the New York Times, with a medical doctor confronting the “more data is always better” argument. It’s no spoiler to say she disagrees.

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I’m glad there’s pushback, and I hope we can all continue to discuss ways to get and stay healthy that don’t involve CIA-level self-surveillance and drained bank accounts. Intuitively, we know that’s weird, and unsustainable, and we need to be in this for the long haul. As someone who has covered the marketing and advertising businesses for decades, I’ll be the first to say: don’t believe the hype.

FIT BITS

• Even Dolly Parton (national treasure) is diving into the mega-mega-mart world. So don’t expect an end to the massive gas station trend anytime soon, and these stores are more about food and merch than petrol anyway.

• Does a five-course dinner at a steakhouse sound appetizing? Sure does. How about eating it…in the nude? Um, nope. And yet, it’s selling out its reservations.

• A hamster named Mollie is logging some serious miles on her wheel. Strava sees all.

I have been tempted, countless times, to walk up to total strangers at the gym and say the following: “Please, for the love of god, stop that before you hurt yourself!”

That’s the short, harsh, knee-jerk reaction to seeing someone squat without pushing their weight into their heels (ouch, the knees!) or throw their dumbbells around (owie, the back!).

What I should tell them, diplomatically, is to watch some tutorials or find a competent trainer (no, I’m not hawking myself) so that they can continue their wellness journey from now until…forever.

In those moments, I’m reminded of the iconic Nike tagline “Just Do It,” which I’d like to amend. Here’s my mantra: “Just Do It Right!”

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First, mad respect to anyone who gets up offa their bum and hits the gym. That’s already an accomplishment. And what I want is for everyone to be able to continue on that path, injury-free, for as long as they choose.

We all have that Nike slogan ingrained in our brains, right? And if it inspires people to move, that’s fabulous. But sometimes “just doing it” happens with poor form and body alignment. At best, that’s a waste of time. At worst, it could lead to serious injuries.

This isn’t like dancing, where anything goes and activity for its own sake is a beautiful and potentially hilarious thing. (See video, go Elaine!) In formats like strength training, there’s definitely a wrong way to “just do it” that could earn someone a trip to the orthopedic surgeon. Nobody wants that pain, suffering and expense. It’s the ultimate disincentive.

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You might be a natural, with incredible body awareness and the innate sense of how to work out in the safest, most graceful way. You would never lunge with your knee jutting out over your ankle, and you wouldn’t dream of arching your back off the mat during core moves.

Not everyone is so lucky. Most of us have to work hard to whip our bodies into good alignment. And even if we think our form is solid, there’s always room to improve it.

I remind myself constantly and I nag my students relentlessly about proper form. And I’ve compiled some tips here that we can all use to keep our workouts safe and effective. Take a look, and feel free to add some of your own in the comments:

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Warm it up. Start with a 3-to-5-minute cardio-based warmup of your choice. Jump rope? Sure. Speed walk around your house or neighborhood? Perfect. No matter what kind of exercise you intend to do, you need to get your blood pumping and your muscles warm before you start. Any stretching should happen after those first few moments of getting busy, not when you are cold.

Stand up straight. I do carp on posture, don’t I? I hector cuz I love, y’all. Go here if you’d like to catch up on my recent Fitsplainer screed on good/bad posture. It’s all about lengthening your spine and making yourself tall, relaxing your shoulders and pulling them back. Slightly lift your chest and your chin, keeping your gaze at eye level. Don’t duck your head or crane your neck, which will cause strain on your vertebrae.

BREATHE. A decent rule of thumb is to exhale during the hardest part of any exercise. Also, try to keep your face and jaws relaxed. Don’t grit your teeth. Shake out the tension whenever you feel it creeping up.

Place your weights. You are the boss of them, they are not the boss of you. No flailing. Control the movement, and go at an intentional pace. Concern yourself with mastering the move first, not with racking up a high rep count, especially if you’re a newbie.

Soften your knees. Rigid knees will put undue strain on your lower back, especially during weight training. Keep it in mind for group fit classes, too, where you might be moving quickly, hopping side to side or changing directions. Put a micro-bend in those knees to protect the joints.

Engage your brain. Exercise doesn’t have to be cerebral, but you need to be conscious and aware of what you’re doing, where your limbs are in space, and how you’re moving.

Become a stare master. Seriously, check yourself out. That’s what all those mirrors are for, after all. Studying your reflection can help you catch and fix your form mistakes. It may seem a little ick at first because it’s such a cliche, but it’s an overlooked tool that can make a world of difference in how you “just do it.”

It will surprise no one to learn that I was not a debutante.

So why in the world was I walking around with a book on my head, trying my best to keep it steady while taking careful heel-to-toe steps?

Just working on my posture, y’all. And try…

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A mentor of mine, one of the best fitness instructors I’ve ever known, gave me a piece of advice years ago about teaching group classes.

“The harder you make it, the more they will show up.”

She was 1000% right.

That bit of wisdom is from the 2000s, though. Is it still valid today?

It sure is. But there are nuances in…

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You warmed up, you did three sets of strength training and core moves in my 8:30 a.m. class, and then you immediately ran out the door.

What, no cool down?

Shame on you!

Just kidding! First, we’ve all done it at some point or another. And second, as it turns out, there’s not a lot of science to back up the notion that cool…

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The pilates princess is OUT.

The gym goblin is IN.

I heard this important news flash on “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” one of my fave podcasts, the other day on my hot girl hike. I’m touching grass, but I’m keeping my media, please don’t judge me.

In exploring this epic shift (!) I traced it back to the source, a story in The Guardian.

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In short, the pub says …

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It’s not everyday that this humble newsletter gets a visit from fitness royalty.

But today is special, y’all.

Leslie Lilien, one of the original Jane Fonda instructors and star of those classic blockbuster videos, agreed to do a Q&A with me about her life and her pivotal role in the nascent aerobics industry in the late 1970s.

Decades later, she’s still tr…

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You’ve likely heard the saying “six packs are made in the kitchen.”

Well, technically they are not. There’s no specific recipe, and you can’t just sous vide them into existence.

Even so, I’ve used the trope myself, imprecise as it is. What I really mea…

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And I am…in heaven.

This is a textbook case of DOMS—delayed onset muscle soreness. And it’s fantastic, and I’ll tell you why.

I’ve been on a deliberately measured ramp-up in my workouts for about two ye…

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I was prepared for the “New Year new you” onslaught at the gym.

That’s what happened like clockwork every January.

But guess what? In the classes I teach, I didn’t see a massive uptick with the arrival of 2026. I noted about the same headcount as in November and December, and mostly the same club members, sticking to their regular schedules.

Consistency.

An…

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I logged 16,737 steps on Wednesday (!!!) but does this really count as straight-up exercise if I was stuffing my face the entire time?

Ah, the questions that linger from this year’s trip to Expo West, one of my favorite conventions ever.

This show, which has been dubbed “the Cannes Film Festival for conscious consumption” and “the Super Bowl of natural ni…

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