Healthy Ageing Through Movement: My Biggest Lesson From Taking a Week Off
- Juliana O’Boyle IFMCP
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Last week was unusual for me.
It was half-term. It was hot - London heat hits different truly! Life was a bit all over the place as is the way with the teenage years. My usual routine disappeared.
I didn’t make it to F45 where I do most of my workouts. So I didn’t do my usual strength training. My walks were shorter. Apart from a few bits and pieces, movement largely fell by the wayside.
And I really felt it. Not just physically, but mentally too.
My mood was lower. I felt more sluggish. Old aches and pains began creeping back. I could feel the water retention. I felt less resilient, less positive and less like myself. Okay, I'll just say it truthfully - I felt old.
The experience further cemented my thinking of why movement is so important for us as we progress throughout mid life, and reminded me of something I talk to my clients about all the time:
Movement isn’t simply about fitness, weight loss or how we look. It is one of the fundamental inputs that keeps our mind and bodies ageing and functioning well.
As a Functional Medicine Practitioner, I’m not a movement specialist. I don’t teach exercise technique, prescribe rehabilitation programmes or coach athletic performance. But movement forms part of the Structural Integrity section of the Functional Medicine Matrix, and it influences almost every other area of health that we work on.
The more years I spend in practice (and the older I personally get!), the more convinced I become that movement is every bit as important as nutrition, sleep, stress management and supplements. Possibly even more - because without movement - we feel less desire or motivation to work on the other aspects of health - it's like one drives the other. For example, I don't do a workout and then come back and eat rubbish because I know my body needs proper fuel and why would I waste that time I've spent sweating to negate it?
In fact, without movement, many of those other interventions simply don’t work as well.
Movement Affects Far More Than Your Muscles
When most people think about exercise, they think about burning calories or improving fitness.
But movement influences:
Gut motility and digestion
Blood sugar regulation
Hormone balance
Lymphatic drainage
Mood and mental health
Cognitive function
Stress resilience
Sleep quality
Cardiovascular health
Bone density
Muscle preservation
Healthy ageing
It is one of the few interventions that positively impacts almost every system in the body.
Movement helps us process stress.
It supports nervous system regulation.
It stimulates beneficial changes in the gut microbiome.
It improves insulin sensitivity.
It increases circulation.
It helps maintain independence and resilience as we age.
This is why I rarely view exercise as a separate health goal. It is woven into almost every health outcome we are trying to achieve.
The Types of Movement We Need As We Get Older
One thing I’ve realised on my journey in the past few years is that no single form of exercise does everything. As we move through our forties, fifties and beyond, we need a variety of movement inputs.
Strength Training
If I could encourage every woman to do one thing, it would be strength training. Strength training helps preserve muscle mass, supports metabolism, improves insulin sensitivity, protects bones and helps maintain physical independence later in life.
Muscle is one of the greatest assets we can build for healthy ageing.
Cardiovascular Training
Our hearts need training too. Zone 2 work, brisk walking, cycling, swimming and occasional higher-intensity efforts all help maintain cardiovascular fitness and metabolic health.
Cardio improves circulation, energy production and resilience.
Mobility and Flexibility
Mobility often gets neglected until something hurts.
Yet maintaining healthy movement patterns helps us move more freely, reduces stiffness and allows us to keep doing the activities we love.
Everyday Movement
Not all movement needs to happen in a gym.
Walking the dog.
Gardening.
Taking the stairs.
Carrying shopping.
Playing with children or grandchildren.
Our bodies were designed for regular movement throughout the day, not just a workout squeezed into one hour.
Breathwork
Breathing may not immediately come to mind as movement, but it absolutely is. The diaphragm is a muscle.
Breathwork influences posture, nervous system regulation, vagal tone, stress resilience and even digestion. Sometimes the most powerful movement practice is simply learning how to breathe properly again. Try and take regular breathwork breaks throughout your day - there are some great apps to support this!
We Were Designed to Move
Modern life encourages us to sit.
We drive.
We work at desks.
We scroll.
We watch.
Yet our biology hasn’t changed. Human beings evolved to move frequently throughout the day. Movement is not an optional wellness extra to squeeze into a lunchbreak. It is a fundamental biological need.
The week I spent away from my usual routine reminded me just how quickly I notice the difference. Not because I’m chasing a particular weight, body shape or fitness goal, but because movement genuinely helps me feel better. I feel more positive, resilient and strong. I have more energy to pursue my goals, and my sense of purpose - both personally and professionally, feels stronger. I feel more myself, something that many women comment they lose first as they age - their sense of self.
To me, these personality attributes are all markers of healthy ageing. Or at least they are qualities I consistently see in the women I admire as role models. They aren’t just physically active; they are vibrant, capable, optimistic and engaged with life. And I don’t think that’s a coincidence. These qualities are deeply connected.
How I Incorporate Movement Into My Client Programmes
One of the things I often tell clients is that movement isn’t just about fitness. It’s a biological signal that influences almost every system in the body. It influences our gut health, nervous system, hormones, metabolism, cardiovascular health, mood, cognition and overall resilience as we age.
That’s why movement is an important part of the Functional Medicine Matrix and something we discuss in most client programmes. Rather than handing out a generic exercise plan, we look at what movement means for you and your body right now. Together we might:
✓ Explore how movement is currently supporting (or affecting) your energy, hormones, digestion, mood and overall health.
✓ Identify barriers that are making movement difficult, whether that’s fatigue, pain, injury, confidence, time pressures or simply not knowing where to start.
✓ Assess your current movement patterns and identify any gaps, whether that’s strength training, cardiovascular fitness, mobility, balance, recovery or simply spending too much time sitting.
✓ Set realistic SMART goals that fit your life rather than creating another impossible health target.
✓ Create a personalised movement prescription based on your goals, health history, symptoms and preferences.
✓ Build movement into your day in a sustainable way, including reducing sedentary time and finding opportunities for everyday movement.
✓ Review progress and adapt your plan as your health, confidence and capacity improve.
The aim is to help you find ways of moving that support your health today while also helping you build strength, resilience and independence for the years ahead. Because the best movement plan isn’t the most ambitious one. It’s the one you’ll actually enjoy and continue doing long enough to experience the benefits.
If You’re Not Moving Yet, Start Small
You don’t need to join a gym tomorrow.
You don’t need expensive equipment.
You don’t need to be perfect.
Start with a walk. Add a few minutes of mobility work using a video online as a guide . Try a beginner strength session. Take the stairs. Dance in the kitchen. Stretch while the kettle boils.
The goal isn’t to become an athlete overnight. The goal is to make movement a normal part of your life. Because the truth is, movement isn’t punishment. It’s nourishment. And I guarantee you, it will lift you more than 30 minutes scrolling on your phone. Just like food, sleep and connection, it’s something our bodies simply cannot thrive without.
Comments