Want to be a Kick-Arse Granny? A Prepper's Guide to Ageing Like a Boss
10 Future-Proofing Moves + Your Ultimate Training Plan for a Bonus Decade
Road Trip to Younger is the go-to guide to healthy ageing for women over 50
After nearly 30 years as a journalist and magazine editor, I’m here, with healthy longevity as my ‘beat’ — cutting through the hype, decoding the science (so you don’t have to), and laying out your easy-to-follow roadmap. Destination: Joyspan—the longest, healthiest and most pleasurable lifespan possible.
We’re the community of women growing younger as we grow (gloriously) older.
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"It's not just the years in your life, it's the life in your years—you hold the keys to both."
You may remember it — the quote that kicked off this five-part Move Your Body series—the one from longevity expert, and author of Outlive, Dr Peter Attia. The one that's been living rent free in my head for years.
"If you have the aspiration of kicking ass when you're 85, you can't afford to be average when you're 50."
Now, for this fifth and final chapter, we double back and ask:
Where's that last gap of "average" yet to fill? What's left for us to deliver for our 85-year-old granny-to-be?
Everything we’ve covered in this series to date comes neatly together here, along with the final exciting piece of the puzzle.
We’re prepping our 85-year-old self for the last decade of her life. We’re loading up with all the moves WE need now, so that SHE can bust them later. It's training for the stuff that matters most in real life.
The prize? We're talking a bonus decade of freedom and independence… on our older self’s own terms—far from assisted living, with pointy granny shoes kicking high, all the way to 85 and beyond.
Let's go! 🚗🔥
PS Tell me… what moves do you most want your 85-year-old self to still be busting? Dancing? Hiking? Lifting grandkids? Drop me a line in the comments below - I always love to hear what you're thinking! ◡̈
With thanks to my husband David O'Connor (Masters Degree in Physical Education) for expert guidance throughout this five-part Move Your Body series.
"This is our objective: to delay death, and to get the most out of our extra years. The rest of our life becomes a time to relish rather than a time to dread."
— DR PETER ATTIA
Flipping the ageing script with functional fitness
Here comes functional fitness, your life-changing future-proofer that most fitness programs completely overlook.
Mild-mannered and always there, functional fitness is easy to take for granted. But when it comes to independence in your final decade, this modest workhorse could be your most important investment—something we ignore at our own peril.
Here’s functional fitness in action, real-life movements that keep you strong, stable and capable.
Getting up from chairs
Carrying groceries
Climbing stairs
Reaching overhead
Navigating uneven footpaths
PLUS, fun stuff, like dancing
The science is clear for anyone who wants to rock their older years:
How we move TODAY determines how we age TOMORROW.
Why you need functional fitness
The average person can now expect their last 10 years to be spent having a “tough time of it”, thanks mainly to a dramatic loss of capability taking away our freedom and independence.
The science backs this up.
According to a 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study, women can expect to spend about 10 years of their lives in poor health, and men about 8 years.
Let’s say that again: women lose the last 10 years of their life to poor health.
What’s worse…
World Health Organisation data shows the gap between lifespan and healthspan is widening. While global life expectancy increased by 6.4 years between 2000-2019, healthy life expectancy only increased by 5.3 years.
That means we're living longer, but spending more of those extra years struggling with poor health and (the big one!) limited capability.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Focussing on functional fitness can be the difference between:
enjoying our healthspan AS WELL AS our lifespan
enjoying the quality of our life AS WELL AS the quantity of our life.
THE PREPPER’S GUIDE TO AGEING LIKE A BOSS
Your runway starts here
None of us know exactly when our final decade—what Peter Attia refers to as the Marginal Decade—will begin.
Generally speaking, the likelihood is that our 85-year-old granny self will be standing right in the middle of their final ten years. But what matters most is the runway to the Marginal Decade, which starts, well, right NOW!
The urgency…? Already, imperceptibly, you're moving towards either a decade of dependence or a decade of capability. For us, as women over 50 in particular, things are moving fast and the stakes are high, with menopause accelerating some of the great robbers of life quality: muscle loss, bone fragility, and balance issues.
But, just as we plan for not running out of wealth, we can make sure we don't run out of health – specifically, in this case, capability.
How do we do that? How do we prep our future granny-self and set her up for the win?
Enter a genius plan from, yes, you guessed it, Peter Attia. Get set for your own personal Olympic event!
🏆 WELCOME TO THE CENTENARIAN DECATHLON
We've all heard of the Olympic Decathlon, that ultimate test of athletic prowess that dates back to the ancient Olympic Games.
Ten grueling track and field events—like javelin, pole vault, shot put, 100m sprint—that test what the human body can do. It's long been the gold standard for well-rounded athletic ability, crowning the "world's greatest athlete."
Now imagine if we applied that concept it to training for the ultimate endurance event - those final ten years? That's the inspiration behind what Peter Attia calls the "Centenarian Decathlon".
The concept is brilliantly simple: just as Olympic decathletes train across multiple disciplines to become complete athletes, we need to train across multiple life skills to become champion agers.
The question Attia encourages us to answer is a good one:
If we want to live our best final decade, potentially all the way to 100 as a centenarian, what 10 “events” would we need to put on our training schedule?
Instead of training for athletic glory, we’re training for life glory. It’s enough to get any age-defying prepper fired up.
To see what this looks like in practice, let’s look at Peter Attia's personal Centenarian Decathlon.
Peter Attia’s Centenarian Decathlon
"These are the things I want to be able to do when I'm 80 or 90, so I'd better be training for them now."
– DR PETER ATTIA
Hike 1.5 miles (2.4 km) on a hilly trail
Get up off the floor using a maximum of one arm for support
Pick up a 30-pound (14 kg) child from the floor
Carry two five-pound (2.3 kg) bags of groceries for five blocks
Lift a 20-pound (9 kg) suitcase into the overhead compartment of a plane
Balance on one leg for 30 seconds with eyes open. (Bonus: eyes closed for 15 seconds)
Have sex
Climb four flights of stairs in three minutes
Open a jar
Do thirty consecutive jump-rope skips
Now it’s your turn!
Build-your-own Centenarian Decathlon
While Peter Attia's own Centenarian Decathlon reflects his personal priorities and vision, what do you want to see in your own life at 85 and beyond?
Here’s where we take Peter Attia’s Marginal Decade, dodge the Dependent Decade, and turn it into a Kick-arse Bonus Decade, instead.
It’s also where David and I have had some fun, turning Peter Attia’s concept into tools and a training program to get you started.
Step 1: Choose Your 10 Skills for Life
To give you a head start on narrowing your list to 10 skills, we zeroed in on 15 key “skills for life”, based on typical real-life priorities for women, along with solid basics from Peter Attia’s list – all with a female-friendly twist.
Check out the printable list below
As you review each skill, ask yourself which best captures what matters most to you?
Which are most likely to be your best investment for being independent at 80, 90 and 100?
Tick the 10 capabilities most likely to give you continuing independence—and joy!
Your Centenarian Decathlon Checklist
DOWNLOAD Your Centenarian Decathlon Checklist here
Skills For Life & Their Kick-Arse Benefits
From the list of 15 “skills for life” below, check out the benefits each one provides and choose the 10 likely to be the most important to you in decades to come.
1. Get up off the floor using a maximum of one arm for support
Fall recovery • Floor play with grandkids • Emergency situations
2. Squat down to pick up small items from the floor
Dropped item retrieval • Personal safety • Daily living • Floor access
3. Lift a 20kg / 44lb suitcase onto the conveyor belt at the airport
Travel independence • Moving heavy items • Luggage handling
4. Lift 7kg / 15lb hand luggage into the overhead compartment
Solo air travel • High shelf access • Overhead storage tasks
5. Carry 5kg / 11lb groceries for 3 blocks
Shopping independence • Carrying grandkids • Moving household items
6. Stand up and sit down from a low seat without using your hands
Bathroom independence • Basic mobility • Getting in and out of cars
7. Climb 3 flights of stairs within a 2 minute time frame
Multi-story living • Emergency evacuation • Heart health confidence
8. Open a stubborn jar without needing help
Kitchen independence • Medication access • Self-sufficiency • Cooking
9. Walk briskly for 30 minutes without tiring
Freedom • Adventure • Social outings • Daily activity endurance
10. Dance for an entire song with bursts of high energy
Energy on demand • Celebrations • Emergency power reserves
11. Balance on one leg for 30 seconds with eyes open
Fall prevention • Uneven terrain navigation • Dressing stability
12. Carry a 15kg / 33lb sleeping child to bed
Grandparent duties • Pet handling • Emergency carrying
13. Reach high shelves safely without risk or climbing
Kitchen independence • Storage access • Avoiding dangerous climbing
14. Quickly step sideways to avoid obstacles
Fall avoidance • Crowd navigation • Reactive safety
15. Hike for 2 hours on varied terrain and surfaces
Adventure • Travel • Nature exploration • Endurance
Now you have your 10 personalised skills for your Centenarian Decathlon events. Well done! Your future kick-arse granny is no doubt already sending you a fully muscled fist pump.
Step 2: Get Your Training Guide
Once you’ve narrowed your focus to 10 skills, it’s time to get training. Check out the top-line view below. Then scroll down for the detailed training breakdown including equipment needed, video links and training tips
Your Centenarian Decathlon Training Guide
DOWNLOAD Your Centenarian Decathlon Training Guide here
Your Detailed Training Guide
Here’s the complete how-to guide for each movement, including equipment needed, video tutorials, and progression tips.
1. Get up off the floor using a maximum of one arm for support
Training Move: Turkish Get-Ups
Equipment: Dumbbell, kettlebell, or water bottle
How-to: Start lying down, stand up using only one hand for support
2. Squat down to garden or pick up small items from the floor
Training Move: Deep Bodyweight Squats
Equipment: None (bodyweight only)
How-to: Squat down until thighs are parallel or below, keep chest up
Watch Bodyweight Squat Tutorial
3. Lift a 20kg / 44lb suitcase onto the conveyor belt at the airport
Training Move: Deadlifts
Equipment: Barbell with weights, dumbbells, or heavy suitcase for practice
How-to: Hinging at hips, lift weight from floor with back straight
4. Lift 7kg / 15lb hand luggage into the overhead compartment
Training Move: Overhead Press
Equipment: Dumbbells, resistance bands, or weighted object
How-to: Press weight from shoulder height straight up overhead
5. Carry 5kg / 11lb groceries for 3 blocks
Training Move: Farmer's Walks
Equipment: Dumbbells, kettlebells, or heavy shopping bags
How-to: Walk while carrying heavy weights in each hand
6. Stand up and sit down from a low seat without using your hands
Training Move: Chair Squats (no hands)
Equipment: Sturdy chair or low seat
How-to: Sit and stand from chair without using hands for support
7. Climb 3 flights of stairs within a 2 minute time frame
Training Move: Step-Ups
Equipment: Sturdy step, bench, or bottom stair
How-to: Step up onto platform, alternate legs, focus on speed
8. Open a stubborn jar without needing help
Training Move: Grip Strength Training
Equipment: Grip strengtheners, tennis ball, or thick resistance bands
How-to: Open jars often, squeeze grip strengtheners or grip thick bars
9. Walk briskly for 30 minutes without tiring
Training Move: Incline Treadmill Walking
Equipment: Treadmill or hilly outdoor route
How-to: Walk on incline to build endurance and leg strength
Watch Incline Walking Tutorial
10. Dance for an entire song with bursts of high energy
Training Move: High-Intensity Interval Training
Equipment: None (bodyweight) or music for motivation
How-to: Short bursts of intense exercise with brief rest periods
11. Balance on one leg for 30 seconds with eyes open
Training Move: Single-Leg Stands
Equipment: None (wall nearby for safety)
How-to: Stand on one foot, progress to eyes closed
Watch Single-Leg Balance Tutorial
12. Carry a 15kg / 33lb sleeping child to bed
Training Move: Bear Hugs
Equipment: Heavy sandbag, weighted pillow, or medicine ball
How-to: Carry heavy object close to chest for distance
13. Reach high shelves safely without risk or climbing
Training Move: Wall Slides
Equipment: Just a wall
How-to: Back to wall, slide arms up and down from W-shape to Y-shape
14. Quickly step sideways to avoid obstacles
Training Move: Lateral Lunges
Equipment: None (bodyweight only)
How-to: Step wide to one side, bend that knee, return to centre
15. Hike for 2 hours on varied terrain
Training Move: Weighted Rucking
Equipment: Backpack with weights, water bottles, or books
How-to: Walk with weighted backpack to build endurance
Watch Weighted Rucking Tutorial
Training tips
One of the most important aspects of training for decades to come is being sure to build extra capacity - the earlier you start, the more you'll have in reserve.
Post-menopause, women can lose about 1% of muscle mass per year starting around age 40, leading to a 30% strength loss by ages 50-70.
This means that if you want to lift the same weight at 80, you need to build roughly 60-80% more strength capacity now. This offsets about 40-60% of your strength loss over those 30 years.
🧐 Explainer
If you can currently deadlift 40kg comfortably, but want to handle a 20kg suitcase easily at 80, you should aim to build your deadlift to around 65-75kg now. That extra 25-35kg gives you the buffer for inevitable decline.
Think of it as creating a "strength savings account" - the more you deposit now, the more you'll have to draw from later.
HANDY LINKS
For weight training skills:
See The Girls' Own Guide to Weight Training after 50, here.
For cardio skills:
See The Truth About Cardio (And It's Not 10,000 Steps), here
Take a tip from the Blue Zones
No talk of functional fitness is complete without a whistle-stop to the areas of the world known as the Blue Zones. These regions, which have a globally significant number of centenarians, include places such as Sardinia, Okinawa, Ikaria, and Nicoya Peninsula.
Here are some pointers from the Blue Zones for would-be kick-arse granny preppers:
Be active every day – tend gardens, and do manual work as part of daily life
You're not too old – Sardinian shepherds walk miles daily; Okinawans sit on floor mats, getting up and down constantly
Use your body as transport – walk or cycle everywhere rather than driving; carry your own groceries
Keep doing physical chores – Blue Zone octogenarians continue to chop wood, carry water, and climb stairs – they never stop using their bodies
The key is to keep moving and never stop! It's all training for a final decade of independence, not dependence. Make "Use it or lose it" your new mantra!
INSPIRATION: Dan Buettner’s excellent Blue Zones documentary: Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones
Your JOYSPAN Decathlon
A final thought: beyond the basics—designing movements for your most pleasurable decade
You've got your essentials sorted and your training is mapped out. Now, let’s do what we love to do in a decathlon. Let's raise that bar a little higher to make our hearts truly sing when we're 85.
Is there that “final something” you want to see in that final decade that needs to be on your training list now? What are you staying strong FOR?
What’s missing from your decathlon? Forget every stereotype about what 85 looks like. This is about your Joyspan - not just living longer, but living gloriously.
1. What additional activities will be key to maintaining your freedom and independence?
2. What do you love doing now that you never want to stop?
3. What new things would you like to do at 85 that you're not doing now?
4. What current weaknesses or future vulnerabilities should you address now?
5. Finally, what's missing? What could you add now so your 85-year-old self can truly fly?
You might identify just one or two additional things, or you might surprise yourself with a whole new list.
Dream big!
IT’S A WRAP… BUT IT’S NOT OVER!
Thank you for joining us for this Move Your Body series! It’s been a total blast. BUT THIS IS NOT THE END.
Stay tuned for our exciting upcoming monthly series
We’ll have bite-sized workouts, training plans and videos to keep you moving in the right direction.
The Fit & Fierce 50+ Challenge
YOUR MISSION FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
The "Independence Prep" Challenge This week, your mission is to pick ONE everyday activity that you want to still be doing at 85 and practice the training move that supports it. Whether it's your first deadlift, a wobbly single-leg stand, or mastering chair squats. Let's prep for our Bonus Decades together! 💪
What's next?
Meet strength-training’s 82-year-old pinup girl
● Metabolic age: 66. ● Pumping iron and running her own gym with her husband ● How she does it ● Discover her unique approach ● Her top tips for weight-training after 50.
Subscribe now so you don’t miss a thing!
CATCH UP HERE
The Move Your Body series
FITNESS FOR WOMEN 50+, SORTED!
Part 1: The science of exercise
How you move determines how you age—find Part 1 here
Part 2: Let’s go cardio!
Let's get real! The truth about cardio—find Part 2 here
Part 3: The 10-minute at home workout
Four snackable take-anywhere power moves, and the speedy circuit to transform how you age—find Part 3 here
Part 4: Weight training
Master weight training at any age. Plus, a simple gym program for every body—find Part 4 here
Part 5: Functional Fitness
Train your body for a lifetime of capability.
The Cardio Reset Handbook
Your 18-page Cardio Companion
It’s a coach, planner, tracker and journal, in one.
Download here.
A Note About Safety
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor or healthcare provider before changing your exercise program.
If you experience faintness, dizziness, pain, or shortness of breath at any time while exercising, stop immediately and seek medical advice.
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With many thanks in advance for your support,
Brodee xox
Tell me… what moves do you most want your 85-year-old self to still be busting?
For me, it's travel! Backpacking, hiking, slamming my pack onto the conveyor belt, hoisting my hand luggage into the overhead compartment. I'm seeing a trip to the Greek Isles for my 90th in 2051. Want to join me? ◡̈
https://open.substack.com/pub/brodee/p/want-to-be-a-kick-arse-granny-a-preppers?r=2lg2o&utm_medium=ios
Travel is definitely the thing for me. Walking through large airports and lifting my suitcase. Taking the steps and getting my steps in everywhere I go.
Thanks for all the value that you give you have me over here doing some big thinking about my next 16 years!!