Five Minute Friday

Welcome to 5 Minute Fridays, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal my latest tips to help you get lean, boost energy and live a long active healthy life in Midlife.

You can also read this at RuthSheridan.me​

What’s in store for today:

• Dinner with a friend
• What aging gracefully means to me
• Some fun facts about how your attitude affects aging

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Hey friend,

A couple of years ago, Reg and I went to dinner at a friend’s house. I was finally going to meet his wife, and I was looking forward to it. She’s my age. Same decade. Same music. Same questionable memories of shoulder pads.

It was a lovely evening. Great food, great company, and after dinner we settled in and really got to know each other. I liked her right away. She had a wonderful career she’s proud of. She adores being a grandma. And she told me, completely content, that all she wants now is to read her books and do her best to slow down and age gracefully.

Now, before you start to cringe and think I’m about to be mean about a lovely woman who fed me a delicious home cooked dinner, I’m not.

She was truly happy in the life she was living.

And when I thought about what she said even more, she is graceful.

But there it was. That phrase. “Aging Gracefully”

And I sat there, with my pull-up-calloused hands folded very politely in my lap, thinking: “We had much in common in our lives…career, kids…but we are are not reading the same book anymore.”

Not a better book. Not a worse book. Just a very, very different one.

She’s happy. Truly. And that matters big time. But I drove home that night with one question rattling around in my head, and I haven’t been able to shake it since.

So this week, I’m asking you:

What does aging gracefully mean to you?

This week’s video: Aging Gracefully where I say out loud that I don’t want to “age gracefully”.

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Why I said it

When I hear “aging gracefully,” here’s what I often hear underneath it:

Be quiet. Slow down. Don’t lift anything heavy. Don’t make a fuss. Accept the aches, the weakness, and the shrinking, and smile politely while it happens.

That’s the version I’m pushing back on.

I’m 64. I lift heavy. I train for strength, agility, and capability. I want to carry my own groceries, get up off the floor with ease, and say yes to all the adventures for as long as I’m here.

So no, I’m not interested in aging quietly.

But here’s the twist. I’m not against grace. I love grace. My friend has grace. I like to think most of the time I have grace too…. or at least I try!

I just think we’ve been handed a watered-down definition of it. A watered down definition of aging well.

Grace isn’t disappearing politely.

Grace can be strong.

Grace can still bring ideas to life.

Grace can deadlift.

3 fun facts that back me up:

1. Your beliefs about aging may add years to your life. A Yale researcher named Becca Levy followed 660 adults aged 50 and older. The people who felt more positive about getting older lived about 7.5 years longer than those who felt negative about it. Their attitudes were measured up to 23 years before. And get this: that gap was bigger than the benefit tied to low blood pressure, low cholesterol, not smoking, or regular exercise. How you think about aging matters.

2. Muscle doesn’t care how old you are. Back in 1990, researchers took nursing home residents with an average age of 90 and had them lift weights for just 8 weeks. Their strength jumped by an average of 174%. Their walking speed improved by nearly half. A couple of them no longer needed their canes. Ninety years old. Eight weeks. It is never too late.

3. The best years may be ahead of you. Economist David Blanchflower looked at happiness data from hundreds of thousands of people across more than 130 countries. On average, happiness dips through midlife, hits a low point around age 47 or 48, and then climbs back up through our 50s, 60s, and beyond. If you’re past that dip, the research says the road may be heading uphill. (Every life is different, of course. But I love that trend.)

One thing to do this week

Write your own definition of aging gracefully. Just one sentence.

Not the one you were handed. Yours.

Here’s mine: Aging gracefully means staying strong enough to keep living the life I want, on my terms.

Tape it to your mirror. Put it in your phone. Read it before your next workout.

Your turn

Hit reply and tell me: What does aging gracefully mean to you?

Do you love the phrase? Hate it? Want to rewrite it completely? I want to hear it all. I read every reply.

I’d also love to share a few of your answers (first name only) in a future issue. So if you do reply just know I may select yours to share.

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One Quote to Finish Your Week Strong

“Grace isn’t how quietly you grow older. It’s how fully you show up for every year you’re given.”

Have a beautiful weekend,

​Coach Ruth

When you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

1. When you’re ready to lose weight and keep it off, Lean Body Platinum Coaching one on one coaching is the way to go. You can read about it here​
2. Need a plan but non one on one coaching? Join the Strong & Lean Women’s Club HERE​
3. Looking for free resources? Make sure you join my free community on skool HERE​

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Sources for fun facts : Levy et al., “Longevity Increased by Positive Self-Perceptions of Aging,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002; Fiatarone et al., “High-Intensity Strength Training in Nonagenarians,” JAMA, 1990; Blanchflower, Journal of Population Economics, 2020–2021.​

Disclaimer: This email is for general educational and informational use only. It is not intended as medical advice and does not replace professional medical services. The content should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. For personal medical guidance, consult a qualified healthcare professional.

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