A Professor Of Exercise And Aging Shares How She Works Out And Eats To Stay Healthy As Long As Possible

"Exercise when you can because that's the most important thing, but it's much better for your adaptations if you actually try to exercise at a consistent time of day — not a particular hour but within a three-hour window," she said.

For Esser, this usually means the morning.

Esser used to run but is more of a walker now

Esser transitioned from running to brisk walking as she got older, as it's a bit easier on the knees and hips (this change was hard to accept, she said).

She aims to go for a walk four to five mornings a week but sometimes has early meetings, which makes it more challenging, she said.

If you're not keen on formal exercise, Esser advocates being active in your daily life, be that gardening, taking the stairs, or parking farther away from the store.

Esser does strength training even though she doesn't like it

Esser has been strength training for three years because she knows it's important for healthy aging. That doesn't mean she likes it.

"I've always been more of an endurance person, and that's always been good for me," she said. "But I'm older, and one of the things I recognized is that my job's quite sedentary and I don't do a lot with my upper body or my core."

Strength training is important to combat the muscle loss that comes with age. It also boosts bone density.

Esser worked with a trainer to devise a strength-training program she could do at home two or three times a week. At first, she was shocked by how little strength she had, but seeing her strength, and thus independence, increase motivated her to keep going.

"I have grandkids that are 2 and 5, and it is a lot more fun if I can play with them, pick them up, do all kinds of things with them, and so that helps as a motivating factor," she said.

"I just feel better. I feel stronger," Esser added. "Life is easier, getting in and out of cars, going upstairs, going to a concert, and just being a lot more mobile and nimble."

Esser does time-restricted eating

She tends to eat breakfast at about 10 a.m. and have her last food for the day at about 7 p.m., which gives her a fasting window overnight of eight to 10 hours.

Esser acknowledged that research was still being conducted on the health benefits of eating in a smaller window each day but said she believed the initial signs were promising.

"I try to keep my eating and my activity schedules consistent as much as I can," Esser said. "There are days that it isn't, and that's OK, but it's a probability and statistics game. You want to keep most of it in a good window."

She also tries to minimize her intake of meat and high-fat foods, while keeping an eye on her protein intake, she said. A Mediterranean-style diet with plenty of protein is generally recommended as a healthy way to eat for longevity.

Esser thinks supplements are generally a waste of money, but she does take a multivitamin.

Esser's priorities have changed with age

Esser has always been active, she said, but her motivation has changed over the course of her life. Experiencing her body aging has been "humbling," she said.

As a younger woman, she was busy with starting her career and a family but wanted to stay fit.

"It helped me focus. I would write better if I was keeping active, those kinds of things," she said. "But I really didn't think about how my health would be when I got older."

Esser's focus now is on keeping her independence.

"I like the fact that I do feel good and I can lead a very independent life, and I'd like to hold onto this for a while," she said. "The only way I know to do that is to incorporate strength and endurance into my lifestyle."