Women’s longevity superpower: moving a little, often

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For many women, movement still comes with a rule attached: If I’m not sweating, it doesn’t count.

Traditional fitness culture prioritizes intensity, duration, and discomfort. Think one-hour workouts, step counts, “no pain, no gain.” But for busy professionals, caregivers, and women carrying multiple responsibilities, that model often isn’t realistic or sustainable, says Dr. Halland Chen, M.D.

More importantly, it doesn’t always align with what women’s bodies actually need, especially in midlife, a stage when hormonal shifts change how the body responds to stress, recovery, and movement.

Micromovements aren’t “about optimization for optimization’s sake,” says Dr. Halland. “It’s about building metabolic resilience over time.”

When women invest in small, consistent movement throughout the day, they often see compounding benefits — steadier energy, improved mood, and better sleep — changes that can meaningfully shape long-term health, he adds.

Research supports this approach: frequent, low-intensity movement helps regulate blood glucose, improve insulin sensitivity, and support vascular health. For midlife women in particular, this “movement snacking” pattern may help prevent the metabolic slowdowns associated with prolonged sitting.

Looking to connect with other women who care about aging well? Our free, private Livelong community brings women together to share what’s working — and what isn’t — when it comes to health and aging well. 

Around our mid-30s, subtle but meaningful shifts begin to happen for women. 

🔸 Estrogen and progesterone fluctuate

🔸 Baseline stress and cortisol tend to rise

🔸 Sleep becomes more fragile

🔸 Fatigue and mood changes are more easily triggered (even without any obvious lifestyle change)

“It’s important to view this as an interplay of stressors,” Dr. Halland notes. “When the body’s total stress load is already high, intense exercise may further tax a system that’s struggling to maintain hormonal balance.”

Izabella Steele, founder of BellaVita Fitness & Wellness, agrees that these hormonal and metabolic changes make women more sensitive to both stress and recovery demands of exercise. Micro-movements, especially breath-based or gentle mobility exercises, Izabella says, can directly calm the nervous system, helping counteract rising cortisol and tension.

Structured workouts matter, but for many women, it’s the small, steady movement woven through the day that makes the biggest difference in how the body feels and functions. This is the magic spot where micromovements stop being about fitness and start functioning as physiological support.

Micromovements can be a measurable metabolic lever. According to a recent 2024 review, interrupting prolonged sitting with short bouts of physical activity every 30 minutes is the most effective intervention for improving blood glucose and insulin levels after eating.

Additionally changing positions frequently helps lubricate your joints and prevents the stiffness that comes from holding one position too long, Dr. Halland says.

Perhaps most importantly for women, consistent movement “trains” the hormonal system. Rather than simply lowering cortisol, it improves the body's ability to return to balance after a stressor, whether physical or emotional.

💡 Remember that this response is highly individual and influenced by sleep, stress load, and movement intensity — which is exactly why gentler, frequent inputs can be so effective.

On April 17–18 at The Masonic in San Francisco, the Livelong Women’s Health Summit brings together top researchers, clinicians, and innovators to translate longevity science into actionable tools for real life.

Join us to hear from Dr. Vonda Wright, MD, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in musculoskeletal aging, mobility, and strength preservation, to hear her talk about why strength, balance, and physical capability are among the strongest predictors of independence and vitality as women age.

Save your seat and be part of the next chapter in women’s health. Psst… use the code TIFFANY to get $50 off your ticket.

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If you’re passionate about women’s health and longevity, we’d love to have you join our Ambassador program for the upcoming Summit. You can see all the details here. Reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

We asked, you answered: Which protein trend have you tried?

It was a tie between “none” and “bars/cookies/snacks”. This topic is something we recently brought up in the Women’s Livelong Lab (WLL) — our private community where women share thoughts, products, and support with each other daily. We’d love to have you join us!

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