Picture this. I’m in my office and get a phone call from a 55-year old woman, asking about our services – our workouts, hours, whether we’re “beginner-friendly” (we are).
I can tell by her tone that she’s doubtful she can do our workouts, so I gently tell her we ‘scale’ workouts to all ages and abilities, even beginners. I can hear her slowly shutting down, like she’s slowly backing out of the room, and, with her mind made up, she says, “This just sounds like too much for me, I’m too old for that kind of workout.” she thanks me and hangs up.
My question is… as a 53-year old menopausal woman… who told this gal that it’s time to “take it easy”??? Who told her that it’s okay to slow down, do gentle walks, maybe some light stretching? Who told her that’s ‘enough’?? If that’s what YOU think, I need you to hear something.
Listen closely: the best workout for aging adults isn’t slow. It’s not gentle.
It’s HIIT, which is High-Intensity Interval Training – [slightly intimidating] words for Work, Rest, Work, Rest.
And before you click away thinking “that’s not for me” – stay.with.me. The research I’m sharing is LIFE EXTENDING and LIFE ALTERING.
Why HIIT? What Makes It Different?
Ladies, I know I don’t need to tell you this. After 50, the game changes. Our hormones shift, estrogen tanks. Our metabolism slows. We lose muscle faster. Our bones need more support.
HIIT checks every box.
It builds lean muscle. It strengthens bones. It improves insulin sensitivity and supports hormone balance. It boosts cardiovascular fitness. And it does all of it in a fraction of the time.
But here’s where I really start to geek out – but please PLEASE keep reading – what I’m about to share is insane.
HIIT workouts protect your body at the cellular level. Down to your DNA.
(your D-N-AAAAAAA!!!)
Telomeres. What Are Telomeres? (And Why Should i Care?)
This is mind-blowing. 🤯
Inside every cell in your body, your DNA is packed into structures called chromosomes. At the ends of those chromosomes are tiny protective caps called telomeres.
Think of them like the little plastic tips on your shoelaces. They keep everything from unraveling.
Every time a cell divides – which is constantly happening – those caps get a little shorter. And when they get too short? The cell either stops working properly or it dies.
It’s called cellular aging and it’s happening right now, in all of us.
But here’s where it gets spicy. There’s an enzyme called telomerase that can actually rebuild those caps. It slows the shortening. In some cases, it even lengthens them.
And one of the most powerful, science-backed ways to activate telomerase?
HIIT. 🤯 (yes, this is what we do at Coastal Fitness in Fort Myers, in just 30-minutes a day!)
What the Research Actually Says
This isn’t fringe or woo-woo wellness fluff. This is published, peer-reviewed science.
A landmark 2019 study in the European Heart Journal took 124 previously inactive adults and split them into four groups: endurance training, HIIT, resistance training, and a control group that did nothing. They trained for six months.
The results? HIIT and endurance training boosted telomerase activity by two to three times. Telomere length actually increased in both of those groups. Resistance training alone? It didn’t produce the same effect. (Read the full study here.)
Then in 2024, a meta-analysis in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance compared different exercise types head-to-head. Out of all the modalities studied, HIIT was the only one that significantly increased telomere length compared to doing nothing. (Read that study here.)
Let that land for a second. Of all the ways you could move your body, interval training produced the strongest measurable effect on cellular aging.
And a 2025 systematic review confirmed what earlier studies suggested – exercise significantly maintains telomere length and enhances telomerase activity. The data is stacking up. (That review is here.)
Why This Matters Even More for Women Over 50
As a menopausal woman myself, here’s the part that hits home:
Estrogen plays a protective role in telomere maintenance. It helps regulate telomerase – that enzyme I just mentioned that rebuilds the telomere ‘caps’.
During and after menopause, estrogen levels drop. Because the gift of womanhood continues to keep giving and giving (said sarcastically), research shows that estrogen decline is associated with accelerated telomere shortening. Meaning, our cells are aging faster at the exact stage of life when most of are thinking we need to “slow down” and “take it easy” and that “daily walks are enough” 😩 (don’t get me wrong – ANY movement is better than NO movement!)
But no – hear me loud and clear: 🗣️ the answer isn’t to slow down. It’s to train smarter. And that’s exactly what HIIT does.
So How Does HIIT Protect Your Cells?
This is info you need:
Two of the biggest drivers of telomere shortening are oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Think of them as rust building up inside your cells.
Okay, a few quick definitions:
Things that increase oxidative stress:
- Poor sleep
- Chronic stress
- Processed food
- Smoking
- Sedentary lifestyle
- [Aging itself]
Things that promote or increase chronic inflammation:
Lifestyle factors:
- Poor sleep or chronic sleep deprivation
- Chronic stress (emotional, financial, relational – all of it)
- Sedentary lifestyle / lack of movement
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol
Diet:
- Processed foods and refined sugars
- Seed oils and trans fats
- Too much red and processed meat
- Low fiber intake
- Gut health imbalances
Body composition:
- Excess visceral fat (belly fat is actually metabolically active – it produces inflammatory compounds on its own)
- Low muscle mass
Aging-specific:
- Hormonal decline (especially estrogen drop during menopause)
- Weakened immune regulation
- Accumulated cellular damage over time
Environmental:
- Pollution, toxins, pesticides
- Chronic dehydration
The cruel irony is… menopause accelerates inflammation AND telomere shortening simultaneously. Which is exactly why the right exercise matters so much at this stage in your life.
HIIT helps fight both. It boosts your body’s natural antioxidant defenses – specifically enzymes like superoxide dismutase – and it lowers inflammatory markers like IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Those are the things that damage telomeres over time.
So while the workout itself can be intense, the downstream effect is deeply protective. You’re gaining strength, burning fat, and building resilience at the cellular level.
What About STRENGTH Training?
I know what you’re thinking. “Wait – I keep seeing posts online about how important it is for older adults to strength train!”
And they’re right. It is. Strength training builds and preserves lean muscle, protects your bones, supports your joints, reverses osteopenia and osteoporosis, and improves your metabolism. We absolutely need it – especially as we get older. And we do plenty of it at Coastal Fitness.
But here’s what most of those posts don’t mention. When it comes specifically to telomere protection and telomerase activation, the research consistently shows that HIIT and endurance-style training (think: running/jogging at a steady pace) have the edge.
So which one do you pick? ALL.
That’s exactly how our 30-minute sessions work. You pick up weights. You move. You breathe hard. You rest. Then you do it again. Strength training, interval training, cardio – sometimes all in one workout, sometimes separate. But here at our Fort Myers gym, your body gets all.
You’re Not Too Old. You’re the Perfect Age.
In 30-minutes a day, you’re protecting your cells. Your DNA. The stuff you can’t see in the mirror or measure on a scale.
And you know what? You don’t have to be in shape to start. You don’t have to know what you’re doing. You just have to walk through the door.
Every person in our studio started exactly where you are right now. Nervous. Unsure. Wondering if they were too old, too out-of-shape, too overweight. Wondering if this was really “for them.”
It is. I promise you – it is.
Your Next Step — The Fit In 30 Challenge Starts March 2nd
If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines because you thought you were “too old” for this – this is your sign!
You’re not too old. You’re exactly the right age for the best workout for aging adults.
Our Fit In 30 Challenge kicks off March 2nd right here at our Gateway studio in Fort Myers. It’s 30-minute fully-guided personal training sessions that combine everything we just talked about – metabolic resistance training, interval conditioning, nutrition guidance, and real accountability.
It’s the structured starting point that’s helped hundreds of women across Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres to stop guessing and start seeing real results.
Spots are limited. Registration closes soon.
👉 Register for the Fit In 30 Challenge
Not quite ready to jump in? Start with a free body composition scan at our studio. No pressure. No pitch. Just real data and a conversation about where you are right now.
👉 Book your free body composition scan
You’re not too old, ladies. Your cells are literally waiting for this. Let’s go. 💛 Learn more about our memberships HERE.
Rooting for your success!
Coach Jenn Bates
Wife, Mother, Grandmother
Co-Owner, Coastal Fitness
12220 Towne Lake Dr.
Fort Myers, FL 33913
Text us: 239-237-5508
Call me: 239-207-0003 (leave a message because I get so much spam and rarely answer the phone, ughh)
