• A personal trainer in his 50s got back in shape after colon cancer treatment with simple workouts.
• His routine includes rucking, walking with a weighted pack to build muscle and endurance in less time.
• He recommends shorter, more consistent workouts instead of exhausting yourself for long-term gains.

Shorter workouts could be the key to getting in shape and staying that way into your 50s and beyond, according to a personal trainer who learned to work smarter instead of harder.

Bill Maeda, 56, said recovering from a health crisis taught him that short, simple, and consistent is key to building muscle and fitness long-term.

"My raw horsepower is less than it was 10 or more years ago, but I don't care," he told. "The difference is now, I'm moving better, and it's fun."

Inspired by Bruce Lee to start training at 8 years old, Maeda had been a personal trainer for decades, even landed a few movie roles with his muscular physique. But in 2012, he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in his early 40s, requiring major emergency surgery and half a year of chemotherapy.

Recovering from cancer made him realize that focusing on his physique over his health was like building a nice car without proper brakes or steering.

"I wanted a strong frame. I wanted a powerful engine, but I spent so much time building this car, I forgot how to drive it. That's what I'm doing now," he said.

Maeda slowly rebuilt his fitness, one rep at a time, and said shorter and simpler can be better for long-term gains.

Build a foundation on the basics: deadlifts, squats, push-ups

Maeda's current workouts on social media often feature unusual exercises, but he said most people shouldn't do complicated workouts unless they've mastered the basics. You don't need elaborate movement to build muscle, and the risk of injury can increase as an exercise become more intricate.

"Well into my forties, I didn't do anything fancy. It was deadlifts, squats, kettlebell swings, just a lot of very fundamental movements," Maeda said. "Those are what built my physical base, what people see now, the muscle I carry."

To gain muscle and strength, focus on progressive overload, performing the same exercises over time with gradually increasing weight.

From there, you can explore variations of exercise to keep workouts fun and challenging while improving mobility, agility, and balance.

"I do less of that heavy basic lifting because of the time I have now, I'd rather put it towards movements that spread the stress of what I'm doing more evenly throughout my body," Maeda said.

Work out in less time by rucking

One regular part of Maeda's fitness routine is rucking, or walking with weight. He typically carries a 45-pound backpack for 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week, while walking his dogs.

He first starting rucking as he was slowly rebuilding his endurance after colon cancer. He began with short walks wearing a backpack full of bricks and added weight (and better gear through his partnership with fitness brand GORUCK) over time.

Building muscle and endurance comes from challenging your body over time. Rucking provides a convenient way to work the muscles during activities that are already a part of a routine, like walking dogs or taking a hike.

For Maeda, it added an extra challenge without taking more time out of his day.

"It got me to a point where just walking seemed like a total waste of time," he said. "If I'm doing something that often and I can just put a 45-pound backpack on, that's a lot of minutes under load."

Ending a workout early can pay off

In his younger years, Maeda embraced the "no pain, no gain" mindset of tough exercise, but now warns against it.

"I don't personally recommend programs that are aggressive and based on sucking it up and willpower. Life is hard enough," Maeda said.

He said it's better not to be completely exhausted after exercise, so you're energized and excited for the next workout, even if that means cutting your workout short.

"Consistency over days is way more important than a hard weekend warrior workout that means you're sore for the rest of the week," he said.

Try this no-equipment workout for beginners

Maeda recommends starting with a workout you can do at home.

To complete his "exercise ladder," do:

• one squat, one push-up;
• two squats, two push-ups;
• three squats, three push-ups;
• continue up to five reps, or until the next set starts to feel daunting.

Over time, you can repeat the workout, aiming to reach a higher number of reps as you progress, or change up the exercises (doing lunges and pull-ups, or single-leg deadlifts and burpees).

• Helene Sula has lost 50 pounds since May 2024, mostly by walking, hiking, and tracking her meals.
• The travel content creator, 38, said she doesn't deprive herself of yummy food in foreign countries.
• Sula shared 5 ways she lost the weight and is keeping it off, even with the occasional indulgence.

Helene Sula has visited 60 countries and hundreds of cities worldwide for her job as a content creator.

As much as sightseeing is part of her job, so is trying new foods.

After living in Heidelberg, Germany, for three years, she returned to her hometown, Dallas. Over time, she began to notice changes in her body.

"I've always fluctuated, but I especially gained a ton of weight when I moved back to America," Sula, 38, told Business Insider.

Her weight gain pushed her to reflect on her relationship with food, exercise, and travel.

"Food is part of a cultural experience," Sula, who now lives in Montenegro, said. "When I travel to a new place, I want to try the food. But I had to reframe my mindset and make it my mission to realize that I can try the food — I just don't need to eat all of it right then and there."

After a year of exercising and revamping her diet, Sula has lost 50 pounds — and gained a world of self-confidence.

"I am a very positive and outgoing person, but I think over the years, that has gone away a bit because I've been embarrassed," she said. "I feel like I've finally gotten back to myself. It's been really nice."

Here are 5 things Sula does to maintain her weight loss.

1. She tracks her meals on MyFitnessPal

Sula used to eat fast food regularly and didn't pay a lot of attention to her portion sizes.

"I'd eat a spoonful of peanut butter, and snacks like popcorn and chips straight out of the bag," she said. " I would never be mindful of how much I was eating or the portions. I didn't really think about that."

Sula has become more mindful of her eating choices, attributing a big part of her weight loss success to portion control.

"I thought I was eating healthy, but I was overeating," she said. "Now, instead of having three scoops of gelato, I have one."

To monitor her food intake and ensure she's maintaining a calorie deficit, Sula uses meal tracker My Fitness Pal. It's available on iOS and Android and is free to use, though users, like Sula, can pay for a premium version.

"I track breakfast first thing in the morning, and then, later in the day, I'll track what I eat for lunch and dinner," she said.

The app has been a game changer in her fitness journey.

"I don't try to be perfect with it — it's just a good tool to make sure that I'm staying on track," she added.

2. She doesn't turn down food, but she balances treats with other items

Sula rarely stays in a city for more than a week. No matter where she is, she still tries to maintain a well-balanced diet.

"My husband and I just went to Turkey," she said. "The food in Turkey is absolutely amazing. I still watched my portions, and definitely ate healthy when I could."

For her, that means consuming enough protein, fiber, fruits, and vegetables throughout the day.

Her favorite foods to eat on the road are:

• Eggs: While getting certain foods can sometimes be difficult to find in other countries, there's one food she can always count on — eggs. "My No. 1 is eggs in the morning, I'll go for an omelet of sorts," she said.
• Fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots: Sula likes to shop at local markets and grocery stores with fresh produce.

• Deli meats: She can get most of her go-to snacks, like turkey slices and fresh vegetables, in pretty much every grocery store. "I prefer turkey, just because it's somewhat healthy," she said. "I'll go up to the deli counter in a grocery store and have them slice it for me." She'll typically eat four to six slices, paired with roasted vegetables and a piece of fruit. If she's on the go, she'll have a protein shake instead.

• Protein shakes: Not all protein brands are available abroad, so Sula isn't picky. "If I'm in the UK, I like to drink UFit, and if I'm in Montenegro, I'll drink Protein Zott," she said.

3. She keeps a grocery list in her phone that she can use in any store around the world

A big part of eating healthy is balance — knowing when to indulge or abstain, Sula said.

"If I know that I'm going to have an indulgent dinner, for lunch, I'll go to a grocery store and grab an apple, protein shake, some turkey, and some nuts," she said.

According to her, this short grocery list is fairly affordable in most countries, typically costing about $6.

To ensure she doesn't stray from the menu, Sula keeps a grocery list in her iPhone notes app. She said it's a great way to avoid overthinking and complicating her eating decisions.

"Having a list of the foods that fill me up makes the rest of my day great," she said. "It takes the guesswork out of having to think so much about what to eat. I also don't get hangry."

4. She walks, hikes, and swims wherever she is

Sula said that a lack of walking was one of the biggest contributors to her weight gain.

"I went from living in Germany and walking or biking everywhere, to living in Dallas, where I wouldn't even dream of walking down to go to the grocery store," she said.

Now, Sula tries to constantly be on the move. To help her maintain her steps and exercise, her husband, who has a Master's in exercise science, created a workout schedule that she uses even when she's traveling.

While it can look different depending on what country she's in and what she's training for, it typically looks like this:

• Monday: An interval workout of a three-mile walk, alternating between two minutes of fast-paced walking and two minutes at a slower pace.
• Tuesday: Cross-training, which typically involves swimming
• Wednesday: Rest day
• Thursday: A nine-mile walk
• Friday: An eight-mile walk
• Saturday: Rest day or 12-mile walk
• Sunday: Rest day or 12-mile walk

"My workout schedule is very flexible," she said. "I don't really go to the gym very often. I have weights that I use at home, and I watch YouTube workout videos."

"If I'm somewhere for more than a week, I might go swimming, so I have to find a hotel gym," she added. Typically, it costs her around $5 per visit.

Sula has also added long-distance hiking to her workout plan. In 2024, she walked England's Cotswold Way, a 100-mile trail of rolling hills, woodlands, and farmland that runs from Chipping Campden to Bath, about a two-hour drive southwest from London. The walk took her 10 days to complete.

"It's my goal to walk everywhere we visit," she said. "I'm doing tons of walking in Montenegro. I've done a ton of walking in France. Germany is also really good for walking."

5. She doesn't shame herself for indulging occasionally or enjoying life

Sula's weight-loss journey hasn't been perfect, and she does have a few regrets.

"For a decade, I kept gaining and losing weight," she said. "I had an all-or-nothing mindset," she said. "I told myself, 'You need to eat healthy, and if you don't, then you ruined everything,' but that's just not real life."

"You can still try all the different foods and drinks, and still enjoy life," she explained. "The same goes for exercise. Building yourself up physically and making small changes makes a world of difference."

Sula's biggest recommendation for those trying to lose weight or better their health is to listen to their body.

"I'm still on a weight loss journey, but I think my No. 1 goal is to really just listen to my body and how I feel," she said. "I realize that food doesn't go away — it's always going to be there. You can try it, but you don't need to eat 55 croissants when you're in France."

• For NBA All-Star Kevin Love, it's his job to reduce inflammation in his body.
• Love said you can forget expensive hacks — simple tweaks help him perform better on the court.
• He eats beets, takes cold showers in the morning, and exercises outside.

You don't need a multimillion dollar salary to optimize your body.

Take it from NBA All-Star Kevin Love, who makes a living out of being in perfect shape, reducing inflammation, and avoiding injury.

While Love is a fan of some high-end wellness treatments like longevity IVs, he said the vast majority of his routine is about perfecting the basics.

"In a lot of ways, I'm just like everybody else," Love, 36, told Business Insider in an interview on his partnership with plant-based protein brand Koia.

"Simplify, simplify, simplify, and then build out your routine and your schedule from there."

Love swears by habits anyone can implement like cold showers, a consistent sleep schedule, and more time in nature for better recovery.

A cold shower in the morning to activate your mind and body

Love said he takes a cold shower for one to five minutes after waking up in the morning or after a nap.

"When I need to really wake up and get that, boom, dopamine hit and be firing, I'll do that," he said. "My mind is working at a very high level as well as my body being just refreshed."

Ice baths or cold plunges are a popular wellness trend because small doses have shown promising benefits to improve mood, reduce pain, and lower risk of injury or illness. Exposure to the cold prompts the release of endorphins in the body that help lower inflammation.

The tradeoff is that icy baths or showers too soon after a workout might impair muscle growth, so scheduling them early in the day can be a better option for optimal gains.

Exercising outdoors to reduce stress and boost vitamin D

Love is a big fan of being in nature, and said heading outside helps to maximize the benefits of his workout sessions, whether he's taking a walk or strength training.

"It kills two birds with one stone. Just walking and being outside in nature keep my cortisol levels down and keep me feeling really good, getting my vitamin D out in the sun," Love said.

Consistent exercise helps to reduce chronic inflammation (the kind that leads to illnesses like heart disease).

Spending time outdoors has health benefits like relieving stress, another source of inflammation. The exposure to sunlight helps your body get enough vitamin D for healthy muscles and a strong immune system.

Foods like fish and berries fight inflammation

Love said his team has weigh-ins throughout the season, so it's important to stay lean and avoid eating too much added sugar.

Instead, he opts for nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, salmon is a staple source of protein and healthy fats like omega-3s.

"Keeping inflammation down, a lot of that moved in the right direction through food like fatty fish," Love said.

Other favorites include high-iron veggies like leafy greens, nuts, berries, dark chocolate, eggs, almonds, and olive oil. For a quick boost after a workout, Love is a fan of Koia's plant-based protein shakes.

Love also drinks coffee and enjoys wine in moderation, both of which have also been shown to lower inflammation in some people.

He includes tart cherry juice and beets in his diet for an extra athletic boost, thanks to antioxidants that can speed recovery.

A sleep routine is key to good rest on a busy schedule

Love's bedtime routine is all about maximizing good sleep. It includes a hot shower or Epsom salt bath for muscle relaxation, some light stretching, and keeping his room cool, since a lower body temperature can facilitate deeper sleep.

It's not always possible for Love to get enough on a busy schedule, traveling coast-to-coast for games and fighting jet lag. Instead, he tries to be as consistent as possible about going to bed and waking up around the same time, which research suggests may be even more important for health than hours spent sleeping.

When things get off track, Love tries to focus on long-term consistent rather than a perfect routine on any given day to avoid unnecessary stress.

"I give myself a little bit of grace, to not turn up the anxiety and get my mind racing on why I'm not getting to bed at the exact same time," he said,

• After our friend hiked the Quilotoa Loop, my husband and I wanted to try doing it ourselves.
• It's a 22-mile three-day trek, and we were curious how we'd do at our ages.
• While it was difficult, it was also beautiful.

A year ago, a friend hiked the Quilotoa Loop, a three-day high-elevation trek in the Ecuadorian Andes. It's a challenging trek culminating at 13,000 feet on the rim of a crater lake located three hours south of Quito.

Despite its name, it's not a loop, but a 22-mile point-to-point route with 7,100 feet elevation gain. As lovers of long-distance walks, my husband and I were intrigued. We wondered if we could do it at our ages — 82 and 73 — and decided to give it a try this April. While a lot of it was difficult, we're so glad we went.

Before starting our journey, we adapted to the elevation

After staying in Quito for two days to adapt to the elevation, we hired an Uber for $45 to drive us two and a half hours to our hostel in Sigchos. We were the only guests there. Because it was the rainy season, most of the people we saw weren't other trekkers, but innkeepers, shepherds, and farmers, looking tough and hardy from daily physical work at high elevation.

That night, after a filling home-cooked dinner of potato soup, beans, corn, cheese, and homemade bread, I slept restlessly, worrying about our fitness levels and if we'd get soaked, as afternoon thunderstorms were common.

The next morning, we established our pattern of leaving before 7 a.m. after a hearty breakfast. Though each day only involved 6-8 miles of trail, we had to pace ourselves because high-elevation hiking takes much more exertion.

The terrain was steep, uneven, and muddy, plus we each had health challenges: I have a metal plate and pins in my right ankle, which can cause osteoarthritic tenderness and stiffness, while Barry has lingering chemo fatigue after contracting lymphoma last year.

There were a few surprises on the trail

An hour outside Sigchos, as we headed down a steep track into a canyon, we suddenly reached a huge mudslide, not visible on our trail app, and had to backtrack.

Eventually, we crossed a creek, then started plodding up the other side of the canyon, a slippery, muddy stretch. When we finally reached a paved road, we were relieved to see the village of Isinlivi, our destination, at what looked like only a short distance away.

But it was another good hour up steep, mossy paths before we got to the village. It was a six-mile hike with only 1,450 feet of ascent, but it took us a humbling six hours.

The hostels were fantastic

Our hostel in Isinlivi felt like a boutique hotel, with home-cooked meals, wifi, a fireplace, bar, spa, sauna, and even yoga classes, perfect for relaxing tight muscles. Since the only other hikers there were a friendly Israeli couple and their adult son, the owner offered us a cottage overlooking the valley for the price of a single room. It was so luxurious, Barry wanted to stay another night, but I felt we had barely gotten into the rhythm of hiking, so we left the next day. Now I wish we'd stayed!

Our later hostels were not as elegant, but they too offered "Turkish saunas," or steam baths with fragrant eucalyptus leaves. The second night, I lingered in the hostel's steam room for a full hour, breathing in the eucalyptus and listening to the thrum of heavy rain outside.

The last day was the toughest

The third day we climbed a tiring 3,650 feet to the rim of the lake. As I looked down into the caldera, I admired the turquoise water, but knew we still had more than an hour's walk to our final destination, the touristy village of Quilotoa. As it turned out, because we missed our turnoff, it took us an extra hour, and en route we got drenched for the first time.

Our hostel caretakers in Quitoloa took good care of us. The husband built a wood fire where we huddled while we dried our wet clothes and consumed his wife's lentil soup and homemade bread.

It was difficult, but beautiful

Strenuous as the trek was, I found the combination of simple beauty, invigorating mountain air, and the unthinking act of putting one foot in front of the other almost mystical. I was enchanted by the beauty — deep valleys lined with ridges of different shades of green and lush pastures dotted with llamas and cows. I felt like I was seeing green for the first time in my life.

Now that I'm back into my sea-level routines, I'm still inspired by those strong, wiry shepherds and farmers. Thanks to them, I've set a higher bar for myself. Walking the Quilotoa Loop reminded me of what I'm still capable of in my 70s.

• Olav Aleksander Bu is an elite endurance coach whose training balances intensity for better results.
• You can use his strategies for better VO2 max, a key metric of fitness and longevity.
• Understanding factors like heart rate, threshold, and heat can help you work out smarter.

For Olympic triathlete gold medalist Kristian Blummenfelt, training is a full-time job.

He exercises up to 10 hours a day to keep his heart and lungs in peak shape, and doubles up on tough sessions as part of a workout strategy known as "The Norwegian method."

That same method can help you, a mere mortal, improve your own longevity and fitness spending just a fraction of the time working out, according to his coach, Olav Aleksander Bu.

"We think of elite athletes as freaks of nature. In reality, what we see is working with elite athletes works with everybody," he told Business Insider in an interview tied to a partnership with fitness tech company Core.

Bu, who has coached some of the best endurance athletes on the planet, uses the Norwegian method to dial in workout intensity while avoiding injury or burnout.

The same principles can help you work out more efficiently.

What is the Norwegian method?

At the most basic level, the Norwegian method is about balancing volume — the amount of work you're doing — with recovery. The key principle is alternating periods of high intensity with periods of lower intensity and rest.

To train with the Norwegian method for a higher VO2 max (the ability to circulate and use oxygen effectively) and better endurance, you need the right kind of stress on your body, which means being able to measure intensity.

How tired you feel isn't necessarily an accurate measure of how hard you're working, Bu said. Pace may not be a good measure of intensity either because it varies so much between athletes, and even for the same athlete under different conditions.

Running five miles in 40 minutes might be easy for the pros but crushingly difficult for a newbie.

To stay on target, Bu uses metrics like body temperature and lactate, a byproduct the body produces during intense exercise, to precisely assess how hard athletes can push during training.

While you can buy a device to measure lactate, heart rate can also measure effort, and it's easier to do at home with a smartwatch or fitness tracker.

How to boost your VO2 max

A sample workout plan to increase VO2 max involves three sessions per week of your preferred cardio exercise, such as running or biking.

You'll aim to spend time at your threshold heart rate, the maximum effort you'd be able to sustain for about an hour of work. The pros test their threshold in a lab, but you can estimate it.

One popular technique is to run or bike hard for 30 minutes and record your average heart rate for the last 20 minutes. Your threshold for running or biking may be different.

For threshold sessions, alternate between periods of work at that intensity and rest to recover. Some example intervals from different Norwegian training plans include:

• Four minutes of hard effort, followed by three minutes of rest, repeated for four total sets, popularized by coach Ulrik Wisløff.
• 1,000-meter effort, followed by a minute of rest, repeated 10 times, is a go-to for athlete Marius Bakken.

In one of those sessions, you could incorporate heat training — one of Bu's favorite ways to get the right workout intensity, both in his own workouts and for his athletes. Adding heat also works the heart and lungs while preventing joint pain during exercise.

You can be most precise by using a sensor to monitor your body temperature. Aim for around 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit, building toward 102.2 during your session, but not exceeding that temperature, Bu said. Increase the heat by exercising in warm weather or wearing more layers.

Over time, you can safely challenge your body to keep getting stronger by gradually spending more time at that threshold intensity.

The key is thinking long-term. Working out for an hour or two once a week isn't going to make much of a difference to your fitness. Progress comes from repeating the routine for weeks and months.

"People that find great pleasure in training find a sustainable intensity, and they get to perceive the tremendous effect it has on their physique," Bu said.

• The right routine can save you time and effort in the gym.
• If you want a more athletic physique for summer, you should do some full-body exercises a few hours a week.
• Avoid long, exhausting workouts and focus on sustainable changes and good nutrition.

If you want to get in shape for the summer, stop working out like an influencer. Start choosing smarter, time-saving exercises.

That's advice from Ben Foster, founder and head coach of the People's Athletic Club. Many trendy muscle-building workouts are more time-consuming — and more tiring — than necessary, Foster said.

While a lot of the mainstream approach to changing body composition (that is, burning fat and building muscle) come from the pro bodybuilding community, that may not work for everyone.

It's great if working out is your full-time job, but may not be the most efficient for the average person, Foster said.

Smart workout strategies can help you look and feel more athletic for the summer.

"People can do some amazing things in 8-12 weeks," Foster said.

Mistake 1: Setting unrealistic goals

If you're hoping to pack on muscle by July, it's probably too late, especially if you want to get shredded at the same time, according to Foster.

Building muscle is a long process, and trying to rush can lead to injury instead of results.

A beginner can reasonably expect to add a pound or two of muscle per month for the first half a year of training thanks to newbie gains — faster muscle growth when you're first starting out.

The average person can gain about a half pound of muscle every few weeks. You should expect to spend at least three months dedicated to building to see significant changes, Foster said. Optimizing muscle growth also means eating a little extra, so your body fat will likely increase a bit as well.

But you can see significant changes sooner if you mainly want to lose body fat, which can help your existing muscles look more defined.

To burn fat, start with your diet. Focus on eating in a calorie deficit (fewer calories than your body uses for energy) and getting enough protein, Foster said.

Mistake 2: Spending too much time on separate body parts

Trendy workouts often include specific movements to isolate muscles from each angle, Foster said. A common body part workout split, targeting chest and back or biceps and triceps on specific days, can keep in you the gym for hours.

It's much more efficient for most people to focus on full-body workouts, both to build muscle and to improve overall fitness, according to Foster.

"We're working full body because that's what we have — a whole body," Foster said.

He typically divides workout days into push movements (push-ups, bench presses, and shoulder presses) and pull movements (pull-ups, rows) with leg exercises (squats, lunges, deadlifts) throughout.

Compound exercises that use multiple muscles will also burn calories more effectively, if fat loss is a goal.

Mistake 3: Doing too many workouts

More workouts can lead to more muscle-building, but past a certain point, extra sessions prompt smaller and smaller gains, so it may not be the best use of your time.

"There's a significant drop off past 10-12 sets per week per body part," Foster said. "One day is infinitely better than zero, two is exponentially better than one, three is significantly better, but then there's a drop off the additional benefits you'd be getting."

Three workouts a week is a good balance of benefits and time commitment, and Foster said his clients typically follow that routine, with one day each for full-body push exercises, full-body pull exercises, and a little of everything. And none of his client work out six days a week, let alone all seven, since it isn't necessary to see results.

Foster also said that to get the most of your workouts, consider including time for recovery and movement that promotes overall health, like mobility.

"Not every movement should be performed with the purpose of growing the muscle," Foster said. "It can be about building a relationship with your body instead of beating it down."

Mistake 4: Working out for more than an hour

You can see results from working out as little as 30 minutes a day, according to Foster, especially if you're new to exercise.

"A complete beginner can get plenty done," he said.

More experienced athletes can benefit from 45 minutes to an hour in the gym. Beyond that, the extra effort or "junk volume" can lead to diminishing returns and increase the odds that you'll burn out.

"For most folks, if the majority of their days they leave feeling exhausted, it's a recipe for unsustainability and make it difficult to maintain long term," Foster said.

• Warren Buffett, 94, stood by his love of fast food and disdain for exercise on Saturday.
• He pointed to his age as proof that drinking Coke and eating junk food wasn't disastrous for him.
• During Berkshire Hathaway's meeting, he joked that he's been carefully "preserving" his body.

Warren Buffett defended his junk-food diet and distaste for exercise during Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting on Saturday.

Seated with two cans of Coca-Cola and a box of See's Candies on the table in front of him, the billionaire investor and Berkshire CEO pointed to his advanced age as evidence that eating like a child hasn't done him any great harm.

"At 94 years of age, I've been able to drink whatever I like to drink," Buffett said, picking up one of his Coke cans. People have long issued dire warnings about the dangers of a soda habit, but Buffett said it didn't seem to be a problem for him or his late business partner, Charlie Munger, who lived to 99.

"Charlie and I never exercised all that much — we focused on preserving ourselves carefully," Buffett quipped, sparking peals of laughter in the audience. Business Insider was reporting live at the event from a press box stocked with a variety of See's chocolates and a fridge full of sodas.

He pointed to the wear and tear on professional athletes' bodies as a good reason not to join a baseball or basketball team, saying it showed the potential risks of too much exercise.

Buffett has previously said he grabs McDonald's for breakfast on his drive to work, drinks five cans of Coke a day, and devours Dairy Queen ice cream. He's known for loving unhealthy foods such as hot dogs, fries, popcorn, cookies, and candy.

He also hasn't shied away from making Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz two of Berkshire's largest positions, and buying businesses like See's and Dairy Queen outright.

"I think happiness makes an enormous amount of difference in terms of longevity," Buffett said in a 2023 interview. "And I'm happier when I'm drinking Coke or eating hot fudge sundaes or hot dogs."

• Balancing your workout intensity can help you make more progress in less time.
• There are signs a workout is needlessly hard, like excessive exhaustion or a certain kind of pain.
• A good workout should help you feel the burn in the right muscles and feel energizing.

If you ask personal trainer Hilary Hoffman her top tip for gym-goers, it's simple: stop working yourself to total exhaustion.

Hoffman came to this realization while she was working a high-pressure job as a financial analyst in the mid-2010s, often having just five minutes a day for exercise.

She became fixated on designing an exercise regime that was intense without exhausting her or making it hard to keep up with her demanding career.

It turns out, the ideal workout is similar to the perfect job; tough enough to spark growth and reward big ambitions, but supportive enough to overcome the challenges.

"You've got to work hard, but if you're working hard at something that has no upward trajectory, that's not on you in terms of your ability to succeed, it's really on your environment," Hoffman, founder of the fitness program SotoMethod, told Business Insider.

You can make more gains by working out just hard enough that you feel the burn without burning out, Hoffman said.

"I'm going to tell you to push through a challenge, push through a burn," she said. "If you feel pain or if you feel discomfort, those are your signs to stop. But you've got to determine what resistance looks like versus pain."

Here are some ways to tell if a hard workout is doing more harm than good — and how it should feel when you're doing it right.

Red flags: total exhaustion and inconsistency

A common gym mistake is thinking you need to be exhausted to get a good workout, but fatigue and soreness don't necessarily mean you'll get results.

Warning signs that you're overtraining or pushing too hard include:

• You feel pain or discomfort in your joints or areas that aren't supposed to be working, like back pain during a core workout.
• You're completely drained after working out.
• You dread working out, are consistently tempted to skip a scheduled workout, or often consider cutting it short.
• Working out feels overwhelming; you struggle to maintain your exercise schedule over time.

The most effective workout strategy is to find exercise you can do consistently over the long-term so you can keep making progress.

If something isn't working, check in to make sure you're keeping good form, consider easing up on the intensity, or shorten the workout, according to Hoffman.

"The strongest thing you can do when you feel pain is to stop because you're just protecting your body so that you can come back tomorrow and do this again to build more strength," she said.

Green flags: building a habit and connecting with your muscles

Exhausting your muscles can prompt them to build back bigger and stronger, but only if you're able to recover from exercise and avoid hurting yourself in the process.

Look for signs that your hard work is putting the right kind of stress on your body so it can adapt to become stronger and more resilient:

• You feel the burn in the muscles you're supposed to be working, like glutes and hamstrings for a leg workout.
• Your workouts leave you feeling accomplished and invigorated more often than not.
• You generally look forward to your workouts or enjoy them once you get started (even if you don't always feel like doing them).
• Exercise starts to feel like a habit that fits naturally into your schedule.

Adjust the length of your workouts, the intensity, and the exercises you choose to match your goals, Hoffman said.

"Define the finish line before you start so you can really scale your energy to make sure that you cross that finish line with that perfect balance of fully exhausted muscle without pain," she said.

• A financial analyst used her skills from Wall Street to develop efficient, time-saving workouts.
• Isometric exercise and workout blocks are ideal for busy desk workers.
• Focus on small efforts you can sustain; too much intensity in little time can cause burnout.

Hilary Hoffman was in her second year as a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs when she read that being sedentary was the new smoking, and the running joke on the trading floor was hashtag RIP.

"We're going first. All we do is sit," Hoffman told Business Insider. "Your value's only derived at your desk."

Dark humor aside, she wasn't ready to compromise on her health and longevity for the sake of her career. She decided to create her own workout that fit into her busy schedule.

The SotoMethod stands for "60 on, 10 on," a pattern of holding an exercise for 60 seconds, then working through a series of 10 movements.

Even if she only had five minutes to spare after a long day at the office, Hoffman said the workouts were challenging enough to get her in shape, but not so hard that she felt exhausted after.

Before long, Hoffman noticed she wasn't the only who needed a quick fitness fix. She began teaching weekend classes in her yard that grew from three people to more than she could fit.

From there, she built the business from a side hustle all the way up to opening her own NYC studio.

Whether you're working a Wall Street schedule or just trying to save time in the gym, Hoffman said a few simple tips can help you get the most out of a short workout.

Find a focus point

The first step to more efficient workouts is to have a clear aim. You can't realistically do everything at once, Hoffman learned in the finance world, so having your priorities straight is key.

"When your job is that demanding from a time perspective, you really need to know what's important," she said.

For instance, to build muscle, you'll want to include resistance training, increasing the challenge over time so your body adapts, while a combination of cardio and strength training may help boost longevity.

Start with 5 minutes a day

You can train your willpower like any other muscle, according to Hoffman.

Just like you wouldn't learn to deadlift by starting at 300 pounds, the best place to begin a fitness routine is setting a time commitment you can manage.

As little as five minute a day helps to form a habit and starts the process of challenging your body to build muscle and get stronger.

Hoffman said her own workout plan on a busy schedule can hit all the fitness essentials is just over an hour per week: two 30-minute cardio sessions and two resistance training sessions of five minutes each, one for arms and one for core.

From there, you can add more. The SotoMethod uses simple blocks of exercise that can add up, so Hoffman said she often starts with a short workout and ends up surprising herself by getting more done.

"There are times I said I could only do five minutes, but I ended on a 30-minute workout because I kept stacking blocks on top of each other to build up," she said.

Save time with isometrics

Hoffman uses a simple workout technique to increase muscle tension for better gains, without needing lots of time on many sets or reps.

An isometric exercise involves holding a static position that keeps your muscles working, like a plank or a low squat.

Firing up your muscles while staying in place is low-impact on your joints, making it easier to recover and prevent injury.

Hoffman's strategy is to work isometrics into a class during transition periods when she's explaining the next movement, so you can continue working even as you're getting ready for the next exercise.

The end result is making the most of every second during a workout. It's also a safe way to bring the muscles close to failure, which research suggests can help maximize strength and muscle gains.

"That's how you really build new muscle and build endurance," Hoffman said.

• Eating enough protein is important for muscle development and your overall health.
• Protein is also more filling than other foods, which can make it hard to eat a lot of.
• Making high-protein swaps and splitting meals into snacks can help you hit your targets.

I calculated my recommended protein intake, as someone who works out and wants to build muscle. I needed a minimum of 53 grams of protein a day, but closer to 114 grams if I really wanted to make gains.

But hitting that isn't so easy. On a typical day, my morning oatmeal is 5-6 grams of protein, my lunch salad or grain bowl is a measly 10-15 grams, and my salmon fillet dinner is 25 grams — just 40-45 grams of protein total.

Morgan Walker, a sports nutritionist at Lebanon Valley College, said this is a common occurrence.

For one, high-protein foods fill you up faster because they're structurally more complex than most nutrients. Protein needs additional enzymes to be broken down in the body, Walker told Business Insider. When we consume protein, hormones are released that "help to promote satiety, too," she said.

Additionally, if you work out a lot, you might even lose your appetite. "Exercise itself can be appetite-suppressant for a lot of individuals, especially high-intensity exercise and endurance-type training," Walker said, due to anti-hunger molecules that form in the body.

Ironically, very active people who need to eat more protein for muscle repair may struggle to get adequate amounts of protein in their diets.

Walker shared a few ways to eat enough protein if you feel too full to even think about another hard-boiled egg.

Use versatile ingredients like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt

Walker is a "big fan" of cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, which are complete protein sources and easy to snack on, such as Greek yogurt with honey and berries or cottage cheese on toast.

They both have more amino acids than lower-protein foods, which help muscle-building by repairing and growing new muscle fibers.

You can also use them as protein boosters in other meals. Cottage cheese, at about 200 calories and 23-28 grams of protein per cup, can be blended into pasta sauce or eggs. Greek yogurt, with similar levels of protein and caloric content, can be used in smoothies, dips, or condiments.

Make easy protein swaps

A balanced diet isn't all protein — you also need fiber and carbohydrates. Fitting all of that in can be tough, though.

Walker recommended protein swaps to get more protein and other nutrients, such as using farro or quinoa as a base instead of rice. You can also replace regular pasta with higher-protein versions that use lentils or chickpeas.

If you're cooking grains and want to sprinkle in some extra protein, Walker said you can also boil them in bone broth, which contains 9 to 11 grams of protein per cup.

Break your meals up into snacks

If fitting in three big, protein-heavy meals a day just isn't working for you, there's good news: snacking might be better for you in the long run, anyway.

"Consistent protein intake throughout the day is very beneficial for promoting muscle-protein synthesis," Walker said.

Breaking big meals down into smaller and more frequent protein-rich snacks also makes it easier to get more protein without stuffing yourself. In the long run, consistent protein intake is more important than chugging a huge protein shake after a workout.

Walker loves Greek yogurt, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, turkey jerky, shelled edamame, nuts, and smoothies to graze on throughout the day.

Divvy up your protein powder

Protein-packed liquids, such as smoothies and shakes with protein powder, are usually less filling than big meals.

Still, not all protein drinks are the same. Walker said ready-to-drink shakes, which can pack 20-30 grams of protein per bottle, tend to be more filling. If they're too difficult to chug, she suggested incorporating protein powder in drinks and meals throughout the day, rather than all at once.

"Maybe it's scooping a little bit of the protein powder and mixing it into a yogurt, smoothie, or oatmeal," she said. If one scoop is 30 grams of protein, you can have 15 grams in your breakfast and 15 grams in a post-workout shake.

Add variety

Some active people assume gains require culinary sacrifice, subjecting themselves to the same cliché gym bro meal of chicken breasts, brown rice, and broccoli every night.

"I have a lot of clients who will eat very similar meals and even though they're extremely well-balanced, they're not getting a lot of variety," Walker said. Not only is variety important for gut health; it also keeps you from getting bored.

Walker said sheet pan dinners are an easy and versatile way to change up your main protein source, like chicken or fish, as well as your vegetables and seasonings. You can also use Greek yogurt or cottage cheese to create a high-protein sauce.

Fitting in enough daily protein, especially if you're strength-training, can take some creativity.

• Tony Horton, best known for the hit P90X workout, said he's thriving at 66 after tweaking his routine.
• Horton was diagnosed with a rare illness in 2017, and since then has followed a flexible plant-based diet.
• His current workout routine includes more yoga but also new challenges like obstacle courses.

Two decades after designing one of the best-selling home workout programs in history, personal trainer Tony Horton said he's in the best shape of his life.

When Horton's creation, P90X, hit the fitness industry in 2005, it became a smash hit. The program sold more than 3.5 million copies thanks to its high-intensity blend of circuit-style training, explosive movements, and plenty of core work.

By that point, Horton had a star-studded clientele, including celebs like Tom Petty, Billy Idol, Rob Lowe, and Usher.

Everything shifted in 2017, when he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological disorder related to the shingles virus that can cause facial paralysis, ringing in the ears, and potential hearing loss.

Horton said the health scare prompted him to overhaul his routine, focusing less on hardcore workouts and more on recovery and stress reduction.

"I needed to add mindfulness components to my regular routine," he told Business Insider. "I looked more to resting, listening to music, taking a nap without feeling guilty about it, focusing on my family."

The upshot: doing less paid off, and Horton said he's now in better shape than ever when it comes to taking on adventures, including new physical challenges.

On a recent trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Horton said he skied for six days in a row.

"I couldn't do that in my 20s and 30s," he said.

Horton's latest venture is Ninja Warrior and obstacle course training, navigating ropes, high bars, even the notorious "salmon ladder" at his tricked out home gym in southern California (which you can visit as part of the Paragon Experience event in May).

To stay strong and healthy into his 60s and beyond, Horton relies on habits like a flexible plant-based diet, lots of mobility exercise, and finding new challenges to keep things interesting.

"To maintain and sustain my athleticism, it's not just pounding the weights and running hills," he said. "Now it's really about quality of life and longevity and avoiding injury as much as possible."

He follows a flexible, mostly plant-based diet for longevity

Around the time of his diagnosis, Horton experimented with eating a vegan diet, and found he had more energy and better recovery after exercise.

While he's not strictly vegan now, he said whole, plant-based foods make up a majority of his diet.

Staples like beans, nuts, and seeds are a big part of his regular meals and snacks to make sure he's getting nutrients like protein and fiber for healthy aging.

"People don't realize there's a whole lot of proteins in plants," he said.

A typical day of eating for Horton includes seed bread with almond butter for breakfast, a protein smoothie with berries, banana, and cashew milk after a workout, and meals like lentil tacos for lunch and dinner.

Taking a more flexible diet approach and allowing for exceptions to the plant-based plan — like elk steaks on his ski trips, or desserts when his sweet tooth hits — keeps him from feeling deprived, so he can stay healthier overall in the long-term.

"Stick to your plan 80% to 90% of the time and every once in a while, eat that big beautiful chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven," Horton said.

Mobility training and balance training

As he's gotten older, while Horton doesn't work out any less, he's shifted his focus on training for longevity rather than trying to pack on as much muscle as possible.

He's still kept the muscle (Horton is no stranger to lifting heavy when it feels right) but his typical sessions include a lot more yoga and "animal flow," bodyweight exercise that emphasizes agility and graceful movement.

"Balance, range of motion, flexibility, and speed work are as essential as lifting weights and everything else," Horton said.

He also stays active by practicing with a slackline, a creative way of building balance and stability.

The key is consistency, finding time every day for exercise as a regular, habitual investment in your long-term health, just like staying on top of your finances.

"It doesn't have to be a lot. You can go for an 8-minute walk," Horton said. "But it has to be consistent. You don't pay your bills every fourth month."

New challenges keep him energized

Horton said one of his main strategies for staying youthful is finding creative ways to push himself, like Ninja Warrior-style obstacle courses.

It started when Horton was humbled by a rope climb, which he expected to be easier since he was strong enough to rep out dozens of push-ups and pull-ups. Rather than accept defeat, he decided to embrace the growth mindset, and obstacle training became a new way to stay motivated and get out of his comfort zone.

"The reason why I fell in love with it was because it was another level of challenge," Horton said. "Who cares if I fall or if I fail? Turn your ego off."

• I became pregnant with my daughter when I was 42 and decided to start focusing on my health.
• I started exercising regularly, sleep became a non-negotiable, and began a mindfulness practice.
• Not only does my daughter deserve a healthy mom, but I deserve to be healthy, too.

I met my partner at 38, and given my age, we assumed kids weren't in the cards. So, when I unexpectedly became pregnant at 42, it was both a shock and a joy. In those first frantic years with an infant, however, I began worrying that my already exhausted energy reserves would dwindle further over the next few years.

It took a while, but I slowly started focusing more on my health. Here's what I did — and the surprising lessons I learned along the way.

I no longer take my health for granted

As a young single woman living for Saturday nights, I drank regularly, exercised sporadically, and avoided doctors unless absolutely necessary. Parenthood changed that.

In my 40s and now 50s, regular check-ups with my primary care provider and my gynecologist became a priority. I'll be honest — it took time to make them a habit. Fitting in routine health appointments can feel like one more task on an overloaded to-do list. And even in Europe, where I live, medical costs can add up.

But here's what I've since realized as a middle-aged mom: Prioritizing my health is about living better now, not just living longer. I used to accept running on empty as normal. As a parent, I see how it's a disservice to my daughter, especially when a simple check-up may help uncover a problem with an easy solution, like a vitamin deficiency.

For my 53rd birthday, I gifted myself a full medical check-up — including blood and urine tests for cancer, a mammogram, and, on my doctor's last-minute advice, a bone density test. To my surprise, that test revealed I have osteoporosis, which finally explained the muscle aches and fatigue I'd put down to a busy life. Now, I take prescription calcium and tailor my exercise toward building bone strength and energy.

Good health isn't just physical; it affects our mood. When I feel good, I'm more present for my daughter, and I truly enjoy our time together. That, more than anything, makes keeping my health on track worth the effort.

Regular exercise is now a must

Once I became a parent, I was determined to exercise more. But after too many missed Saturday morning rumba classes, I started to find easier ways to incorporate it into my daily routine.

For starters, I walk everywhere and track my steps, aiming for 5,000—7,000 daily. I've always loved swimming, so once my daughter started school, I committed to at least one morning swim a week. Since hitting menopause, I've also added weight training to my routine, although on busy weeks, this sometimes means simply wearing a weighted vest on my walks.

In my younger years, I admit I worked out for a summer "beach body." Now, my fitness goals are all about stamina, strength, and energy. My main motivation is to be there for my daughter right now as much as when she grows into her teens and adulthood.

Sleep is non-negotiable

I've always been more of a morning person, but this didn't stop me from mindlessly scrolling until 2 a.m. or going for mid-week drinks that ended after midnight.

When my daughter was a baby, sleep became sacred. Then, as she grew, I made the effort to clock in at least 7-8 hours of shuteye. I saw pretty quickly that if I didn't, I'd be crankier, less patient, and certainly less able to handle her complaints, worries, or endless plotless stories involving something this friend said to that friend!

By making sleep a non-negotiable, I can manage my day more efficiently while showing up as the parent she deserves.

I prioritize mindfulness practices

After a C-section under general anesthesia and a post-surgery blood clot, I was anxious and agitated in my first weeks of motherhood. Meditation and kundalini yoga helped me regain calm, and I've incorporated mindfulness practices into my life ever since.

Like many teen girls today, my now-13-year-old daughter often feels anxious, so I've shared several mindfulness techniques with her, and they've definitely helped. Equally important, they've strengthened our bond. Being able to step back and reset when either of us gets frustrated has defused more situations than I can count.

The bottom line is this: My daughter deserves a mom who is strong, present, and energized, no matter her age. As an older mother and woman, I deserve to feel my best, too, so I can fully enjoy motherhood both now and in the future.

• Tracking biometrics has become more popular, inspiring users to seek personalized wellness plans.
• Some women and older adults are prioritizing exercise tailored to their needs.
• Group activities and mid-workday workouts are defining how young people work out.

With the hype of New Year's resolutions far behind us, you've likely settled into a fitness and wellness routine for 2025.

But how do your goals and methods align with shifts in the wider fitness industry?

We asked industry experts, including celebrity trainers and CEOs, what they are seeing starting to dominate wellness in 2025.

With changes in tracking technology and work-life balance, fitness experts said users are turning to personal trainers, specialized classes, or personalized workout plans to stick to their personal goals.

Here are eight rising workout and wellness trends you'll see — or continue to see — this year.

Personalized, data-centric fitness

"I firmly believe there's no one size fits all when it comes to exercise," said Luke Worthington, a celebrity personal trainer based in London. "A big shift is a real move toward improving health outcomes."

He's seen an increased interest in understanding what each exercise is doing to the body and how it's helping improve long-term health, as opposed to "just working out," he said.

In 2024, ClassPass saw a 159% increase in user bookings of body scan services, in which professionals use specialized equipment to look at a client's body composition, from fat and muscle mass to bone density, the company told Business Insider.

"People want that data. People want to know exactly where they are," ClassPass CEO Fritz Lanman told BI.

McKinsey's Future of Wellness survey, a January 2024 analysis of consumer wellness trends that surveyed over 5,000 people in China, the United Kingdom, and the United States, reported nearly one in five respondents in America — and one in three millennials — prefer personalized wellness services and products.

Part of this comes from the rise in biometric tracking devices that provide users with insights about their workout performance.

According to McKinsey's survey, approximately 20% of respondents in the US and the UK said they want to use biometric data in their personalized services and product recommendations.

This has also contributed to a rise in AI personal trainers that use user data to create personalized fitness plans.

Strength training for women

"The future that we're trending toward in fitness for women is — I'm so happy to report — is weight training," Sarah Hagaman told Business Insider.

Hagaman, who has worked in the fitness industry for 20 years and trained celebrities like Cindy Crawford, said she consistently encourages clients to include a form of strength training in their routine.

"The goal is longevity and increased strength," she said.

In an end-of-year report from activity-tracking app Strava, the company reported that weight training was the fastest-growing sport type among women in 2024, with a 25% growth in user activity uploads.

Hagaman said that old fears of gaining muscle and "getting bulky" have largely phased out in the women she works with.

Activities like lifting weights or training with resistance, which target muscle building, have traditionally been marketed to men. However, Worthington said women benefit just as much from this kind of exercise.

Strength training is one of the most effective ways of improving one's health span, the period of time during which one has optimal health, Worthington said. This is especially true when taking women's health and age factors like menopause into consideration.

"There are particular points throughout life where there are more rapid changes for women than there are for men, and all of those changes can be mitigated by training with resistance," Worthington said. "There are very distinct, measurable, positive hormonal changes that happen when you do that."

"We see positive changes in testosterone and positive changes in estrogen as well. So all of those things help mitigate what you would call, broadly speaking, aging," he added.

Group activities

Run clubs are the new dating apps, and more people are finding community in fitness in 2025.

ClassPass told BI that group-sports reservations rose dramatically in 2024 compared to the previous year. The company said it saw volleyball reservations increase by 250%, soccer reservations increase by 158%, and ice-skating reservations increase by nearly 700%.

The company said its data also showed more users are bringing friends to studio fitness classes, with Pilates ranking as the top category where users are likely to invite friends.

"A lot of our users go with their friends, and if they go along with their friends, they're much more likely to stick with their routine," Lanman said. "It's a communal experience. You're in there, going through a challenging experience with other individuals who are like-minded."

The number of group running clubs for Strava's users increased by 59% in 2024, according to the company's year-end report. In a survey by the company, 58% of respondents said they had made new friends through fitness groups.

"If you can't hire a trainer, get a workout buddy or a walking partner or somebody to be accountable with," Hagaman said.

The trainer said she routinely takes walks with her 75-year-old mother, putting on ankle weights to get a more effective workout.

"There's really sweet ways that you can incorporate achievable, realistic, health and fitness into your life," Hagaman said.

Holistic recovery

"This year, we're seeing a surge into a broader definition of wellness," Lanman said. "Wellness has become more than just about fitness. It's about self-care, beauty treatments, massages, recovery, mental health, eating well, and sleeping well."

Holistic services have seen a rise in interest as people learn more about implementing recovery time in their workout routines.

Recovery services range from massages to newer "biohacking" technologies like cryotherapy, a treatment in which people expose their bodies to extremely low temperatures in a bid to increase blood flow, support muscle recovery, and decrease inflammation. However, more research is needed to back up those claims.

In a 2022 McKinsey report, the firm found that 37% of respondents in a survey of over 2,000 US consumers said they wished there were more products and services focusing on sleep and mindfulness, such as those that address cognitive functioning, stress, and anxiety management.

"People are really working that kind of recovery and those types of treatment into their holistic wellness routines," Lanman said.

Modified pilates

Pilates, which has remained one of the most popular workouts in the past few years and has been the top category on ClassPass for the past two years, isn't slowing down.

According to Lanman, users' interest in classes where they can use specialized equipment, build community, and listen to music while being led by professionals isn't likely to go away.

"It's substitutability," Lanman said. "You can do pushups at home. You can do some basic yoga poses at home," but an advanced pilates workout cannot easily be replicated at home, he said.

Classes like Solidcore, one of the most popular studios on ClassPass and which trains on a specialized machine, or tower Pilates, which saw an 83% increase in worldwide interest between July and September 2023 and July and September 2024, as reported by PureGym UK, provide users with a unique experience that makes booking a class more desirable than more replicable workout plans.

Wearable technology and performance enhancers

Wearable fitness devices have come a long way since Fitbit's introduction in 2007.

Today, users can opt for devices as small as an Oura ring or as big as a Zozofit suit to track their heart rate, step count, glucose, and VO2 max, and many are.

Half of McKinsey's survey respondents said they have purchased a fitness wearable at some point, and about one-third of them said they used their devices more often in 2024 than they did in 2023.

Other workout gadgets on the rise, according to Hagaman, are wearables that add an extra challenge to your workout, like weighted vests and weighted leggings.

"I think it's so cool because you're just functionally moving and doing your life but adding a challenge to it," Hagaman said.

Corporate wellness

With return to the office on the rise, workers are keeping up with the fitness routines they developed over remote- or hybrid-work structures, and companies are adapting to these changes, Lanman said.

"The lunch or cigarette break that existed 50 years ago has to some extent been replaced by a class break," Lanman said. "Society and corporate culture have become a bit more flexible on letting people kind of go and invest in their wellness and having the flexibility to do that."

Since 2020, ClassPass has seen an average year-over-year increase of 57% in corporate subscribers whose memberships are subsidized by employers.

In 2024, nearly 85% of large US employers offered wellness programs, with the market expected to reach $94.6 billion by 2026, as reported by Shortlister, an HR benefits database.

Mobility training for older adults

"People want to have the mobility to keep up with their children and grandchildren and carry their grandchildren and have the strength to do that," personal trainer Nicole Stuart told Business Insider. "Flexibility as we age is so important, and that's what I do mostly with most of my clients."

Stuart, whose clientele ranges from 20 to 80 years old and includes stars like Kate Hudson, recommends that her clients balance weightlifting and stretching in their routines to promote healthy aging and functional fitness.

McKinsey reported that more than 60 percent of its survey respondents considered it "very" or "extremely" important to purchase products or services that help with healthy aging and longevity.

Between 2023 and 2024, "functional fitness," an exercise approach that focuses on improving the performance of everyday activities, saw a 124% increase in worldwide Google searches, as reported by PureGym UK, being one of the top categories of workout trends on the rise.

"As you get older, you lose bone density, flexibility, and muscle mass," Stuart said. "Whether it is being able to bend over to put on your socks or being able to lift your knee up high enough to put your shoe on, more and more people are realizing they have to keep their mobility to be able to do things."

• Daily lifestyle habits can cause premature aging, leading to wrinkles and dark spots on your skin.
• Not wearing sunscreen, being dehydrated, and staying inactive can impact your skin.
• Many habits are also interconnected, so it's good to look at your overall health.

If you don't have the budget for regular Botox or expensive treatments, there's a cheaper route to youthful-looking skin: tweaking your lifestyle habits.

It's a little more involved than simply going to a one-off appointment. "We always want to assume there's this magic bullet," Marjorie Cohn, a registered dietitian and founding clinical director of the online nutrition therapy service Berry Street, told Business Insider.

In reality, habits are often interconnected: a lack of exercise can make it harder to fall asleep; poor sleep causes spikes in sugar cravings; all three can degrade the collagen production needed for bouncy, vibrant skin.

Everyday choices you make can speed up the aging process and make you look older. While changing up your skincare routine or diet can feel less impactful than a chemical peel, those micro-habits add up in the long run.

Plus, if you're going to splurge on an LED mask, you may as well start with the best possible skin.

Not putting on enough sunscreen

Of all the anti-aging skincare products on the market, sunscreen has the most evidence behind it, Carmen Castilla, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, told BI.

Without sunscreen, the sun's UV rays cause oxidative damage to the skin, "which impairs collagen production and actually destroys the collagen that you have," Castilla said. Because collagen is the supportive structure of the skin, your skin ages faster from unprotected sun exposure.

At minimum, you should be wearing an SPF 30 formula every day and reapplying every two hours if you're in the sun. However, how much you use is also crucial.

If your body is exposed to the sun, the general recommendation is one ounce of sunscreen. Most sunscreen bottles are between 6 to 8 ounces, meaning "you should be really going through your sunscreen bottles very quickly," Castilla said. "But most people have a sunscreen bottle that lasts the whole summer."

Being dehydrated

If you have crepe-like creases, they might not be wrinkles at all. More likely, they're dehydration lines.

"If your skin is not adequately hydrated, those skin cells shrink a little bit and you're going to see increased dullness, more fine lines," Castilla said.

Beyond drinking enough water and cutting down on sugary drinks and coffee, the key to keeping your skin hydrated is to use moisturizer.

Drinking too much alcohol

Alcohol is another big dehydrator, Cohn said, contributing to facial puffiness. It also offsets other nutrients that are key to healthy skin.

Alcohol can't be stored in the body the way we store fat or carbohydrates. "Your body actually has to metabolize it in the moment, so it's really hard on your liver," Cohn said. Drinking too much reduces your liver's ability to filter toxins and collect nutrients, which will eventually show up on your skin.

To avoid high alcohol consumption, health experts recommend limiting yourself to about 1 to 2 drinks a day and to never exceed three in a day.

Neglecting sleep

Sleep is when the body restores itself. Increased blood flow and nutrients help the skin repair collagen and any sun damage from the day, Castilla said.

Good sleep also balances hormone levels, such as lowering cortisol, the stress hormone that also contributes to faster aging, Cohn said.

Other hormones, such as ghrelin or the "hunger hormone," spike when you don't sleep enough. It can increase cravings for more sugary or ultra-processed foods, which have cascading effects on the body — including the skin.

Eating too many sugary or charred foods

Spikes in blood sugar — caused by eating sugary foods or processed carbohydrates like white bread — make it harder for your body to produce more collagen, Castilla said.

Other, less-talked-about foods that cause quicker skin aging are foods cooked in high heat, such as charred meat. That char has a type of free radical — an unstable molecule that damages skin cells and stiffens collagen. Castilla recommended lower-heat cooking methods, like steaming or boiling.

Not getting the right nutrients

The other problem with eating ultra-processed foods is that they can lack the nutrients needed for healthy skin, Cohn said.

For example, electrolytes like potassium and sodium found in fruit improve hydration. Electrolyte drinks, meanwhile, often have added sugars that can spike your blood sugar.

Protein, zinc, and vitamin C are all essential for boosting collagen production, which declines as we age. While ultra-processed foods can have some vitamins and protein, eating lots of UPFs can also lead to health issues.

"If you're deficient in any of those, it's going to be much harder for your body to produce new, strong collagen," Castilla said.

Not working out

On top of collagen, the dermis (inner layer of your skin) also thins as we age. "That's one of the reasons why we see a lot of wrinkling," Castilla said. Exercise, which increases blood flow, can thicken it. The blood flow from exercise also improves circulation, which helps build collagen and elastin, Cohn said.

It also helps reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality, both of which positively impact your skin, she said.

An inconsistent skincare routine

Almost all anti-aging skincare products take a while to be effective, as they work to generate new proteins. It can take three months to see visible results, Castilla said.

A consistent morning and nighttime skincare routine doesn't need many products to prevent premature aging. You mainly want to remove makeup (as pollutants trapped in the skin can damage your microbiome), put on sunscreen, and apply moisturizer.

To smooth your skin texture or get rid of dark spots, you can use retinol and vitamin C serum, which both increase collagen production.

Smoking or vaping

Broadly, smoking (be it cigarettes or vapes) reduces oxygen and nutrient delivery in other organs, including your skin, Cohn said. This can show up as blood vessel damage, wrinkling, or dehydration.

Weed isn't necessarily much better, she added. "When you're inhaling something, whether it's marijuana or cigarette smoke, you are trading oxygen for that other vapor," she said. "Those cells are going to die a little bit quicker."

If you're going to quit one habit to slow down your aging, this is it.

• A 74-year-old man has been working out every day for ten years and counting.
• He said using strength machines and walking for cardio has kept him healthy over the years.
• Strength training with machines can help build muscle and prevent injury for better longevity.

When Vincent "Vin" DiMonte decided to hit the gym in late December of 2014, he liked it so much, he worked out again the next day.

And the next day.

And the day after that.

More than 3,700 days later, he hasn't missed a single day of exercise, though he does take some easier days of light cardio to give his body a chance to recover.

The 74-year-old from Rhode Island said the regular routine of combining strength training with cardio has kept him energized, healthy, and strong over time.

"I am hardly ever sick, and I don't get headaches. I have maintained my drive, diligence, dedication, and determination all these years," DiMonte told Business Insider in an interview coordinated by Planet Fitness, his gym of choice.

DiMonte's current workout schedule is about an hour each day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It's been this way for 10 years and counting, and he has no plans to slow down.

"I have treated exercise like a 'job' — Get up, dress up, show up, and don't give up," he said.

Here's what a typical workout looks like for DiMonte, and why science says it's so good for longevity.

Exercise machines help build muscle and prevent injury

The bulk of DiMonte's workouts, pun intended, is strength training to build muscle.

"The goal has been to become 'a lean mean, fighting machine,' as John Candy proclaimed in 'Stripes,'" DiMonte said.

He spends about 45 minutes of his workout, six days a week, on strength machines. Each focuses on a different muscle group, a strategy called a workout split that allows one muscle group to rest while you work on another.

One recent gym session included calf extensions, leg extensions, and bicep curls. Other go-to exercises include chest presses and cable pull-downs.

DiMonte said he prefers strength training machines to free weights because the movements are easier on his body.

Machine exercise can be great for building muscle, whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, since they help to isolate the target muscles. And healthy muscle mass is key to living longer, making the body more resilient, preventing illness, and bolstering the metabolism over time.

For older athletes exercising for longevity, gym machines can help prevent injury since they provide more support and stability, personal trainers previously told Business Insider.

Cardio protects your heart for a longer life

Over the years, DiMonte has added more time on the treadmill to his workout routine for aerobic exercise.

His current sessions include about 12 minutes of cardio daily, and Sundays are reserved for cardio-only, a type of active recovery so he can keep moving while his muscles rest.

Aerobic or cardio exercise can help extend lifespan and health by protecting your heart as you age, whether you're walking, biking, jogging, or doing other activities that get your heart rate up.

Walking also kept DiMonte active and exercising daily during COVID when gyms were closed.

DiMonte said the key to maintaining his health, and his decade-long habit, has been staying consistent. His advice is to do something active every day and find a community to build a lifelong habit. Having strong social connections and a sense of purpose is not only linked to better longevity — a workout buddy is one of the best ways to stay motivated at the gym too, according to science.

As DiMonte puts it: "Go one day, then go the next day, and soon you will have a routine. You will make friends with those who have the same goals. They will become your 'peeps!'"

• Brianna Oyewo lost 100 pounds and kept it off by making simple changes to her diet and exercise routine.
• She started losing weight during the pandemic, but her habits became too restrictive.
• Now she has a more flexible diet and exercise routine to stay healthy and spend time with her kids.

The pandemic was a wake-up call for Brianna Oyewo.

In 2020, after giving birth to her first child, she was worried about her ongoing struggle with emotional eating and weight. Coupled with concerns about COVID and impending motherhood, Oyewo felt it was time for a change.

"I've been overweight my entire life," she told Business Insider. "I had to do something differently, I wanted to be a mom that was very active, running around on the playground."

Oyewo, based outside of Buffalo, New York, took advantage of the extra time at home to focus on working out and eating healthier food.

Within six months, she had lost 100 pounds and counting.

But as Oyewo continued to shed pounds, doubling down on workouts and her strict eating plan, friends and family started to voice concerns that she was losing too much weight.

By 2021, she realized her habits had become excessive, and after her second pregnancy, Oyewo worked on re-building a healthy relationship to food and exercise.

Now, Oyewo is 37 years old and a busy mom of two with a full-time office job in government and a side gig as a personal trainer. She's figured out a more balanced approach to nutrition and fitness that has allowed her to maintain the weight loss.

The key has been reframing her approach to focus on sustainable eating habits and exercise, while emphasizing wins that have nothing to do with the scale, like having more energy to spend with her kids.

"It's not about what I could lose, but what I'm gaining," Oyewo said.

She eats a flexible high-protein diet

Oyewo said she overhauled her diet as part of her weight loss effort.

"The moment I became pregnant, I started paying more attention to my health," she said.

Initially, she lost weight through cutting carbs and intermittent fasting, limiting her meals to an eight-hour window each day. But over time, Oyewo said she started to go longer and longer without eating, and her routine became too restrictive.

Now her diet is flexible, with a focus on eating more healthy foods and foods she enjoys as long as they fit into a broad calorie and protein goal. She aims to get at least 80 grams of protein daily, usually more, and no more than 25 grams of added sugar.

"I pay attention to those numbers because they matter, but I don't log every single thing I eat," she said.

A typical day of eating involves foods like:

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with fruit, eggs, and a protein shake
• Lunch: a big salad with protein and plenty of produce
• Snacks: pretzels, granola, lots of fruit like berries and apples
• Dinner: chili, soup, or chickpea pasta.

She said if she could change anything about her initial weight loss diet, it would be less restriction from the start.

"I would focus on what I can add, eating more protein, more veggies, and more healthy fat," Oyewo said. "I'm going to listen to my body, if I want to have something, I'll have it in moderation."

She sticks to short, simple workouts

Oyewo started her fitness routine with Youtube, finding exercise videos that were easy to do at home, including Tabata and HIIT workouts.

Over time, she ramped up to longer and longer sessions, eventually realizing she was overdoing it by exercising as much as two hours every day, pushing through even when she was sick.

"I didn't believe in rest days," she said.

She scaled back to avoid overtraining, and now works out between three to five days a week, depending on her schedule, for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour per day.

Oyewo works a full-time desk job, so part of her routine is moving throughout the day, including taking time over her lunch break for a walk or run up and down some stairs for 10 to 15 minutes.

At home, she still sticks to YouTube videos, and aims for activities her kids can join in with their own set of toy dumbbells.

"Outside of work, I try to incorporate my children into my workout routine so I don't have to feel like I'm sacrificing time," she said.

Oyewo doesn't sweat it if she can't fit a whole hour of exercise, preferring to be consistent instead of strict.

"If all I can get in that day is 15 to 20 minutes, I'd rather do that than nothing," she said.

She has strong social support

Oyewo said one of the biggest lessons she learned is that making healthy, sustainable lifestyle change is a team effort.

She had support (and accountability) from friends and family, including her husband, a physical therapist.

She also consulted medical professionals such as her primary care doctor, a nutritionist, and a therapist, which were key to transitioning from unhealthy, extreme exercise and dieting to more sustainable habits.

"If I could back and give myself advice, I would say — you don't know everything, and it's important to get assistance you need right from the beginning," Oyewo said. "I wasn't trying to be superwoman. I asked for help."

• Leah Wei avoided the gym because she felt exercise was just about achieving a certain body type.
• She realized she was missing out on health benefits, so worked on her relationship with exercise.
• Wei now sees moving daily as an opportunity to have fun and see her friends.

When Leah Wei, a 27-year-old YouTuber based in New York, learned that the body naturally starts to lose muscle mass at age 30, she knew she had to get over her fear of working out.

She had sworn off the gym years before because she had negative associations with exercise, she told Business Insider. These came from growing up seeing images of Victoria's Secret models and magazine covers emblazoned with phrases like "get abs quick."

It felt like exercise was about pushing yourself to look a certain way, Wei said. When she didn't see the aesthetic results fitness influencers promised, it left her feeling bad about her body.

To preserve her self-esteem, Wei decided to abandon exercise and accept her body as it was. "I didn't want to have that relationship with my body, with movement," she said.

But as time went on, she realized that she was missing out on the health benefits of exercise. Her neck and shoulders felt tight from sitting at a screen all day, she felt lethargic in the colder months, and became aware maintaining muscle as you age was important for staying strong and mobile.

In January 2023, Wei decided it was time to give working out another go. But this time she wanted it to be sustainable, and to prioritize how it made her feel, not how it made her look.

Now, she exercises every day, either going to a class or hitting the gym, because she genuinely enjoys it. She shared three ways she makes working out a joy.

1) Reframing 'exercise' as 'movement'

Wei likes to think about exercise as an opportunity to move her body, get away from her laptop, and have fun.

"It's a rebrand to this is just a really fun part of your day and something I love to do," she said.

Rather than having a strict routine or schedule, she decides what kind of movement she'll do each day based on her mood. She's a member of a rock climbing gym that offers a wide range of classes— from classic to aerial yoga and circus skills— and often tries new activities.

Wei likened her new attitude toward working out to going to a playground as a child. "You're never like 'oh I have to go outside to play for recess because it improves my sleep, or increases my metabolism. You're kind of just there because it's fun,'" she said.

Wei also has a gym in her building, where she aims to strength train twice a week with free weights.

2) Marrying movement with socializing

Exercising with a friend makes it even more fun, Wei said, and it helps her to balance different parts of her life.

She convinced three of her friends to join her rock climbing gym and they typically go together at least once a week or bump into each other there. "I think if your friends are all going climbing, it's more motivating for you too," she said.

And it means she gets to exercise and see the people she loves at the same time.

"I'll hit up friends and be like, 'do you wanna go Friday night or Sunday or Saturday morning' and people are usually down," she said.

3) Join a gym you want to spend time in every day

Wei's gym has big windows and a pretty view, which she said has helped her build the habit of going almost daily as it's a space she likes to spend time in.

"If I invest in a space that I think is really welcoming and warm, it makes me want to go there every day," she said.

Studios like this tend to be more expensive than a basic gym, but Wei is happy to spend her money this way.

"I don't care as much about makeup or clothing or purses or whatever but I'm like, this is really worth it for me," she said.