The Top 4 Longevity Hacks Every Woman Should Know About

Building muscle isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a critical component of staying strong, mobile, and independent as you age. Killen emphasizes the need for women to lift heavier weights, which is especially important to maintain bone density and resilience against age-related muscle loss. Prioritizing protein intake (which should be a minimum of 100 grams a day for most women) is essential to support lean muscle growth and maintenance. And adding creatine gives you a real advantage.

Creatine, a naturally occurring compound, is one of the most research-backed supplements, known to support muscle, bone, and brain health. Women, especially, can benefit from a daily dose of 5 grams for muscle growth, and up to 10 grams for additional brain and bone health.* 

Creatine is especially important during perimenopause and menopause by supporting an increase in muscle mass and bone mineral density, which both decline as hormones shift. Adding a high-quality protein powder is a convenient way to boost your intake. mindbodygreen’s grass-fed whey protein isolate+ provides 25 grams of (delicious) high-quality protein per serving and pairs perfectly with creatine+ with taurine to support muscle health.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the strongest predictors of a long, healthy life, making VO2 max (the maximum rate at which your body can use oxygen) a metric worth tracking. Improving VO2 max through high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprints can strengthen your cardiovascular system, improve energy production, and give your metabolism a boost.

HIIT workouts, where you push your heart rate to 80-85% of its max in short bursts, can have a big impact in a short time. Killen recommends starting with as little as 10 minutes of intervals once or twice a week. As you gain endurance, incorporating longer sessions of steady-state cardio (like brisk walking or jogging) builds a foundation for further VO2 max gains.

As women age, hormone levels naturally shift, impacting energy, mood, and even brain function. Staying proactive about hormone health can improve quality of life and is especially beneficial in the perimenopausal and menopausal years. Killen believes that hormone replacement therapy (HRT), particularly with bioidentical hormones, is a powerful option that can help balance estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels, supporting sustained energy, mental clarity, and overall vitality.

Whether it’s in the form of pills, creams, patches, or injections, HRT offers flexible options for women at different stages of life and with various needs. The right approach to hormone health can make a lasting difference, helping you feel balanced and in control.

Recovery is crucial for sustaining your body’s performance, and red light therapy is one of Killen’s go-to tools for cellular repair and anti-inflammatory effects. By improving collagen production and reducing soreness, red light therapy can accelerate recovery after exercise or support skin and joint health. Daily use of a red light device for just 10-20 minutes can yield lasting benefits, especially when combined with other recovery tools like pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy. PEMF uses electromagnetic fields to promote cellular repair and blood flow, aiding post-workout recovery. Whether used for muscle recovery or daily rejuvenation, red light therapy and PEMF are non-invasive ways to prioritize recovery, ensuring you’re ready for whatever life throws your way.