What I Do to Look and Feel My Best at 53 | Jo-Lynne Shane

Q: We are the same age, and as I get older I am finding body maintenance to be a little harder. For example, I gain weight quicker, feel tired more easily, have more aches and pains, etc. What are you doing to keep yourself looking and feeling your best? Would you be willing to share any parts of your daily and/or weekly routine with us?

A: It’s an uphill battle, for sure. Some days it feels like one step forward, two steps back. Honestly, I wouldn’t say I’m looking or feeling my absolute best right now, but I’m not giving up. And I think that’s the key: even when it feels like things are going in the wrong direction, you just keep showing up and moving forward.

For context, I’m 53 and technically still perimenopausal since I haven’t gone a full year without Aunt Flo knocking on my door to make one of her most unwelcome visits. 🙃 But things are definitely winding down. I even have February 21, 2026 marked on my calendar, and I’m half-joking that I’ll host a “Welcome to Menopause” party when that day finally arrives.

Like many women over 50, I’ve noticed that weight comes on more easily (and settles in the worst places), my energy dips faster, and my joints always seem to be complaining — just in different spots from week to week. It doesn’t help that I also have an underactive thyroid and a possible lurking autoimmune condition (revealed by some recent labs). Plus, my all-or-nothing personality makes it tough to stay consistent with exercise, supplements, or diet changes. Still, I’m willing to try just about anything that might help.

How I’m Staying Active

We all know how important it is to stay active at this stage of life, but it’s hard to stay motivated when I don’t have the strength, flexibility, and endurance I once did. My routine is far from perfect, but here’s what I’m doing right now to stay active in my mid-life years: strength training, Pilates, and walking.

The most important piece for me is strength training. I’ve been working with an amazing personal trainer for over 10 years. She’s close to my age, so she understands the unique challenges women face right now because she’s experiencing them too. She emphasizes lifting heavy and incorporating full-body movements that promote core strength, balance, and mobility.

Our goal is to meet twice a week for an hour, though sometimes busy schedules get in the way. I should be doing more on my own, but the reality is I rarely manage more than a quick round of push-ups when left to my own devices. Still, it’s better than nothing, and those appointments keep me showing up week after week (and year after year).

In addition to strength training, I try to take Pilates classes once or twice a week for core strength and mobility, and I make a point to get out and walk regularly. My running days are behind me (sadly), so walking is my main cardio. My goal is 45 minutes a day, though it usually ends up being 20–30 minutes, three or four times a week. I’d love to incorporate some HIIT into my walks, but my functional medicine doctor has me avoiding that for now until we get some hormonal issues sorted out. Aw, shucks! 😉

Where I tend to fall short is consistency. My trainer always says that matters more than anything, and that’s the piece I struggle with most. Between scheduling conflicts, an erratic daily routine, and (if I’m honest with myself) my tendency not to prioritize movement, I’m nowhere near as consistent as I’d like to be. Still, I keep coming back to these three activities, and I remind myself that doing something is always better than nothing.

What I Eat (and Avoid) to Support My Health at 53

I fully subscribe to the idea that you can’t outrun a bad diet, and the older I get, the more committed I am to eating clean. “Clean” is a fuzzy word, but for me it means buying local and/or organic meat, dairy, and produce whenever possible. I live in the exurbs of Philadelphia, where most of the developments were once farmland, and there are still plenty of working farms nearby. That means I have easy access to farm-fresh foods, and I try to take full advantage of it.

We’re fortunate to have a couple of wonderful markets that carry local meat, dairy, and produce, and most of what isn’t local is organic, so that’s where I do most of my food shopping. When I do go to Giant or Wegmans, I try to stick to the perimeter and buy organic whenever it’s available. And I always buy full-fat dairy. I truly believe it’s better for you than the low-fat alternatives.

I also cook most dinners from scratch when we aren’t eating out or ordering takeout. By that, I mean I don’t use boxed mixes or pre-made meals, just whole ingredients. I try to avoid seed oils and artificial colors and flavors, I never touch soft drinks or sugary beverages, and I drink my coffee black. I do enjoy a glass of wine here and there, although the older I get, the more I feel like it bothers me… so we’ll see how long that lasts.

I don’t eat a lot of sweets, but I do love cheese, and when it comes to processed foods, my biggest weakness is potato chips. Oh, and Luna Bars. I keep them on auto-order and usually eat one before my workouts… or sometimes just because.

More recently, I’ve gone gluten-free again (I also ate gluten-free in my early 40s). It’s only been about a month this time, but I do feel like it’s helping reduce inflammation and belly bloat, and I think I’m moving a little easier since removing it from my diet.

And then there’s intermittent fasting. I started practicing it during the Covid years and was surprisingly consistent with it then, but these days I’m more hit-or-miss. I keep trying to get back into the routine, but I haven’t been able to stick with it the way I once did. My goal is usually 19:5, but lately I’ve been closer to 16:8 or even 15:9. Still, it’s better than nothing—progress over perfection!

The Supplements I’m Currently Taking — and Why

Not to beat a dead horse, but I’m terribly inconsistent about taking any kind of medication or supplement. I think it’s because it’s often hard to see or feel the benefits. That said, I started working with a functional medicine practitioner a few months ago, and I’ve been making a real effort to take the supplements she recommends. I won’t list them all here since they’re very specific to my own healing journey, but if you’re curious, you can learn more about her approach on her website: Balanced Healing with Juliann.

I first connected with Juliann when my daughter was experiencing some pretty severe health concerns, and she was able to uncover what was going on. I was so impressed with her knowledge base and approach that I decided to see what she might recommend for my own perimenopausal and gut-health issues. I’ve continued to be impressed and would highly recommend her if you’re looking for answers to health concerns that mainstream medicine hasn’t solved, or if you just want to optimize your overall wellness.

Beyond those practitioner-recommended supplements, I also take ARMRA colostrum and creatine—again, not as consistently as I’d like, but I fit them in when I can. I don’t take collagen, not because I don’t think it’s helpful, but simply because I never started and honestly can’t bring myself to add one more thing. During cold and flu season, I’ll often add Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc into the mix. (Not because of my age, though. I think just about everyone benefits from that extra support.)

I’m also on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) through my GYN. I searched high and low to find one who takes a more holistic approach and eventually landed with Dr. Lambert at The Balanced Woman. I’ve been very happy with her so far, and I do think the treatment has lessened my hot flashes and some of the hormonal ups and downs. That said, I don’t think we’ve landed on my ideal dosage yet. I’m due for more bloodwork soon, so I’m curious to see what she thinks about my hormone levels.

Juliann also reviews that bloodwork (and sometimes orders her own testing) to help guide my supplement regimen. All of that to say: I think there’s a lot of value in finding a practitioner who takes a holistic approach to healthcare. Sadly, the American medical system often feels like it’s set up to put a bandaid on a gunshot wound, and we’re suffering for it. That’s why I believe it’s so important to educate ourselves and advocate for what we need if we want to live a full and healthy life.

(delicately steps off soapbox… lol)

My Skincare Routine for Healthy, Glowing Skin

I wrote a post recently on Everything I Do For My Skin at 53, so I won’t reinvent the wheel here. In short, I’m diligent about my morning and evening skincare routines, and I never go to bed with makeup on. I also get regular facials at a local day spa and see a cosmetic dermatologist for chemical peels and Botox. This fall, I’m planning to try a VBeam laser treatment for the first time to see if it helps with my rosacea, and I’ve tried a few other treatments here and there, but I generally stick to these.

I’ll leave this section at that! If you’d like the full breakdown, you can check out my other post for all the details.

At the end of the day, I don’t have it all figured out, and I’m definitely not perfect about any of these things. But focusing on movement, nutrition, supplements, and skincare (even imperfectly) helps me feel like I’m doing my best to take care of myself at 53. And I think that’s really the key: just keep showing up and making the best choices you can in the season you’re in.

I’d love to hear what’s working for you!