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How I Built Back My Stair-Climbing Strength in 6 Weeks Without Forcing It
Six weeks ago, I couldn’t climb two flights of stairs without stopping to catch my breath. That’s a hard thing to admit when you consider yourself an active person. I walk 8,000 steps a day. I do strength training three times a week. But stairs? Stairs were quietly exposing a gap in my fitness that I’d been ignoring. So I decided to do something about it — not with some brutal program, but with a simple, progressive approach that anyone over 60 can follow. Why Stairs Are the Ultimate Fitness Test After 60 Stair climbing combines three things that matter as we age: leg strength, cardiovascular endurance, and balance. It’s…
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My VO₂ Max Was ‘Below Average’ at 65. Here’s What I Did About It.
A few months ago, I glanced down at my Apple Watch Ultra and saw something I wasn’t expecting: VO₂ Max: Below Average. I’ve been active most of my life. I walk. I do some strength work. I’m not sitting on the couch eating chips all day. So that rating stung a little. But here’s the thing — I didn’t panic. I got curious. And over the next several weeks, I started doing something small and consistent that actually moved the needle. I’m going to share exactly what I did, why it works, and what my numbers look like now. First, What Is VO₂ Max — and Why Should You Care?…
