156: How To Stay Active As You Age With Dr. Kelly Starrett (A "Founding Father" of Mobility Training)

Today's episode features a legend in the mobility space, one of the "founding fathers' of mobility training himself, Dr. Kelly Starrett.

Besides being a renowned mobility expert, Kelly's also the founder of The Ready State.

In this episode, Dr. Starrett shares practical strategies for adapting workouts, prioritizing mobility, nutrition, sleep, and recovery, and building a resilient, adventure-ready body.

We also cover the evolution of fitness, the pitfalls of outdated routines, and the importance of foundational habits over trendy hacks, offering actionable advice for lifelong health and functional movement.

If you want to keep your mobility as you age (so you can do all of your favorite activities and hobbies), listen now.

The highlights include:

How to adapt your workouts as your body changes: Learn specific modifications for joint health, muscle maintenance, and injury prevention tailored to each decade of life (3:15)

Step-by-step mobility, warm-up, and recovery routines proven to reduce injury risk if you're over 35 (6:30)

The essential "NSM" trio: Here's exactly how much sleep, what types of foods, and which daily movements are most effective for boosting long-term health (10:00)

The weird reason we're not getting healthier even as fitness knowledge peaks (and how to create a wellness blueprint that actually makes you healthier in your real life) (16:54)

The "8's Plus Weights" method for totally simplifying your fitness without sacrificing your results (and, in most cases, actually improving your results) (21:18)

Why you need to eat more protein, not less protein, as you get older (23:55)

Simple ways that don't take any more "time" from your regular life to walk at least 8,000 steps per day (this is the "magic number" of steps per day because it drops your all-cause mortality risk by 51%) (25:49)

How to set more specific and meaningful fitness goals that actually translate into daily function and resilience (26:20)

How to break through fitness plateaus and bounce back from injuries or motivation slumps (33:10)

Why recovery looks different after 40 (and how to maximize your gains even with an aging body) (37:25)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

1. Get the "Bible" of mobility books, Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance by Dr. Kelly Starrett on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837

More ways to connect with Kelly:

2. Visit Dr. Kelly Starrett's website here: https://readystate.com/

3. Find him on social media below:

X: https://x.com/thereadystate Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thereadystate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereadystate/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnnB4zDBqZHhQ4uLTAX8eYA

4. Buy my book, Yoga for Athletes, which features a great foreword from Dr. Kelly Starrett on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0744034892

5. Man Flow Yoga Events: On February 28, I'm hosting a Saturday Workshop in Denver, CO. If you want to do yoga with me and get feedback in real-time, get your ticket here: https://shop.manflowyoga.com/collections/in-person-events/products/mfy-workshop-denver-february-2026-02-28

6. Man Flow Yoga: Haven't signed up yet? Start your 7-day free trial and see how yoga can eliminate aches and pains better than other types of exercise here: https://shrtlnk.co/kP8M7