Aging well isn’t just about looking good.
Everyday choices play a big role in how we age, and one longevity doc says a few bad habits may seem harmless — but are actually having a real impact on your body.
The good news? You can still backtrack on these mistakes.
“Women in their 30s and 40s have something incredibly valuable that no supplement, drug or biohack can give them later: time,” Dr. Robin Berzin, founder and CEO of Parsley Health, told The Post.
Mistake #1: Sitting all day and thinking one workout cancels it out
The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, including two days for strength training — but that doesn’t mean you should sit around the other 23 hours after a workout.
Many Americans sit for eight to 10 hours a day, which can age us faster by affecting heart health, body mass index, cholesterol and blood sugar.
A UC San Diego study published in February 2024 found that older women who sat more than 11 hours a day had a 57% higher risk of premature death than those who sat less than nine and a half hours a day.
While more movement is the correction to sitting all day, it doesn’t have to be big.
“Build movement into your day: walk after meals, take stairs, stand up regularly and maintain strength,” Berzin, a Columbia-trained physician and functional medicine expert, said.
Mistake #2: Chronically under-eating protein while over-exercising
Berzin recommends women stop focusing on the number on the scale and instead start thinking about muscle growth.
“The goal in midlife should increasingly shift from weight loss at all costs to preserving lean mass,” she explained.
And eating less while spending copious amounts of time on the treadmill can work against that goal.
Instead, consuming enough protein can boost growth and maintain muscle mass, with a recommended daily amount of 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight.
Muscle is a key asset for longevity, helping regulate blood sugar, support metabolism, strengthen bones and preserve balance, mobility and independence as we age.
It’s never too late to start strength training either. A 2026 meta-analysis covering 126 studies and more than 4,000 women with an average age of 50 found resistance training significantly improved strength in both pre- and postmenopausal women.
Mistake #3: Treating alcohol like it’s neutral because it’s socially normal
“Drinking in moderation” is the rule of thumb when it comes to alcohol, but even social drinking can play a role in aging.
The body becomes more sensitive to alcohol with age, as lean body mass decreases and metabolism slows down, causing alcohol to stay in the system longer.
A couple of drinks each night can also negatively affect health in many other ways, especially for middle-age women going through “the change.”
“Alcohol can disrupt sleep architecture and recovery, adds cancer risk, and can make many of the things women struggle with in midlife — sleep disruption, mood, hot flashes and metabolic health — much harder,” Berzin said.
Mistake #4: Having no idea what your baseline numbers are
By numbers, Berzin means vital blood and metabolic measurements, including blood pressure, glucose metabolism, iron levels, cholesterol, body composition and lipids.
Women should be paying attention to these markers throughout their adult lives by establishing a baseline early and tracking how their body changes over time. Suddenly finding them interesting at 55 may be too little, too late, as they can change and lead to illness or disease — even before symptoms appear.
“The first sign that you’re aging faster shouldn’t be a diagnosis,” Berzin said.
Mistake #5: Waiting for symptoms before investing in health
Paying attention to your vitals over time can pay off in the long run, as Berzin said, “probably the biggest mistake of all” is waiting for signs of a disease to take action.
“Many chronic diseases develop undetected for years before they show any symptoms,” she added.
Investing in your health shouldn’t come at the price of buying the latest biohacking tool or trendy new supplement to chase longevity, though.
Rather, the sooner you start, the better to focus on the important factors and building blocks of healthy aging.
“The goal isn’t to become obsessed with longevity,” Berzin said. “It’s to use that time to build the muscle, bone, metabolic health and cardiovascular health you’ll be living with for the next 40 years.”
