Level 1:
Juliet and Kelly Starrett are a married couple who teach people about exercising. They wrote a book to help you be healthy. The Starretts think that making a routine is very important. Every day, they drink water and do a short workout before eating breakfast. Walking a little bit often during the day is good for you too. They say it’s also good to eat three different vegetables with every meal. At night, they relax and stretch their muscles. One hour before bed, they turn off all electronic devices.
Level 2:
Juliet and Kelly Starrett are a married couple who have created a book to help people stay healthy. They believe that making a routine is important, which includes drinking water, doing a short exercise, and eating breakfast every morning. Walking a little bit throughout the day is also good for you. The Starretts suggest adding three different vegetables to each meal as it provides important nutrients that the body needs. In the evening, they practice relaxing and stretching their muscles. To promote better sleep, they turn off all electronic devices an hour before bed. These daily habits can help you feel stronger and more energized.
Full Story:
Fitness power couple Juliet and Kelly Starrett have pioneered strategies for healthy, pain-free movement. As founders of the fitness app “The Ready State” and co-authors of a new book on healthy habits, they provide a guide to habits that will keep you fit, strong, and mobile as you age. The Starretts, who are in their 50s, reveal that they rely on simple daily habits to stay in shape.
Routine is key
Juliet and Kelly believe that establishing a routine is essential for maintaining long-term health and fitness. They recommend starting every day with water, a quick workout, and a high-protein breakfast. This helps to kick-start your metabolism and sets the tone for a productive day ahead.
Juliet suggests drinking at least two glasses of water in the morning to rehydrate after a night’s sleep. She says, “I think people underestimate how important hydration is for overall health and wellbeing.”
Their quick workout involves a mix of stretching, mobility exercises, and cardio. Kelly recommends doing a few rounds of jumping jacks, push-ups, and air squats to get your heart rate up and activate your muscles.
After their workout, they fuel up with a high-protein breakfast to help repair and build muscle tissue. They opt for eggs, turkey bacon, vegetables, and avocado to give them sustained energy throughout the day.
Aim for small doses of activity
Juliet and Kelly believe that staying active throughout the day is critical. Instead of relying solely on one long workout session, they suggest incorporating short bursts of activity into your day. This can be anything from taking short walks to doing a set of squats while waiting for your coffee to brew.
Kelly explains, “We’re designed to move, and our bodies thrive on movement. So, even if it’s just a few minutes here and there, it makes a big difference.”
Follow the ‘three vegetable rule’
Eating a balanced diet is essential for overall health and wellbeing. Juliet and Kelly recommend following the ‘three vegetable rule’ to ensure you’re getting enough nutrients. This means including at least three servings of vegetables in every meal.
Juliet says, “Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to function properly. They also provide fiber that helps keep us feeling full and satisfied.”
The Starretts suggest getting creative with your vegetable choices to make them more enjoyable. They enjoy roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed kale, and grilled asparagus to name a few.
Add mobility and balance to your evening relaxation plan
After a long day, it’s essential to wind down and relax. However, instead of just plopping on the couch, Juliet and Kelly suggest adding some mobility and balance exercises to your evening routine.
They recommend doing some foam rolling or stretching to alleviate any tension in your muscles. Additionally, they suggest practicing balance exercises like standing on one foot to improve stability and prevent falls.
Kelly says, “As we age, our mobility and balance tend to decline, so it’s crucial to prioritize these areas to maintain overall fitness.”
Turn off technology before bed
Finally, the Starretts emphasize the importance of disconnecting from technology before bed. They suggest turning off all devices at least an hour before bedtime to help promote better sleep.
Juliet explains, “Our bodies need time to wind down and prepare for sleep. The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt our natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.”
Instead of scrolling through social media or catching up on work emails, Juliet and Kelly suggest reading a book or meditating to help calm your mind and prepare for restful sleep.
Juliet and Kelly Starrett have shown that staying fit after 50 is achievable by incorporating simple daily habits into your routine. From starting your day with water and a quick workout to adding balance exercises to your evening relaxation plan, these habits can help promote mobility, strength, and overall wellbeing. So, start incorporating some of their tips into your daily routine and see the difference they can make!
Questions:
Who are Juliet and Kelly Starrett, and what is their new book about?
Why is making a routine important according to the Starretts?
What are some examples of short bursts of activity that can be incorporated into your day?
How many servings of vegetables do the Starretts suggest incorporating into each meal?
Do you agree with the Starretts’ suggestion to turn off technology before bed? Why or why not?
Fill in the Blanks:
hydration, stability, sustained, movement, alleviate, nutrients, healthy, promote, guide, strategies, Fitness, fitness, disconnecting, mobile, tension, cardio, fiber, metabolism, fit, pioneered
________ power couple Juliet and Kelly Starrett have ________ ________ for ________, pain-free ________.
As founders of the ________ app “The Ready State” and co-authors of a new book on healthy habits, they provide a ________ to habits that will keep you ________, strong, and ________ as you age.
This helps to kick-start your ________ and sets the tone for a productive day ahead.
She says, “I think people underestimate how important ________ is for overall health and wellbeing.”
Their quick workout involves a mix of stretching, mobility exercises, and ________.
They opt for eggs, turkey bacon, vegetables, and avocado to give them ________ energy throughout the day.
Juliet and Kelly recommend following the ‘three vegetable rule’ to ensure you’re getting enough ________.
They also provide ________ that helps keep us feeling full and satisfied.”
The Starretts suggest getting creative with your vegetable choices to make them more enjoyable.
They recommend doing some foam rolling or stretching to ________ any ________ in your muscles.
Additionally, they suggest practicing balance exercises like standing on one foot to improve ________ and prevent falls.
Kelly says, “As we age, our mobility and balance tend to decline, so it’s crucial to prioritize these areas to maintain overall fitness.”
Turn off technology before bed
Finally, the Starretts emphasize the importance of ________ from technology before bed.
They suggest turning off all devices at least an hour before bedtime to help ________ better sleep.
Vocabulary:
Fitness - the condition of being physically fit and healthy
Pioneered - to be the first to explore or settle in (a new area)
Strategies - a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim
Healthy - in a good physical or mental condition; free from disease or injury
Pain-free - without experiencing pain
Movement - an act of moving
Co-authors - people who have written something together
Guide - a person or thing that shows the way to others
Fit - in good health, especially because of regular physical exercise
Mobile - able to move or be moved freely or easily
Hydration - the process of providing adequate water to bodily tissues
Metabolism - the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life
Cardio - short for cardiovascular; related to the heart and blood vessels
Sustained - continuing for an extended period or without interruption
Nutrients - a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life
Fiber - a thread or filament from which a vegetable tissue, mineral substance, or textile is formed
Alleviate - make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe
Tension - the state of being stretched tight
Stability - the state of being stable; firmly fixed or established
Disconnecting - breaking the connection between one thing and another
Promote - support or actively encourage
Sleep-wake cycle - the cyclic pattern of sleep and wakefulness that persists over a 24-hour period.
