Strength, without wrecking your joints
The American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 resistance training guidelines, its first major update in 17 years, kept things simple on purpose: train every major muscle group at least twice a week. For strength, that's roughly 2-3 sets per exercise at around 80% of your one-rep max. For general muscle maintenance, aim for about 10 sets per muscle group across the week, split however you like.
The bigger shift is away from rigid, one-size-fits-all programs and toward the one you'll actually stick with. If your joints have some miles on them, bands, bodyweight work, and machines are effective options, not a downgrade. You don't have to live under a barbell.
Protein, especially when you're traveling
Muscle mass drops about 1-2% a year starting around age 30, and the loss speeds up in later decades. Older adults also use the protein they eat less efficiently, which researchers call anabolic resistance. That's why the recommendation for adults 50+ has moved well past the standard federal guideline: aim for 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, roughly double the old baseline. Split it across three meals at about 0.4 g/kg each (around 30g for most people), plus 30-35g within two hours after a workout.
On the road, make protein the default at every stop: eggs at the hotel breakfast instead of a pastry, a protein shake packed in the bag, grilled instead of fried at the client dinner. None of it takes meal prep. It just takes a default.
Energy over aesthetics
The goal isn't a beach body. It's still having energy at 7pm for your kids after a full day of meetings and travel. That's why cardio matters as much as strength, and why I run as well as lift. Not for how it looks, but because it's one of the clearest levers on long-term healthspan and everyday energy.
Identity, not motivation
None of this works if it depends on feeling like it after a 10-hour day. The fix isn't more discipline. It's changing the default, so being active is something you just do, like brushing your teeth, not something you negotiate with yourself every day.