"Functional" Longevity Podcast

If you’re over 40, strength matters—but power may matter even more than you realize. New research suggests that combining power training with creatine may offer some interesting benefits for healthy aging.

In this episode of the Functional Longevity Podcast, Chris Borda of Y.E.S. Fitness breaks down a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Valencia in Spain and published in Experimental Gerontology.

Researchers followed older adults for 16 weeks to see what happened when power-focused resistance training was combined with creatine supplementation.

You’ll learn why muscle power becomes increasingly important as we age, how power training differs from traditional strength training, and what happened to strength and physical function during the study. Chris also looks at changes in inflammation and oxidative stress, as well as an interesting finding involving BDNF—a marker associated with brain health and neuroplasticity.

You’ll also hear where creatine appeared to provide additional benefits, where it didn’t, what the research actually tells us about creatine and kidney health, and practical ways adults over 40 can safely incorporate strength AND power training into their workouts.

The big takeaway?

We don’t just want to maintain muscle as we get older. We want to maintain our ability to USE that muscle when we need it.

That means building strength, maintaining mobility, and training appropriate levels of speed and power so your body is prepared for real life.

At Y.E.S. Fitness, we specialize in helping adults 40+ stay strong, capable, confident, and active for the years ahead.

💪 Interested in training with us?
Visit Y.E.S. Fitness: https://yesfitnessct.com

🥤 Want to try the creatine Chris personally uses?
Prestige Labs Creatine Monohydrate:
https://refer.prestigelabs.com/product/creatine-monohydrate?af=hcjdadqy

📚 Research discussed in this episode:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41941966/

Supplements aren’t a replacement for good training, nutrition, sleep, and consistency. If you have kidney disease, take medications that affect kidney function, or have other medical concerns, talk with your healthcare provider before adding creatine.

Ready to Stay Strong for Life?

If your workouts aren’t hitting the same, recovery is slower, or your energy drops off too quickly, there may be more going on than simply getting older.

As we age, our ability to produce and use energy can decline. That’s one reason Chris uses PartiQlar. NMN supports cellular energy production, Resveratrol supports cardiovascular and brain health, and Berberine supports metabolic flexibility and healthy blood sugar management.

These are clean, research-backed supplements made in the USA, and Chris has noticed a difference in his own energy and recovery.

Visit PartiQlar.com and use code YES15 to save 15%.

Is Summer Heat Actually Making You Healthier? 

Most people try to avoid exercising in the summer heat. But what if training in warmer conditions is creating some surprising health and fitness adaptations?  

In this episode of the Functional Longevity Podcast, Chris Borda explores new research suggesting that heat training may increase hemoglobin mass, potentially improving the body's ability to transport oxygen. Some of these changes are similar to adaptations seen with altitude training.

But does that actually improve endurance or performance? And what could it mean for adults over 40 who want to stay active and healthy?

IN THIS EPISODE: 
• Why athletes intentionally train in the heat
• What hemoglobin does and why it matters
• How heat training compares with altitude training
• Why increased oxygen capacity doesn't automatically make you faster
• What this research means for adults over 40
• How to exercise safely in summer heat

Chris breaks down what the research tells us, what scientists still don't know, and how to use this information safely.

#FunctionalLongevity #HealthyAging #Over40Fitness #HeatTraining #ExerciseScience #Longevity #FitnessOver40 #ActiveAging

Why Strength Training Is the Key to Healthy Aging

What if one of the most important things you can do to live longer isn’t more cardio, but building and maintaining muscle?

In this episode of the Functional Longevity Podcast, Chris Borda breaks down a 30-year study following nearly 150,000 adults and what it reveals about the connection between strength training, longevity, and healthy aging.

You’ll discover why just 90–120 minutes of strength training per week may provide powerful longevity benefits, why cardio and strength training should work together, and how maintaining muscle can help protect your independence as you age.

Because muscle isn’t just about how you look. It’s about what you’re still able to do at 60, 70, 80, and beyond.

If you want to keep traveling, playing golf, hiking, carrying your grandchildren, getting off the floor, and living life on your terms, this episode is for you.

Listen now and start investing in the strength your future self will need.

#HealthyAging #StrengthTraining #Longevity #FunctionalLongevity #StrengthAfter40 #FitnessAfter50 #FitnessAfter60 #MuscleHealth #ActiveAging #HealthyLongevity #FunctionalFitness #AgingWell #Over40Fitness #IndependentLiving

Are you training too hard to get the results you want?

For years, the fitness industry has pushed the idea that more is better. Train harder. Push further. Do more. But especially after 40, the hardest workout isn’t always the smartest workout.

In Episode 410 of the Functional Longevity Podcast, Chris Borda shares key takeaways from the IDEA World Fitness Convention and explains why the future of fitness is shifting toward strength, mobility, recovery, consistency, and longevity.

You’ll learn why consistency often beats intensity, why maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as you age, and how smarter training can help you stay strong, capable, and independent for decades to come.

The goal isn’t just to get in shape for the next 30 days. It’s to build a body that supports the life you want to live for the next 30 years.

Getting older is inevitable. Getting weaker is not.

#FunctionalLongevity #HealthyAging #StrengthAfter40 #FitnessOver40 #Longevity #StrengthTraining #ActiveAging #TrainSmarter #MuscleHealth #Over40Fitness #FitAfter50 #AgingStrong #Mobility #ExerciseForLongevity #ChrisBorda #YESFitness

How much does sleep really affect how long and how well you live?

In this episode of the Functional Longevity Podcast, Chris Borda explores what research reveals about sleep, health, and longevity. You’ll learn how consistently getting too little sleep can affect muscle recovery, body composition, metabolism, blood pressure, and your ability to maintain strength as you age.

For adults over 40, sleep is an essential part of staying strong, active, and independent. But one restless night is nothing to panic about. Discover what matters most and why the goal is consistent, restorative sleep rather than “perfect” sleep.

#FunctionalLongevity #HealthyAging #SleepHealth #Longevity #FitnessOver40 #StrengthAfter40 #MuscleRecovery #BetterSleep #ActiveAging #ChrisBorda

Millions of adults walk every day believing they're doing everything they need to age well. The truth is, one common mistake may be causing you to lose strength, balance, and independence anyway.

In this episode of the Functional Longevity Podcast, I explain what walking does exceptionally well, what it doesn't do after 40, and the simple training approach that helps you stay strong, capable, and independent for life.

If you want to keep hiking, traveling, playing with your grandkids, and living life on your terms, don't miss this episode.

#FunctionalLongevity #ChrisBorda #YESFitness #HealthyAging #Longevity #StrongAfter40 #StrongAfter50 #AgingWell #StrengthTraining #Mobility #Balance #Independence #Walking #ActiveLifestyle #LiveBetter

What if getting older doesn't have to mean getting worse?

In this episode of the Functional Longevity Podcast, Chris Borda breaks down a groundbreaking Yale study that found nearly 45% of adults over 65 actually improved in brain function, walking speed, or both. Discover what this research means for healthy aging and the daily habits that can help you stay strong, sharp, and independent for years to come.

Are you getting older, or is your world simply getting smaller?

In this episode of the Functional Longevity Podcast, Chris Borda explores The Narrowing—the gradual loss of everyday abilities many people mistake for aging. Learn why strength, power, balance, and mobility can be maintained well into your 70s and beyond, and discover practical ways to stay active, independent, and capable for life.

If you want to keep doing the things you love instead of watching your world shrink, this episode is for you.

An injury doesn't have to put your fitness on hold.

In this episode of the Functional Longevity Podcast, Chris Borda explains how to keep making progress after an injury without making the injury worse. Using the story of YES Fitness member Donna, who continued training after fracturing her elbow, you'll learn why staying active during recovery is one of the smartest things you can do.

Discover how quickly strength, muscle, balance, and endurance decline with inactivity, the surprising science of cross education, and practical strategies to maintain your fitness while your body heals. If you're over 40 and want to protect the progress you've worked so hard to achieve, this episode is for you.

Most people think falls are just part of getting older.

They're not.

In this episode, Chris Borda explains why falls often begin years before someone hits the ground, how balance, strength, and power work together to keep you safe, and why strength training may be one of the most important things you can do to stay independent as you age.

Because the goal isn't simply preventing a fall. It's protecting the life that fall could take away.

#FunctionalLongevity #FallPrevention #HealthyAging #Over50Fitness #StrengthTraining #BalanceTraining #ActiveAging #Longevity #FitnessOver40 #ChrisBorda #YESFitness