You’re NOT Just Getting Old! — These Daily Habits Are Destroying Your Body After 40 | Vonda Wright

Rangan Chatterjee

22 oct 2025

Episode description

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Bone health is something most of us don’t think about until much later in life, but the reality is that the foundation for strong, healthy bones is built decades earlier – and what we do in our 20s, 30s and 40s can make all the difference to our health and strength in later years.

Today, I’m delighted to welcome Dr Vonda Wright. Vonda is an orthopaedic surgeon and internationally recognised authority on active ageing and mobility. She believes that with mobility, smart nutrition and building relationships, we can harness our own power to control 70% of our health and ageing.

Vonda specialises in sports medicine and is one of only a few female orthopaedic surgeons in the United States. She currently serves as the inaugural Chief of Sports Medicine for the Northside Hospital Orthopaedic Institute and is the founding director of the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes (PRIMA). She is also the author of several books, including her latest, Unbreakable: A Woman’s Guide to Ageing With Power, combines cutting-edge science with practical tools to help us protect our bones and our future health.

In this fantastic conversation, we discuss:
● Why osteoporosis isn’t just a disease of old age, but one that begins much earlier in life, often decades before the first fracture.

● The idea of the “critical decade” – why our mid-30s to mid-40s are such a pivotal window for building bone strength, especially for women approaching menopause.

● The key lifestyle factors that influence bone density, from nutrition and protein intake to resistance training and impact exercise, and why it’s never too late to start.

● How scans such as DEXA and REMS can give a clearer picture of bone quality and help us take action before problems arise.

● The cultural and societal pressures that shape women’s health behaviours, and how these can sometimes work against long-term bone resilience.

● Simple, practical strategies for protecting your bones at every stage of life, supporting independence, mobility and confidence as we age.

Vonda also shares her vision of ageing with strength, independence and vitality, and why she believes we can all take proactive steps to remain “unbreakable”.

As Vonda explains, we have more control over our bone health than we might realise - and that knowledge should feel both comforting and empowering. Caring for our bones is really about caring for our future selves. By taking simple, consistent steps today, we can build the strength and confidence to live the way we want for years to come.

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Connect with Vonda:
https://www.drvondawright.com/
https://www.instagram.com/drvondawright/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/user/vondawright
https://www.facebook.com/VondaWrightMD
https://twitter.com/drvondawright

Vonda’s books:
Unbreakable: A Woman’s Guide to Ageing with Power US https://amzn.to/4o3w7hc UK https://amzn.to/4orYIfR
Fitness After 40:Your Strong Body at 40, 50, 60, and Beyond US https://amzn.to/3WN73Pm UK https://amzn.to/4orkOim

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Establish baseline testosterone levels in your 30s

Men in their 30s should get their testosterone checked to establish a personal baseline, as the 'normal' range is too wide to be useful for diagnosing a decline later in life.

#blood-test

#testosterone

Escape middle intensity trap for better training results

Constant medium-intensity training is often not low enough for recovery and not high enough to trigger significant physiological changes, leading to poor results and injury.

#exercise

#training

Prioritize bone health to reduce hip fracture mortality risk

The instant you break your hip, you have a 30% chance of dying in the next year, a grave statistic that highlights the importance of bone health.

#bones

#mortality

Jump off an 8-inch step to enhance bone density

To effectively build bone, you need to generate an impact of four times your body weight, which can be achieved by jumping off an 8-inch step.

#bones

#exercise

Recognize bone as a vital endocrine organ for health

Bone is not just structural; it is an endocrine organ that releases hormones like osteocalcin, which helps build a better brain, manage glucose, and produce testosterone.

#bones

#testosterone

Reassess hormone replacement therapy cancer risk based on WHI study

The controversial WHI study found that hormone replacement therapy led to just 0.8 additional cases of breast cancer per 1,000 women, a much smaller risk than is commonly feared.

#cancer

#HRT

Challenge sedentary norms to redefine normal aging

What we call 'normal aging' is often just the result of studying a general population that is largely sedentary and not actively trying to age in a different way.

#aging

#exercise

Establish healthy habits during critical decade of 35-45

The decade from age 35 to 45 is the critical time to establish healthy lifestyle habits before the hormonal decline in women makes it much harder to maintain health.

#habits

#menopause

Address osteoporosis early to prevent future risks

Osteoporosis is a condition that begins in youth due to under-eating, over-exercising without proper fuel, and sedentary habits, but only manifests when you are old.

#osteoporosis

#risk

Lift heavy weights for strength in midlife

The goal for strength in midlife is to lift heavy weights for low repetitions (3-6 reps to failure) rather than using lighter weights for endurance or hypertrophy.