Orthopedic Surgeon Shares Daily Habits to Promote Healthy Aging

Orthopedic sports surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright, 58, has dedicated her career to changing the perception of aging, emphasizing that growing older should not equate to physical decline. After two decades researching musculoskeletal aging at the University of Pittsburgh, Wright now runs her own practice, Precision Longevity, and recently published Unbreakable, a guide to healthy aging for women.

“I am acutely aware that even though we’re living longer, we’re suffering longer, and that most of the conversation around longevity in this country so far has been directed at men, or using the science of men,” she said.

Wright integrates her longevity research into her personal routines. For physical health, she prioritizes mobility and strength training, walking 45 minutes several times a week, sprinting twice weekly, lifting heavy weights, and incorporating jumping exercises like hopscotch and weighted jump ropes. “I’m not trying to teach anybody or myself to be skinny. It does not interest me. But lean is healthy,” she explained.

Woman exercising | Source: Pexels

Her brain health regimen centers on consistency and hormone support. She adheres to a strict sleep schedule of 9:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., actively pursues new learning opportunities, and manages menopausal changes by replacing estrogen. “Without estrogen, a brain starves. And I felt that at 47 when I was hit in the wall by perimenopause,” she said.

Wright also stresses the importance of social connection. She maintains daily contact with a close-knit group of five women physicians, her blended family of six children and three grandchildren, and engages with followers on Instagram.

Nutritionally, Wright consumes about 130 grams of protein daily, sources from dairy, eggs, meat, and leafy greens, while avoiding sugar and simple carbohydrates. She makes sourdough bread biweekly, citing its lower glycemic index.