Empowering Reading: Move Free, Age Strong Book Review

Move Free, Age Strong: The 100+ Living Blueprint for Strength, Mobility & Longevity, by Dr. Graham Jenkins, BSc DC. 2025. ISBN: 979-8273253209.

Move Free, Age Strong is a powerful book that urges us to rethink what aging means and to focus more on the many benefits of movement – and its impact on longevity and on living life to the fullest.

“In our lifetimes, especially over the past 50–100 years, the way we live has shifted more dramatically than perhaps in any comparable span of human history. While our ancestors moved constantly — walking, carrying, climbing, bending, squatting — most of what passes for movement today is clipped down to sitting, commuting, desk work, then collapsing into chairs at home.”

Move Free, Age Well is an inspirational book. It is written to both show you the reasons why movement is so important and to motivate you to move, and keep moving. It is written in a comfortable style, as though he is chatting with you in his chiropractor's office.

Perhaps it is my age, or perhaps because I have been more deeply researching menopause, or perhaps it is because of my never-quenched thirst for information, but Dr. Jenkins' book seems to have been written and published at just the right time.

While there have always been fitness gurus, weekend warriors, and workout bros, we are beginning to understand better what it means to move for stronger bones and muscles and to strengthen our core and spine.

We have all probably seen this term so often, we may be ignoring it, but here is the truth… we ARE living sedentary lives. Yes, we can go way back to our hunter and gatherer ancestors who roamed the lands looking for their next meals, but we don’t need to go that far back. Just two generations ago, many people worked in physically demanding jobs, whether farming or in factories; most also had a garden.

What does life look like today? The author calls it a “sedentary epidemic.” Many of us work from home or in an office. We sit long hours at a desk or bench. We don’t go outside. We don’t move, except to go to the bathroom and coffee/meal breaks. We have stores that deliver our groceries and services that deliver our meals. We have machines that do our household chores. We don’t garden.

This book is all about the why and the how of movement. Coming from a chiropractor and researcher with more than 30 years of clinical experience, Dr. Jenkins not only provides an amazing resource, but can back up his advice with amazing stories of transformation… aging clients who can barely walk into his office, but a year later are on the pickleball court or enjoying golfing again.

“I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” I don’t know about you, and yes, I know it was a marketing gimmick for years, but I don’t want to ever get to the point in life that I fall to the floor and realize that I don’t have the muscle strength to get up. And if you are already starting to worry about this issue (whether for yourself or someone else), this is the book you want to read.

Move Free, Age Strong covers a multitude of issues, but here are some of my favorite chapters:

• Posture and spinal health (because your spine protects your nervous system)

• Sarcopenia (a type of muscle loss that occurs with aging and/or immobility)

• Balance, flexibility, and coordination

• Walking, hiking, and biking (what he refers to as “Blue Zone” longevity)

• Neurology of movement (and the power of rewiring the brain through movement)

I absolutely love and support the author’s suggestion of moving as often as possible, ideally every 30-45 minutes of inactivity. I literally jumped for joy (and did a little dance for extra movement) when reading this recommendation: “Add one movement snack daily: squats, stretching, or a brisk walk.” He calls them movement snacks; I call them exercise snacks. What you need to remember is to just DO them… every waking hour, every day.

(For more information on Exercise Snacks, see my article: Do You Have a Sitting Disorder? The Power of Exercise Snacks.)

While the author and other longevity experts focus on living to at least 100, something I am not as focused on, I do think it is important to reframe our views on aging. Our “golden years” do not need to be spent with aching joints, sitting stuck in our recliners, fearing a loss of independence, taking a handful of daily pills, giving up beloved hobbies, or wasting days of our lives in medical offices or facilities.

Dr. Jenkins talks about how fitness and nutrition go hand-in-hand. We need both. We need to be eating a healthy diet, but we also need to be moving. And like many others, he reinforces an important point: people cannot “live on Doritos and sugary drinks, as long as you hit the gym.” He adds, “Nutrition provides the raw materials, but fitness teaches your body how to use them well.”

And while it is better to start today or when you are younger, Dr. Jenkins makes the point that we can build and maintain muscle at any age… it just gets harder the older we get. Further good news: you don’t need an expensive gym membership. “You don’t need a fancy program, a big budget, or hours in the gym. What you need is patience, persistence, and the willingness to move your body in safe and practical ways.”

One other excellent element of this book is that it does not just focus on the importance of cardio and strength training. He spends a chapter on the “forgotten fitness: balance, flexibility, and coordination.” These workouts rarely get much attention in the fitness and exercise world, and yet they are essential as we age. (Tai chi and yoga are excellent for these, as well as specific exercises designed for balance.)

Finally, if you have read any of my books, you know I am a story guy. I think stories have the power to both demonstrate and inspire us. And one of my favorite parts of More Free, Age Well is the many success stories sprinkled throughout the book.

If you are looking for a book that not only explains the reasoning but also shows you a straightforward plan with detailed exercises that will help you stay healthy no matter your age, this is the book for you.

Find more book reviews and advice for living a happy, healthy, and healing life here.