Shelly's Shares: Longevity In Real Life

Longevity is not an abstract idea or a distant goal. It shows up when you carry your groceries without strain, climb the stairs without bargaining with yourself, and get up off the floor with calm confidence. Shelly shares how she wants the freedom to decide what she does as she ages, including whether she travels, not to have that decision made for her by low strength, low energy, or declining health.

We break down what supports healthy aging in a way that actually connects to real life: movement and exercise, nutrition, quality sleep, and stress management. Shelly shares simple, relatable examples from her own day to day, including why strength training is not about a gym number, it is about activities of daily living. We also talk about a surprisingly important longevity skill: being able to get up off the floor with ease, and what that says about mobility, balance, and resilience.

If you feel stuck or overwhelmed by wellness advice, this is a reset toward the basics that matter, with a focus on functional fitness and building a body that lets you keep doing what you love. Also, reach out to Shelly for one-on-one wellness and longevity coaching, plus a podcast listener discount when you mention Words of Wellness.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show. What is one everyday thing you want your body to keep letting you do for decades?

CONNECT WITH SHELLY:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnesswithshellyj https://www.instagram.com/momswhoflourish
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShellyJefferis 

A few of Shelly's favorite clean products:

High quality, clean nutrition and beauty products: https://shellyjefferis.isagenix

Clean-crafted wine, free from chemicals & pesticides:
https://scoutandcellar.com/?u=healthyhappyhours

JuJu Non-toxic candles & air fresheners:
https://goodjujucandles.com/?ref=mrtgnygh
Coupon code for 10% off: ShellyJefferis

Thank you for listening to the Words of Wellness podcast with Shelly Jefferis. I am honored and so grateful to have you here and it would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to follow, leave a 5-star review and share  the podcast with anyone you love and anyone you feel could benefit from the message.

Thank you and God Bless! And remember to do something for yourself, for your wellness on this day! 
In Health, 

Shelly

Transcript

Freedom, Health, And Travel

SPEAKER_00 0:02

You know, I I might come to a point where I maybe maybe I'm not a big fan of traveling. That's okay. But I want to be able to have the freedom to make that decision. I don't want that decision made for me because I'm frail or my health doesn't allow me to travel.

Welcome To Words Of Wellness

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Do you get confused by all of the information that bars us every day on ways to improve our overall health and our overall wellness? Do you often feel stuck, unmotivated, or struggle to reach your wellness goals? Do you have questions as to what exercises you should be doing? What foods you should or shouldn't be eating? How to improve your overall emotional and mental well-being? Hello everyone, I am so excited to welcome you to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries, and I will be your host. My goal is to answer these questions and so much more. To share tips, education, and inspiration around all of the components of wellness through solo and guest episodes. With 35 plus years as a health and wellness professional, a retired college professor, a speaker, and a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I certainly have lots to share. However, my biggest goal and inspiration in doing this podcast is to share the wellness stories of others with you. To bring in guests who can share their journeys so that we can all learn together while making an impact on the health, the wellness, and lives of all of you, our listeners. The ultimate hope is that you leave today with even just one nugget that can enhance the quality of your life and that you will, we all will, now and into the future, live our best quality of lives full of energy, happiness, and joy. Now let's dive into our message for today.

The Four Pillars Of Longevity

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Hello, my friends. Welcome back to Words of Wellness. This is our Shelly's Shares episode, and I am going to jump right in and talk about the realities of what longevity actually means for us and our future. I know I have shared, I did a series about longevity a while back, and I talked about the main areas that help us with our overall longevity. So we're talking about movement, exercise, nutrition, getting proper sleep, and then also managing our stress. Those are the four areas that really contribute to our overall wellness, longevity, and just how we live our lives now and into the future. And I wanted to really relate those areas to our everyday life. I recently started a series on social media where every once in a while I put a post up about what longevity is. And I say, I put the text, longevity is dot dot dot. And I want you all to think about what does longevity mean to you? And I maybe I'm thinking about it a little bit more so these days, maybe because I'm going to be a year older soon, in about a month and a half. And also I've really been focusing more on longevity and educating about longevity. It's something that I have spoken about, it's something that I've shared about on my podcast since the beginning. And I actually did this past year decide to get a get certified in longevity coaching. So I did do that. And again, it was it's kind of like something that I just had the desire to do. And it's not something maybe that I just necessarily needed business-wise, but it was something that I knew I wanted to pursue just for my own personal growth and education and being able to offer and expand my mentor and coaching services to others. So I did do that in the during this last year. And one thing, again, what I've been talking about a lot recently is to help us all really think about what are we

Everyday Proof Strength Pays Off

SPEAKER_00 4:35

doing in our in our day-to-day lives to help us with our longevity and what does that look like? So, for example, I was coming into the house the other day carrying three bags of groceries, and I went, ooh, this is an example of longevity. So I turned around and did a video of me walking into the house because I wanted to make a point that yes, I exercise, yes, I strength train for so many reasons. One big reason is for the ability to carry my groceries into the house. And I am one of those people that, yes, you know, we kind of make a joke about it, but I like to just make one trip if I can. And so I was carrying all three bags into the house at once, and I did so without any challenge. It was easy for me. So I wanted to share that. I also shared recently a couple pictures of my husband out in the backyard. He has been working every day for the last two weeks or so on some landscaping in our yard over where our jacuzzi used to be. We're actually we had an in-ground jacuzzi. Now we're going to be having an above-ground. So he was working on filling that area in and he had 100-pound um pavers that he created a path, he created a section where the above-ground jacuzzi will be placed up on, and he's been carrying these and lifting these and moving these for the last two plus weeks. And as I watched him, it dawned on me. Here is an example, another example of longevity. He has the ability to do that, he has the ability to move these 100-pound pavers all around the backyard because he has taken care of himself through the years and because he has exercised and lifted weights and he's strong, he has that ability to do that. And so I really wanted to make a point today of sharing about these areas of our lives that we are able to do successfully because of what we have done to take care of our overall health. These are examples of longevity. And I really want you all to think about this in your own lives. And if maybe you're feeling like, gosh, I struggle carrying my groceries into the house, or I struggle walking upstairs, or I struggle holding my grandbaby or my baby, whatever it might be, think about what you could do to improve those circumstances. Now I am not suggesting that we all go out and start moving 100-pound pavers like my husband has been doing, but I'm using that to make a point that if he hadn't taken care of himself through all these years and hadn't been exercising and lifting weights and in eating healthy, all of the things that makes him strong and healthy today, he might not be able to do that, but he can. And I was watching him the other day, and it struck me that wow, this is another example. So the point of this is to really look at our day-to-day activities. And I have talked about this in the past. I used to share this with my students every single semester, that the real, the real benefits of being in shape and

Daily Living Is The Real Test

SPEAKER_00 8:26

taking care of our health and exercising and strength training is the ability to do activities of daily living successfully. And that applies even more so later on in life. And that is a big factor of longevity. And so I wanted to make that point today, and I wanted to make sure you all take time to really think about this. Think about what your day-to-day activities look like. What are you doing for yourself and your overall wellness and longevity? And what activities are you able to do because you take care of yourself? And if you feel like maybe you haven't been doing the best job, that is okay. This is not meant to make you feel discouraged. This is meant to encourage you and say, it is never too late to start. I promise you, it's never too late to start. And again, just the reminder that longevity, it's about not just living well, but you know, feeling good when we live longer. That's what it's about. Having that energy, having that vitality. And I talk about that all of the time. So when we talk about what longevity is and the series that I've been sharing, and I'm going to continue to share that on social media, it is carrying in your own groceries. It is being able to get up off the floor with ease. And I have to share with you, my friends, uh, that's something I've been practicing. I can do it, but I realized I need to be doing it more frequently so that it is something that's easy for me and I can continue to do it from for years to come. That is a sign. Getting up off the floor easily. Can you get up off the floor without using your hands and just use your legs? Can you do that? Being able to play with your grandkids without getting tired. I personally don't have any grandbabies yet, but I know that that is a big, big motivation for so many people when it comes to their longevity, being healthy and energetic and being able to play with their grandkids and do so without getting out of breath, being able to play with them and run around outside and play on the floor with them and get up off the floor without any problems, right? Without any challenges, being able to travel, travel without limitations.

Get Up Off The Floor

SPEAKER_00 10:55

And I think about this often because my husband and I do travel quite often, especially during baseball season. I know I've shared this in the past, but I think about that as we are carrying our bags to the airport, as we are getting on the plane, as we are walking briskly to catch a catch a shuttle or an UB or whatever the case may be. All of this requires energy and strength and and health. And being able to have that is is there it's priceless. So being able to have strength so you can do your day-to-day activities is so important. I want to encourage you all, you know, to invest in yourself now, invest in your health now so that it pays off for you later. You know, invest in your longevity now so that you live for many years to come. And again, as I always say, it's not just about living, but it's about living, feeling good and having energy and potentially ultimately having the freedom to do what you love as long as possible. You know, I I might come to a point where I maybe maybe I'm not a big fan of traveling. That's okay. But I want to be able to have the freedom to make that decision. I don't want that decision made for me because I'm frail or my health doesn't allow me to travel. So I think it's really important to really think about all of this and put it in the proper perspective, not to make

Invest Now For Future Freedom

SPEAKER_00 12:41

it something that we obsess over by any means, but to look at it in a healthy perspective and think about what are you doing today for yourself that you can not just add years to your life, but add life to those years. So, with that being said, my friends, I hope that this resonates for some of you, and I hope that you can take the time to think about what you can do for yourself and your overall

Coaching Offer And Closing Message

SPEAKER_00 13:22

wellness and ultimately your longevity. I want to share that I am also opening up one-on-one coaching sessions in the area of wellness and specifically longevity. If you're feeling like you need some direction and support, I am here for you. Please feel free to reach out through Instagram at wellness with Shelley J or at Moms Who Flourish and let's see how I can support you. I'm going to be opening up sessions, just a few. So if that's something that you would like to take advantage of, and please, when you reach out to me, mention the podcast, and I'm going to give you a discount. So mention words of wellness. You heard about my coaching on the podcast, and I will give you a discount on my coaching sessions. So, again, with that being said, have a beautiful, blessed rest of your week, everyone, and we'll see you next time on Words of Wellness. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. I hope you gained value and enjoyed our time together as much as I did. And if you know someone who could benefit from today's episode, I would love and appreciate it if you could share with a friend or rate and review Words of Wellness so that more can hear this message. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for listening. And if you have any questions or topics you would like me to share in future episodes, please don't hesitate to reach out to me through my contact information that is shared in the show notes below. Again, thank you for tuning in to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelley Jeffries, and I encourage you to do something for you, for your wellness on this day. Until next time, I hope you all have a healthy, happy, and blessed weekend.