Biohacking Movement: how I'm actually fitting exercise into my chaotic midlife schedule

Last week, I did my best to popularize the biohacking concept.

Women specialists are standing up all over the world to apply this science to fit the specificity of our bodies. I’m so grateful for them. Thank you Dr. Molly Maloof and Dr Casey Mean.They help us understand the science behind how our bodies work, and how small changes can make a real difference.

In my article, I went over the first three pillars: Movement, Food, and Stress Management.

Read here to catch up: Can Biohacking Actually Work for Regular People?https://betteruboost.substack.com/p/can-biohacking-actually-work-for

Today, I want to dig a bit deeper about Movement theory.

1. Use muscle

Your muscles need regular use to stay healthy and produce energy efficiently. Increase your NEAT, basically, your body’s baseline energy use (breathing, digesting, sleeping, etc.).

Simple tip: Find ways to stand or walk instead of sitting.
Think: standing desk for computer work, walking meetings, catching up with a friend on a walk, pacing while reading mail, taking the stairs, or parking farther away.

2. Grow muscle

Building muscle isn’t just about looking strong. It’s about maintaining metabolically active tissue that burns energy even at rest.

Simple tip: Add resistance training, make your muscles work against some form of resistance. Lift or push heavy things at home, use dumbbells (or cans!), or do bodyweight moves like push-ups, squats, and planks.
Think: cleaning, vacuuming, or grocery shopping as hidden workouts.

Think: cleaning, vacuuming, grocery shopping as exercising too.

3. Make muscle more efficient

This is where cardio comes in. You want your heart rate elevated regularly to improve cardiovascular and mitochondrial efficiency.

Simple tip: Incorporate HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). Dr. Casey Means recommends getting your heart rate above 60%.

Think: Speed walking. (Yes, the chihuahua can follow so any dog can, really!)

Bottom line: MOVE MORE. But move smarter.Biohacking is about energy. And improve your length of health and length of life (focusing on quality of both)

It all starts in our mitochondria (argh biology) those little independent cells within our body. And 3 things are today, hurting them :

• Insufficient movement

• Overconsumption

• Chronic stress without recovery.

Looks like our life doesn’t it?

Warning : “Biohacking is not a quick fix process. It’s about the small things you do every day that accumulate. Real, lasting health is about slow, sustained habit formation and consistency over time.”

In fine, I think this is the good news and I was really happy to read this. Because let’s be honest: if one more expert promises me instant results, I’m throwing the book across the room.

So we are all here for that: practically, what does that look like?

What can we really do, concrete actions to step up and naturally improve our health and life length? Us, the regular women with no $$ to spare on crazy infrared sauna and weird body composition analysis. (I will spare you the biological steps of mitochondrial functions into that.)

This was the part of the book that surprised me most. Turns out, exposing your body to heat and cold has incredible benefits for mitochondrial health.

Why it works:

Cold exposure activates brown fat (helps manage blood sugar) and boosts dopamine by 250% (hello, mood lift).

Heat exposure (like saunas) mimics the stress-adaptation response of exercise, reduces inflammation, and lowers cortisol.

Translation: Cold wakes you up. Heat calms you down. Both improve your metabolic health.

5 simple ways to get more heat & cold (no cost or affordable cost):

1. Turn your shower cold at the end for 2 minutes. This is the easiest place to start. Commit to one week and see how you feel.

2. Submerge yourself in cold bodies of water. Lakes, rivers, oceans, non heated swimming pool (if you’re brave). Find a cold plunge group around your town.

3. Take a hot yoga class. Heat + movement = double benefit.

4. Get outdoors and move when it’s hot outside. Summer walks, gardening in the heat, anything that makes you sweat.

5. Find a local gym or community center with a sauna or hot tub. Many offer day passes.

OK - that was the theory. Below, the concrete.

Here’s what I’m actually planning to do. Not what I wish I could do, but what fits into my life right now.

Daily Movement (NEAT):

📌 Practice my Sunday Movement 3 times a day (those simple stretches add up)

Simple full-body stretch to release tension

📌 Walk the dog 6 days out of 7 (husband does Saturdays = negotiation win!)

📌 Stand while checking emails, calling on the phone or scrolling

📌 Take stairs whenever possible (I even enjoy running upstairs when I forget something now!)

📌 Park farther away in parking lots (yes, even in winter).

Structured Exercise:

📌 Monday, Wednesday, Saturday: Weight training (10 minutes). Just dumbbells or cans at home. I focus on functional movements: squats, presses, rows. Nothing fancy.

📌 Tuesday, Friday: HIIT cardio on stationary bike (15-20 minutes or more depending on the series). While watching Netflix. Because if I’m going to suffer, I might as well know what happens next on Bridgerton.

Body-mind connection.

📌 Sunday: Long yoga session (30 minutes)

📌 Meditation: More on that in part 3.

🎯That’s it. That’s the plan.📝

Is it perfect? No.

Will it bring results? I hope.

Is it sustainable? We’ll find out.

💡 Plan the night before. I check my calendar and figure out when I can squeeze in 10 minutes. Morning? Lunch break? Before dinner?

💡 Stack habits. I do the Sunday Movement while my coffee tea brews. I stretch while watching a screen.

💡 Track it (loosely). I’m not obsessing, but I do check my phone’s step count and mark off workout days on my calendar. Seeing progress motivates me.

Ready to create your own movement plan?

Tell me:

• What’s stopping you from moving more? (Time? Energy? Motivation?)

• Would a simple tracker or weekly planner help?

• What sounds doable: daily walks, 10-min workouts, or one yoga class/week?

I’m here to help you build a plan that fits YOUR life, not some perfect Instagram version.

Drop a comment. Let’s do this together.