 #1 · 11 November 2026 · Welcome issue Strength, food and good news for your best years. Welcome aboard. | ||||||||||||||||
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The Welcome Lift Your welcome read · Strength Welcome to Ultra60. |
| Start with the big idea |
Photo: Vlada Karpovich / Pexels
A letter from the team
Hello, and welcome to the very first Ultra60. We're a free weekly email for people aged 60 and up, from Manila to Manchester, Toronto to Cape Town. We think 60 is a starting line, not a finish line, and we write for readers who are modern, confident and curious about what comes next.
When it arrives: this first issue lands on Wednesday 11 November. From Thursday 19 November, Ultra60 arrives in your inbox every Thursday.
No miracle supplements, no 5am ice baths. Just the habits that help us all stay strong, steady and independent for as long as possible.
The Ultra60 team
Inside this issue
| 01 | The test 30 seconds, one chair, your baseline |
| 02 | The move Sit-to-stands, two days this week |
| 03 | The plate A 5-minute Greek yoghurt power bowl |
What lands in your inbox
i One big idea About 4 minutes of reading, straight from the evidence. | ii One move With an easier and a harder version, so it works for you. |
iii One recipe Quick, protein-rich and in metric and imperial. | iv Your questions Ask Ultra60 and a Headline check, answered plainly. |
“Strength isn't about the gym. It's about getting up, getting out and doing the things you love, for longer.”
The Ultra60 team
A grey-haired woman smiles on a sunny beach. Photo: Kampus Production / Pexels
The big idea
Why strength
is the headline
The NHS advises adults over 65 to do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week, on top of 150 minutes of moderate activity such as brisk walking (NHS). The UK Chief Medical Officers put it plainly: loss of muscle strength is the main thing that limits our independence as we age (UK CMO guidelines).
An older woman trains with light dumbbells. Photo: Ron Lach / Pexels
The research agrees. A 2022 review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine pooled 16 long-term studies and found that people who did muscle-strengthening activities had a 10 to 17% lower risk of dying early and of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes, with the biggest benefit at roughly 30 to 60 minutes a week (the research). Studies like these show a link rather than proof, but the message is consistent: a little strength work goes a long way, and you don't need hours in a gym.
Your welcome move
Your 30-second
starting point
One chair, 30 seconds: find your starting point today.
Clinicians use a simple check called the 30-second chair stand. It's part of a falls-prevention toolkit from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC sheet). Here's how to do it:
| 01 | Put a sturdy chair without arms against a wall. |
| 02 | Sit in the middle, feet flat on the floor, arms crossed over your chest. |
| 03 | Stand up fully, then sit back down. Repeat as many times as you can in 30 seconds. |
| 04 | Write down your number. If you need your hands to get up, note that too: it's useful information, not a failure. |
Have someone nearby the first time, and stop if you feel pain, dizziness or unsteadiness. The CDC sheet lists typical scores by age and sex, but whatever your number, it's simply your baseline. We'll retest in eight weeks.
Whatever your number, it's simply your baseline.
| Try the move |
An older woman reaches up during a chair exercise class. Photo: Centre for Ageing Better / Pexels
Quick win
This week's move,
the sit-to-stand
Your test is also your first exercise. On two days this week, do two or three sets of 8 to 12 slow sit-to-stands, resting for a minute between sets. The US National Institute on Aging suggests 8 to 12 repetitions at a moderate effort as a good place to start (NIA). Push through your thighs with your hands if you need to. When 12 feels easy, take three slow seconds to lower yourself down. Want more? The NHS has free strength exercises (NHS) and a set you can do sitting down (NHS).
Your welcome plate
Greek yoghurt
power bowl
A quick, simple plate with everyday ingredients. Method below.
| 5 minutes | 1 serves | About 25 g protein, approximate |
You'll need
| Method Spoon the yoghurt into a bowl and scatter over the oats, walnuts and berries. That's it. Why it helps after 60 Muscles need protein to respond to strength work, and the British Dietetic Association advises at least one portion of protein with every meal as we age (BDA). |
| Get the recipe |
A bowl of yoghurt topped with berries and granola. Photo: Antoni Shkraba / Pexels
Number of the week
30 to 60
The minutes of muscle-strengthening activity a week linked with the biggest drop in risk in that 2022 BJSM review (the research). Two short sessions are enough to get started.
Over to you
Hit reply and tell us: what's one thing you'd like to be able to do with ease in five years' time? Carry the grandchildren? Walk a stretch of coast path? Get up off the floor without a second thought? We read every reply, and your answers shape what we write.
See you on Thursday 19 November,
The Ultra60 team
P.S. If someone you know would enjoy this, forward it on. They can join free at Ultra60.com.
Coming up
The next three Thursdays
 No. 2 · 19 Nov Balance is a skill. Here's how to train it |  No. 3 · 26 Nov Eat to stay strong: the protein rule after 60 |  No. 4 · 3 Dec Sleep like you mean it: the myth about needing less after 60 |
Strength for every chapter.
General information, not medical advice.
Not medical advice: Ultra60 is for general information only. Please check with your GP before starting any new exercise, especially if you have a heart condition, joint problems, a history of falls, or haven't been active for a while.
Sources: nhs.uk, who.int, cdc.gov, nih.gov.
Photography. Real photographs from Pexels, used under the Pexels License. An older couple stretch together in a sunny park: Vlada Karpovich · A grey-haired woman smiles on a sunny beach: Kampus Production · An older woman trains with light dumbbells: Ron Lach · An older woman reaches up during a chair exercise class: Centre for Ageing Better · A bowl of yoghurt topped with berries and granola: Antoni Shkraba · Issue 2 cover: Yazid N · Issue 3 cover: Gustavo Fring · Issue 4 cover: Yoga Course India