5 last-minute Mother's Day gifts to invest in her strength & longevity.

Flowers are nice, but they probably won't help our moms live longer. These items might.

My mom and Jack Woofford.

Warmup

“I hate this machine.”

Nine months ago, those four precise words summed up my then 80-year-old mother’s feelings when she first stepped onto an elliptical trainer at my parents’ coastal North Carolina gym.

She managed two minutes before calling it quits.

Flash forward to today. My mom is cranking out 20 minutes and then moving on to a full circuit of strength training — including weight-lifting, TRX squats and wait for it … sometimes Battle Rope training.

Spoiler Alert Mom: Guess what you’re NOT getting this Mother’s Day.

Yep. It starts with F and ends with LOWERS.

Her response:

“Although I DO love flowers, they always die way too soon; and I don’t want to! The gift(s) you give me will hopefully help me get that wish!”

Indeed, if your own mother is still alive and mobile, consider the gift of movement and muscle. A few ideas below.

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In January 2024, when my Mom hit that milestone 80 birthday, I made a decision.

The only gifts I’d buy her moving forward, were ones to make her stronger, improve respiratory fitness or generally eat or drink healthier.

Yep. I will NEVER qualify for the world’s-most-fun-daughter title.

But, I’ve studied the data. Regular exercise is the single most critical tool we possess to actively improve our healthspan.

And science consistently shows you can make profound strides via movement to improve your physical and cognitive health at any age.

Consider this:

Frail elderly people who were put on a six-month strength training program along with a protein supplement added an astounding 2.9 pounds of new muscle. (Citation)

That’s muscle to protect them from falls, help them lift things, open jars, play with grandkids, carry their own groceries.

This is about being fit for life. Can your mom …

1. Put her suitcase in the airplane’s overhead bin without assistance?

2. Pick up an earring that rolls under the bed without straining her back?

3. Hike a mile in the snow and ice if her car breaks down?

4. Keep control of a very large dog on a leash who spies a squirrel?

5. Load bags of mulch solo into a cart at Home Depot?

My mom currently checks all five boxes at 81.

If you’re still looking for a gift, these five suggestions below are ones my mother has received over the past 18 months — or will be getting in the next few days!

(Note: I do not receive payment for the products mentioned in my newsletter and these opinions are solely my own and not that of my employer, The Wall Street Journal.)

1. A gym membership or virtual strength training

Do the legwork. Find a gym, buy a membership and possibly hire a personal trainer for your mom if this isn’t part of her lifestyle already.

I highly recommend at least few personal sessions with a professional trainer to assess form, teach technique and assess any injuries or limitations.

One method for cutting costs is SilverSneakers, which is a fitness program for adults 65 years and older who have Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medigap. Members have access to a network of thousands of gyms and their equipment. (Source)

If your mom doesn’t have access to a gym, some basic home equipment can help. Here are some suggestions from the Cleveland Clinic. So can a reputable online training program.

One company I can vouch for is FitwithFaye — run by Faye Stenning. She’s been my coach since 2019, works with people of all ages and transformed my middle-aged body from mediocrity into maybe-I-shouldn’t-mess-with-her.

She also trained my 76-year-old Dad. (Read more here!)

Paid members of this newsletter receive a 25% discount on strength training with Fit With Faye. (Details.)

The fact that I pay for my parents’ gym membership — it’s their annual Christmas gift — helped them start showing up with regularity. I think they felt bad not going because I was paying.

Now they go because it’s habit and because they feel better, look better and can do more.

I also create personalized workout programs for my parents to follow when they aren’t with the trainer — and give them fun names, like “The 1966 Ford Mustang” in honor of the first car they owned together.

Mom gets a new workout this Sunday, which I’ll also post here. It’s called: “The Road to 90.”

2. Mini-resistance loop bands

Each year, there are about 1 million fall-related hospitalizations among older adults, according to the CDC.

Lower body weakness and balance issues are among the primary culprits.

One defense: mini resistance bands that fit around the ankles or knees and help target critical muscles for balance in the hips, knees and glutes. (Sample exercises here.)

For my mom this year, I bought her a set of these. And I’m going to teach her the Monster Walk!

Note: If your mom is new to resistance bands, encourage her to proceed mindfully at first. Certain ones, particularly those that are longer, if used improperly can lead to eye injury, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

3. Textured foot roller ball

Around age 40, we can become more susceptible to a painful foot condition called plantar fasciitis. Our feet can also cramp more and stiffen making it painful to walk longer distances.

One go-to tool for me is a small spiky massage ball that helps keep the feet tissue loose and limber.

Here’s an example that I’ve used for years and even travel with.

I’ve given two of these to my mother. She now keeps one beside her bed and uses it when she first wakes up and goes to sleep. I think her enormous Goldendoodle Jack hid the second one somewhere.

4. Lower-alcohol, sugar free wine she’ll actually drink

If your mother likes wine (mine does), then one way to mitigate the “my kid isn’t very fun when it comes to gifts” reputation is to help her drink healthier alcohol.

For several years now, I’ve been consuming and gifting bottles from Dry Farm Wines. Their products are generally:

• Free of sugar

• Lower in alcohol — below 12.5% ABV (some as low as 9%)

• Added bonus: the packaging is beautiful.

While the latest science suggests no amount of alcohol is good for you, for people who drink in moderation, improving what you drink is a step in the right direction.

A box of Dry Farms should be showing up this week Mom. Save one bottle until I get there to visit?

5. A motivational book

If only there were a book that encouraged people of all ages that it’s not too late to embrace physical movement and reap the extraordinary benefits that come with it.

Oh, wait … :)

If your Mom is on Kindle, my book NOT TOO LATE: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age currently is scheduled for a one-day ebook Kindle Deal promotion this Thursday, May 8 for a sale price of $1.99. (Deal subject to change by Amazon.)

When my mother-in-law read Not Too Late, the best compliment she gave me was: “Now I want to find out what my Not Too Late will be.”

I’m pretty sure that could include a lot of things. Because she is in the gym grinding it out three days a week at 85-years-old performing strength and cardio training, including deep squats and hitting a punching bag.

Enough said.

I live in a world of kiss-ass mothers.

Music Snack

We’re building a N2L member “Not Too Late” music playlist.

This is audio fuel in the “Let’s get it done” spirit. (Read kick-off post.)

You can listen:

• On Spotify.

• On Apple Music.

Note: You may need to create a Spotify or Apple Music account if you don’t have one already.

Today’s N2L Member Pick Spotlight

Well, of course the moms get to pick today. I think their choices are perfect.

My mother, Norva Bounds:

“Nick of Time” by Bonnie Raitt.

My mother-in-law, Stella Bernhard:

“Help Me Make It Through the Night” version by Willie Nelson.

I’d love your 1-2 song suggestions either by email or in the comments below. I’ll add them to the playlist and highlight your pick in a future newsletter.

Cooldown

Here’s what I wish for my mom for the next decade. That she continues to be:

• Steady enough on her feet to fish in their boat in the rough inlet.

• Strong enough to reel in a fish unassisted when they’re biting.

• Fit enough to walk 60 lb. Jack a mile at the local park without being out of breath.

• Able to grip her favorite cast iron pan.

Thanks for reading. As always, find something you love. Dig in. Stick with it when things get hard — and help your mom do the same thing.

I love you Mom.

Wendy