There's a key element of our fitness that gets increasingly important as we age — and that we often disregard.

• It's power, The New York Times’ Amanda Loudin writes.

💬 What it means: Power is our ability to move in short, explosive bursts. Think lifting your suitcase into the overhead compartment or steadying yourself after you stumble.

💡 Why it matters: If you don't use your power, you'll lose it — at a rate of 5% a year after the age of 55 — The Times notes.

• But it's never too late to build your power back up.

First step: Test your power.

• The quickest way to gauge your power is to take the CDC-recommended sit-to-stand test, Loudin writes.
• Sit in a chair with a straight back, without arm rests, and set a timer for 30 seconds. Get up and sit back down as many times as you can in that period.
• For men over 65, the magic number is 12 or more. For women of the same age, it's 11 or more. If you can't do as many as that, you may need to focus on increasing power.
• "While there is no defined standard for younger adults, one study suggested that men under 60 should be able to complete at least 17 repetitions and women 15," per Loudin.

Second step: Build your power.

• There are a slew of exercises you can do to build power — and the majority of them involve using weights.
• One effective exercise is squatting, a movement that mimics life. Adding squats to your exercise routine will help you when you're cooking, gardening, playing with the kids or lifting things at work.

Go deeper: Why grip strength matters

In '22, we asked Finish Liners to tell us about their favorite workouts, and hundreds responded, raving about planks, pickleball and pilates.

• If you've got a routine that works for you, we want to hear about it!

📬 Send us a couple sentences about how you stay fit, including your name and hometown, to [email protected], and we'll feature some of those tips in future editions.