Let's cut the crap - you can't turn back the hands of time. But if you're cruising through middle age, you can slam on the brakes, pull a U-turn, and give Father Time the finger. And it all starts with busting out those cobweb-clad sneakers sitting at the back of your closet.

Think your 401k is your ticket to a quality retirement? Right, but half of the joy in retirement is being able to enjoy your hard-earned breaks without aching joints screaming at you to bench it. To that end, regular exercise in your heydays contributes immensely towards a healthier green old age, according to the latest study slapped onto the ever-growing 'exercise-does-goddamn-wonderful-things' bibliography, published in PLoS Medicine.

Leading this scientific 'no-shit-Sherlock' moment is Dr. Binh Nguyen from the University of Sydney, implying, in the simplest of terms, that it's never too late to get your squat on and your muscles pumping. You can still lead a physically robust life around age 70 if you choose to shake things up in your mid-fifties. It's like pulling a DeLorean and whipping back time - but in real life and minus the flux capacitor.

Now, before you go bragging about your 20-minute stroll to the fridge as ‘moderate-intensity exercise,’ let's get real. According to the U.S. guidelines, you should be aiming for 150-300 minutes of a weekly sweat session or 75-150 minutes of a grueling workout that leaves you panting. And no, your weekly bout with the vacuum doesn't count.

The silver lining? Not only does fitness fend off the usual suspects like heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer, but it can also give you an upper hand against newer threats like COVID-19 and the flu. Talk about an overachiever.

However, it's worth mentioning that pumping iron or running miles in your prime doesn't guarantee you'll be blissfully free of mental and emotional issues in your twilight years. Although we'd love to believe that squats could ward off depression, reality begs to differ. But hey, there's nothing that says a little adrenaline and endorphin rush can't help take the edge off now, is there?

So ladies, if you’re inching towards 55, eating dust from your toddler grandkids, or dreading the grocery haul, it's high time you adopt the mantra: ‘Fitness first.’ As Dr. Kado from Stanford Longevity Center puts it, “It isn't too late to start.” The promise of a brighter, healthier tomorrow starts today - one squat, lunge, or step at a time.