Mind–Body Training for Longevity | Shebah Carfagna & Nate Wilkins

Mind–body training is widely recognized as a pillar of healthy aging. Research suggests that how we move — and how we think while we move — are deeply connected. When breath, focus and technique align, we sharpen cognition, reduce stress and build the kind of resilience that keeps us active for life.

In this episode of Move for Life, fitness coaches Nate Wilkins and Shebah Carfagna explore why the mind–body connection is more than a trend — it’s a practical framework for living longer and living well. From tai chi and yoga to strength training or a simple daily walk, they highlight the unifying theme of intentionality: paying attention to what the body is doing and why.

Even small rituals — stepping outside for a dose of “ecotherapy,” or taking a mindful decision-making walk — can transform everyday movement into powerful brain-training moments. Studies now show that moderate physical activity can ease anxiety and depression as effectively as some medications.

It’s a compelling reminder that exercise isn’t just for the body — it’s one of the most potent tools we have for lifelong mental well-being.

This is the latest in our 20-part series, Move for Life. 

You should consult a doctor or qualified fitness professional before beginning a new exercise program, especially if you have an existing health concerns or limited mobility.

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Transcript

Peter Bowes: 0:25

Fitness isn't just physical, it's mental, emotional and mindful. Mindful body exercise helps you connect awareness to movement, building strength from the inside out. Hello again! This is the Live Long podcast part of our Move for Life series with Nate Wilkins and Sheba Carfagna helping you discover the everyday practices that lead to longevity.

Nate Wilkins: 1:04

That connection, the mind and the body. The brain and the body. If the brain is not connected to the body, it's not going to happen. It's going to be out of whack. You're going to feel different ways. You're not going to make it. So it's the connection that you have to have in your overall life for longevity. But overall general, it's the connecting of everything. It makes us move the way that we need to move. In my estimation.

Shebah Carfagna: 1:32

You know, one of the things I find as we get older, our brains get a little foggier. We all try not to indulge in all of the bad things, like alcohol and other things that are not in our best interest. But when we do, sometimes we wake up the next day and we're a little bit groggy or with age that sets in as well. You want to keep the mind sharp, and you want to be able to make that connection so that when you practice your exercises or your movement routines, you're thinking about how to position your body. And that is the most important thing for my body is the technique. Also, how do you calm yourself down? You know, things happen to us all of the time, and there needs to be that mind body connection that says to us, look, I need to take some deep breaths, some breathing. We're going to talk about that as well. But to make that mind body connection, because, you know, the body without a clear mind is not a good thing. And Furthermore, we teach cognition in terms of mind body connection as an everyday part of the classes and personal training that we offer. You know, as individuals also get older, they lose depth perception. They lose the difference in their right and left. Can you raise your right arm or raise your left leg at the same time? That again, is that mind body connection? How do you keep that going to maintain an ageless mindset, but also to be able to function in the real world.

Peter Bowes: 2:54

This is crucially important because if you're thinking of mindset in particular, unless you have a good mindset or you could describe it as a good attitude, you might not exercise at all. It starts with the brain making the decision to move, and unless you get to that point, you're not going to make any progress.

Nate Wilkins: 3:15

We'd like to think of it as, you know, sort of the synergy between exercise, the task of exercise, and into sort of the personal ritual of wellness that people have to put together in order to do it. So looking at it as working out is one thing, but looking at it as a way to improve your body, your overall health, what we're talking about is this mindset again, that it's really something good for you. That's where we think things start to come together, and that's why we call it a connection between the mind and the body.

Shebah Carfagna: 3:52

Right. But I think it's more also about an attitude of gratitude. You don't have to exercise. You have an opportunity to move. The minute you don't move, then you start to appreciate movement. So really one of the things we try to put across is that whole idea is having an attitude of gratitude and being grateful for the gift of movement first and foremost.

Peter Bowes: 4:13

And we've talked a lot about exercises, different forms of movement to improve our physical strength. What can we do to improve our mindset, this crucial frame of mind that really initiates everything. Is there a form of exercise that we can do to to get better in that respect?

Shebah Carfagna: 4:33

Well, breathing is a good form of exercise to bring in that mindfulness. So you practice your breathing. Different modalities of fitness, yoga, weightlifting, HIT training, all of those go into thinking about how you're going to breathe for that specific exercise. What we find most people don't understand that training is very sport specific. What we're offering here in this series of these 20 podcasts is a program or a guide on how to manage all of that so that when you go into a specific class exercise, that all you have to do is learn a technique. You have the fundamentals. As an athlete, everyone's an athlete. This is the Olympics for everyone. And then you go into that. So Tai Chi yoga is good.Pilates,

Nate Wilkins: 5:20

Walking.

Shebah Carfagna: 5:21

Walking, walking is good. Walking is good. Ecotherapy outside. There's not a whole lot of conversation about taking time to go outside and listen to the birds. The, you know, the traffic, the cars, the tile being cut.

Nate Wilkins: 5:35

So one of the things that that we've done as well, and I don't know if you remember, but you could be doing an exercise and then you could talk about, well, give me three, three things that come up that you think about in green. Give me three things. Why are you doing the exercise? Doing three things that you think about in brown.

Shebah Carfagna: 5:52

Right.

Nate Wilkins: 5:53

So the mind and the body are working together. You're forcing that to happen.

Shebah Carfagna: 5:57

In a group fitness class of seniors. You do that and you say to everyone, name something yellow. And you cannot name something yellow that the last person named while they're doing exercise.

Peter Bowes: 6:07

I think that was a great point, and something that I do occasionally on my every morning walk. And it's a habit for me out with the dogs every morning. But oftentimes I will set out on that walk, pledging to myself that I'm going to make a decision about something that I perhaps need to do later in the day. But it's something that needs some thought. And I use that one hour of walking to exercise the mind in terms of something I need to do later in the day. By the time I get home. I've decided, and I'm happy with the decision because I've thought it through. So in effect, you're you're multitasking, you're getting your physical exercise in, but you're also working your mind in a way that is going to benefit you later in the day.

Shebah Carfagna: 6:51

Yeah, we call that finding your mojo. Yeah. You get up and you work out and you find your your mojo. And quite honestly, that's what I did today. I was in the gym at 0500, thinking through the things that I had to do today, this presentation, some other things that we have going on and how will that adjust while I'm actually pumping the iron, working on the exercises and stretching. And then you've accomplished many different things. But at the end of that, if your early morning workout person, you have 2 or 3 things accomplished before everyone else gets up and has coffee. If you're an end of day person, then you're releasing all of that stress, calming yourself Self down. Okay. In a similar way, maybe reflecting on the task you performed at work or family or what's ahead of you in the evening, but it's a great form of kind of relaxation and finding your mojo.

Peter Bowes: 7:42

And we've talked a lot about preparing for exercise and just getting in the right mindset to do the exercise. One thing I've also noticed again about myself, but others as well, and that is the exercise itself, puts you, generally speaking, in a better frame of mind. So it's that thing of walking out of the gym feeling generally much better, not just physically, but mentally better than when you walked in that it just gives you a lift. You could call it the the endorphins that you produce in terms of the physical exercise, but it just gives you a lift in terms of what you're thinking and just generally feeling better about the day.

Shebah Carfagna: 8:20

A feeling of joy, a feeling of joy, a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling of you're ready to tackle the next thing. You. What do you feel?

Nate Wilkins: 8:28

I was thinking about it from another perspective in terms of, you know, anxiety and depression. We saw the research that says that a moderate exercise or intensity can actually be as effective as some medication when it relates to depression and anxiety.

Peter Bowes: 8:46

So mind body training helps you move with intention, lower stress and sharpen focus. It's not just about working out, it's about tuning in so you can live long and move well. The Live Long podcast is a Healthspan Media production. I'm Peter Bowes, you can contact me through our website, liveLongpodcast.com where you'll also find show notes for this episode.

DISCLAIMER: 9:08

This podcast is for informational, educational and entertainment purposes only. We do not offer medical advice. If you have health concerns of any kind or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should first consult your doctor.