​​Why your late 50s and 60s are the window that matters most

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For over two decades, I led clinical trials at the University of Colorado studying aging, hormones, metabolism, and exercise—specifically how they affect health and independence in midlife and beyond.

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I watched the same pattern repeat:

• People underestimated how fast strength and mobility can decline after 65.

• They overestimated how long they could “wait and see” before making big changes.

• And too many of them reached their 70s locked into a home that no longer fit their body, their budget, or the life they actually wanted to live.

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But I also saw something else in the data: there’s a window in your late 50s and 60s—what I call the Go-Strong decade—when your options are widest:

• Your wealth is often peaking, especially in home equity.

• Your health is still plastic: strength, mobility, and metabolic function can be improved, not just maintained.

• Your decisions about where and how you live have an outsized impact on the next 20–30 years.

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After that window, the options narrow. Health declines compound. Reactive moves get expensive. The data is unambiguous: when you act matters as much as whether you act.

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From the lab to your living room

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People sometimes ask, “Why would a PhD scientist get a real estate license?”

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Because after 25 years of research, I realized the home is one of the most powerful—and most overlooked—levers for how people age. Your floor plan, your stairs, your neighborhood’s walkability, your proximity to community—these aren’t lifestyle preferences. They’re biological inputs that shape:

• How much you move (or don’t)

• How isolated or connected you feel

• How quickly minor health issues escalate into major ones

• How long your savings realistically last

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So instead of publishing more papers that your doctor might or might not read, I decided to work directly with the people who actually live this—and who still have time to make a strategic choice about it.

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Today I combine 25 years of clinical research in aging, metabolism, and women’s health with an active Colorado real estate license and a strategic advising practice for adults 55 and older. I’m not here to sell you a house. I’m here to help you figure out whether your home is helping or hurting your healthspan—and what to do about it before the window closes.

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What I believe (and how it shapes my work)

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Retirement is not a finish line; it’s a design problem. The old model of stopping work, staying put, and hoping your body cooperates doesn’t match modern longevity.

Your best decisions happen before crisis. Waiting until you’re forced to move, forced to sell, or forced into assisted living is the most expensive and least dignified path.

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Healthspan and wealthspan are inseparable. A paid-off house doesn’t help if your knees can’t handle the stairs. A high portfolio balance doesn’t fix an isolating, car-dependent location.

Rightsizing is expansive, not reductive. I’m not interested in shrinking your life. I’m interested in right-fitting your environment so you can do more of what matters, for longer, with less friction.

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How we can work together

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Depending on where you are in your journey, there are several ways to start:

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Try my free Rightsizing Decision Coach tool: A 24-question assessment that scores your current home fit across four domains—Body, Brain, Bank, and Base—and tells you whether you’re Comfortably Aging-in-Place, an On-the-Fence Planner, or at risk of a Comfort Trap. Free, private, and delivered to your inbox. Available at rightsizeretirement.com.

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Book a Rightsized Home & Health Review: A focused 30-minute call where we assess how well your current home fits the life you’re heading into—across health, finances, social connection, and long-term strategy. We’ll identify your best next steps, whether that’s moving, modifying, or unlocking trapped equity. No pressure, no pitch.

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Attend a Live Workshop: I deliver in-person workshops online and throughout Jefferson County, Colorado—at libraries, recreation centers, and in partnership with financial planners and other professionals who serve adults in the Go-Strong years. The flagship talk, “Is Your Home Helping or Hurting Your Healthspan?”, blends 25 years of research with real stories about what happens when people wait too long—and what happens when they don’t.

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Colorado Real Estate Representation: For clients who decide to make a move, I’m a licensed Colorado Realtor with eXp Realty. If you are buying or selling in Colorado, I can help you every step of the way. If you’re outside Colorado, I can connect you with a vetted local agent who understands rightsizing, not just transactions.

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Listen to the Next Act Ninjas Podcast: Biweekly episodes that blend science, real stories, and strategy to help you rethink what retirement looks like—and make smarter decisions about your home, your health, and your equity. Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

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If you’re starting to question whether your home fits the life ahead

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You don’t have to be ready to move. You don’t even have to be thinking about it seriously yet. If you’re a homeowner in your 50s or 60s and you’ve had even a quiet moment of wondering whether your current home is the right place for what’s next—that’s enough to start.

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Try the free Rightsizing Decision Coach tool at rightsizeretirement.com

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Book a Rightsized Home & Health Review to find out where you stand

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The science is clear: taking action in your Go-Strong window extends lifestyle longevity