Boulder is a place where being active isn’t just a hobby—it’s a baseline expectation. But even among people who hike, run, crush weekend hill rides, and flow through yoga between carpools, things begin to shift as our late 30s usher in the demands of family, injuries, and a slowing metabolism.
Boulder’s Eric Roza, former global CEO of CrossFit, believes that it is possible for most of us to extend fitness to do the things we love into our 70s and 80s. This requires an ongoing refinement of our workouts, nutrition, lifestyle, and healthcare regimen as our bodies evolve and new longevity learnings emerge.
Eric’s own lifelong search for the “perfect” workout took him through different phases: weightlifting, yoga, triathlon, and running. But after a debilitating leg injury derailed his ultramarathon ambitions in 2009, he felt broken.
“As an endurance athlete, I had measured my fitness and self-worth by how much time I logged on the trail”, says Roza. “And at just 42, I was walking with a limp! I realized my singular focus on racking up miles had actually worsened my fitness…that was a real wake-up call.”
Now, at 58, Eric is in far better shape than he was in his 30s. “When I walked into my first CrossFit class in 2010, I realized how narrow my conception of fitness had been,” says Roza. “CrossFit introduced me to movements that engaged muscles I didn’t know existed. And I was being coached in group classes with better technique focus than I had seen from expensive 1:1 personal trainers. I could tell by the first week that this was going to be game-changing for me.” In 2013, he and his then-wife, Melissa, opened CrossFit Sanitas in central Boulder as a labor of love, to change the game for others as well.
While Roza loves activities like hiking, running, biking, HIIT, and yoga, he believes they are insufficient to support lifelong fitness. Roza’s team has built three additional components, which most endurance athletes overlook, into the fabric of CrossFit Sanitas. “We’re incredibly fortunate to be the first generation that has it in our power to live an active lifestyle into our 80s,” says Roza. “The key is to add variety, weight training, and expert coaching into your current fitness regimen.”
1. Variety of movements
“To optimize your lifelong fitness, you need to train your whole body rather than just focusing on your legs and cardio,” Eric says. “Every muscle, joint, tendon, and ligament needs to be worked in all directions to keep you strong, fit, and injury-free for the road ahead.”
At CrossFit Sanitas, that means several hundred different movements find their way into group workouts at varying durations, rep schemes, and intensity levels.
2. Weight Training
Functional compound movements like weighted squats, presses, deadlifts, and active mobility are non-negotiable. “Weightlifting builds bone density, reverses muscle loss, boosts metabolism, and improves hormone balance, says Roza. “You need impact, and you need free weights, not just machines or calisthenics.” As a bonus, weight training even boosts fat burning. “And weight training with a coach is 100% critical if you are using GLP-1s!” Roza adds. “Without it, you are at high risk of shedding muscle mass and bone health at an accelerated rate.”
Sanitas recently partnered with Mend PT to offer a separate Women’s Strength membership co-taught by physical therapists, which offers a less-intense white-glove experience perfect for newcomers to weight training. “A lightbulb went off when Mend’s Dr. Kristin and NatureMed Integrative Medicine’s Dr. Kelly each told me how critical it was to create a safe, welcoming space for women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond,” says Roza. “Especially those with injuries, to learn and enjoy the benefits of weightlifting.” It is now one of Sanitas’ most popular classes.
3. Professional Coaching
“Great coaches are a 2x accelerator,” Eric says. “They educate you, challenge you, keep you motivated and safe, and personalize your workouts.” CrossFit Sanitas head coach Dwight Upshaw has programmed workouts for over 50,000 CrossFit, strength, and endurance athletes, and he is a free resource to all Sanitas members.
If you’d like to learn more about how CrossFit or Women’s Strength can support your lifelong fitness journey, text (888)-920-6482, visit CrossFitSanitas.com, or stop in at 2525 Arapahoe Ave in Boulder to chat with Eric, Dwight, or one of their fellow coaches.
Commit to a Lifelong Activity Goal
Make it vivid and time-bound. The long view—not just the next race or a number on a scale next month—is key. Example: “I want to be doing X activity (climbing Kilimanjaro, hiking Mount Sanitas, sledding with my grandkids, etc.) at the age of Y.”
Eric’s own goal is refreshingly relatable. “My lifelong fitness goal is to ski moguls with my grandkids,” he says. “Everything else kind of follows from there.” What’s yours?”
“We’re incredibly fortunate to be the first generation that has it in our power to live an active lifestyle into our 80s…The key is to add variety, weight training, and expert coaching into your current fitness regimen.” - Eric Roza, CrossFit Sanitas