At Clay, we believe lasting health is built on a strong foundation. That’s why I focus on helping every Clay Member develop consistent routines around what we call The Foundational Five: Protein, Daily Steps & Movement, Hydration, Quality Sleep, and a Metabolic Reset. These key habits drive your energy, improve resilience, and enhance performance—no matter your current health status or long-term goals. Each one is simple, powerful, and fully within your control.
Increase Your Daily Steps: A Practical Guide
Why Steps Matter
Movement is the cornerstone for health, longevity, and recovery. Walking daily boosts blood sugar control, aids digestion, and supports active recovery all supporting metabolic health.
Here’s one sample outline to help you get started on finding ways to get your 8K+ steps a day.
Morning: 2,000 Steps
Start your day with a 15-minute walk—ideally before breakfast, in a fasted state. This low-intensity movement helps kickstart circulation, clears the mind, and taps into fat as a fuel source, supporting metabolic flexibility. At Clay, we build this into morning routines because it’s simple, accessible, and powerful. No gear. No gym. Just you, your body, and a commitment to moving forward—literally and metabolically.
Workday: 2,000 Steps
Movement doesn’t have to wait for the gym. During the workday, we aim for another 2,000 steps—layered into the rhythm of your routine. Here are some small ways to rack up those mid-day steps:
Walk during meetings
Take movement breaks each hour
Choose stairs over elevators
Park a little farther than usual
Step outside for meetings & calls
Utilize a treadmill desk
At Clay, we emphasize stacking small wins throughout the day—because yes, even the long route to the bathroom counts. It’s not about intensity here; it’s about consistency, circulation, and keeping your metabolism awake while you work.
Post-Meal: 2,000 Steps
After you eat, move. A quick 10-minute walk after meals—especially lunch or dinner—can help stabilize blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and support digestion. At Clay, we lean into this as one of the simplest, most effective habits for metabolic health. You don’t need a workout—just a stroll around the block with a coworker, or some steps while you catch up on a podcast. Small actions, done consistently, change how your body processes fuel. This is one of them.
Evening: 2,000 Steps
As the day winds down, walk it out. An evening walk—whether it’s with family, the dog, or just your own thoughts—helps shift your body into recovery mode. It lowers stress hormones, supports digestion, and signals your nervous system that it’s time to slow down. At Clay, we view this as more than a step count—it’s a reset. The light’s softer, your pace is slower, and your mind has room to process the day. This simple habit reinforces your circadian rhythm and sets the stage for better sleep and next-day performance.
Written by Andrew Browning, Coaching Director @ Clay Health & Care Andrew Browning is a performance coach and educator with nearly two decades of experience in training, teaching, and behavior change. As Clay’s Coaching Director, he combines deep knowledge in exercise physiology, metabolic health, and recovery with a passion for helping people build sustainable habits that fuel performance at every level.
Reviewed by Dr. Allen Gorman, Medical Director @ Clay Health & Care Dr. Allen Gorman is a physician-scientist with a focus on metabolism, aging, and cellular repair. His clinical and research work spans two decades, with a passion for translating complex science into actionable health strategies.
At Clay, we believe long-term health begins with mastering the basics. That’s why I work closely with each Clay Member to build habits around what we call The Foundational Five: Protein, Steps & Movement, Hydration, Sleep, and Metabolic Reset. These are the core behaviors that support energy, resilience, and performance—no matter your starting point or health goals. Each one is simple, powerful, and fully within your control.
Protein Portion Guide
Why Protein Matters
Protein is essential because it provides amino acids that stimulate muscle protein synthesis, driving muscle repair and growth, which are critical for maintaining strength, metabolic health, and resilience against aging and physical stress.
Written by Andrew Browning, Coaching Director @ Clay Health & Care Andrew Browning is a performance coach and educator with nearly two decades of experience in training, teaching, and behavior change. As Clay’s Coaching Director, he combines deep knowledge in exercise physiology, metabolic health, and recovery with a passion for helping people build sustainable habits that fuel performance at every level.
Reviewed by Dr. Allen Gorman, Medical Director @ Clay Health & Care Dr. Allen Gorman is a physician-scientist with a focus on metabolism, aging, and cellular repair. His clinical and research work spans two decades, with a passion for translating complex science into actionable health strategies.
If you’ve ever wondered when to eat protein, the quantity you need, or why staying strong feels harder with age — this episode will answer many questions. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon sits down with Dr. Donald Layman, a legendary researcher in nutrition and metabolism, to unpack the truth about protein, aging, and performance. With decades of research and over 100 peer-reviewed papers, Dr. Layman gets right to the point and gives you the tools to protect muscle, boost metabolism, and stay strong for life.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Does protein timing and distribution really matter, or is total intake king?
What happens inside your body when you fast — and when it might backfire?
Why not all protein is created equal (hint: quality matters just as much as quantity).
How to use strength training and exercise to slow or even reverse age-related muscle loss.
Simple strategies to upgrade your nutrition for long-term health and vitality.
Why This Matters:
In our clinics, this is a fairly common complaint: people in their 40s, 50s, and beyond who are working out and eating “clean” — but frustratingly losing muscle and gaining fat. The missing piece often comes down to protein: when you eat it, how much you get, and whether you’re pairing it with the right kind of training. This conversation gives you a practical, science-backed playbook to maintain strength, resilience, and metabolic health as you age — and that’s a game changer for quality of life.
If you’re a woman who’s ever wondered why following the same fitness plan as your partner or friends leaves you drained instead of strong, you’re not imagining it — and Dr. Stacy Sims (a favorite of the Clay Care Team!) is here to explain why. In this great episode, Dr. Sims, a world-renowned exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist, breaks down the science behind women’s exercise and nutrition needs, and more importantly, how to train and fuel your body in a way that actually works with your hormones, not against them. From why intermittent fasting can backfire to why overdoing cardio may stall your fat loss, Dr. Sims cuts through the noise and gives you the know how and tools to feel energized, build lean muscle, and support your health at every age.
Why This Matters:
We see this all the time in the Clay clinic — women coming in frustrated because they’re “doing everything right” and still hitting a wall with weight loss, energy, or recovery. And when we dig into their biomarkers and lifestyle, it’s clear: they’ve been following advice that was never designed for them in the first place. Men and women are biologically different, and that includes how we should approach nutrition, exercise, and recovery. Whether you’re navigating perimenopause, chasing performance goals, or just trying to feel like yourself again, the message is the same: stop starving your body, stop punishing it with endless cardio, and start working with your physiology. This conversation is a game changer for any woman ready to reclaim her health and vitality — and we’re here to help guide you to peak performance and longevity.
In this bite-sized clip from a great episode of The Peter Attia Drive, physician and longevity expert Dr. Attia breaks down the primary differences between subcutaneous fat (the fat under your skin) and visceral fat (the fat packed around your organs). Attia explains why visceral fat poses far greater risks to your metabolic and cardiovascular health — and what you can do to monitor and manage it. This is 101 knowledge for anyone looking to understand the science behind body composition and making informed decisions about your fuel and fitness behavior.
Check out the full episode if you’re looking for more.
Why This Matters:
True health optimization starts below the surface — and knowing the difference between types of body fat is a basic tenant of knowledge for all of us to comprehend. While subcutaneous fat is often what we see in the mirror, visceral fat is the hidden threat linked to heart disease, diabetes, and inflammation. For those focused on longevity and peak performance, tracking and addressing visceral fat isn’t just about looks; it’s about preserving your healthspan and staying strong, resilient, and metabolically fit for years to come.
Joe DeFranco, legendary strength and conditioning coach, delivers a no-bs, high-impact solution for flexibility and mobility with his “Limber 11” routine. Designed to improve performance and decrease low back pain, this sequence includes foam rolling, dynamic stretches, and movement drills that are both practical and highly effective. Whether you’re an elite athlete, suffering from lower back problems, or just aiming to move better and feel better, DeFranco’s approach is a masterclass in simple, powerful training.
Why This Matters:
We know that longevity and high performance don’t just come from strength — they come from moving well, recovering smartly, and maintaining a resilient body. Mobility work like the “Limber 11” isn’t just about flexibility; it’s a foundation for injury prevention, optimal training outcomes, and quality of life over decades. Joe DeFranco’s routine is a perfect example of how intentional, consistent movement can help you build a body that stays strong, durable, and capable at any age.
In this quick but vital reel, Dr. Mary Claire Haver — a leading expert on women’s health — explains why menopause isn’t just about aging. She highlights how this major hormonal shift impacts the risk of developing a wide range of diseases and conditions, serving as a wake-up call for proactive healthcare.
At Clay, we believe that proactive, personalized care at every life stage is essential to optimizing health, longevity, and performance. Menopause is a critical transition that often goes overlooked in traditional medicine — but it shouldn’t. Dr. Haver’s message is a reminder that tuning into these changes early empowers you to take control of your health trajectory with clarity and confidence.
The Five Elements of Health: Why Body Is the Machine
At Clay Health & Care, we don’t define health by one number or a single habit. True health is a dynamic system built on five essential elements: Blood, Heart, Brain, Body, and Fuel. These foundational components help us assess, understand, and optimize well-being at every level.
In this article, we’re going deep into Body—not in the aesthetic, “get shredded” sense, but as the machine that drives vitality, resilience, and long-term health. In my role as Coaching Director, I see first-hand how a well-functioning body—one that’s strong, mobile, and pain-free—can elevate every aspect of someone’s life. Conversely, when movement breaks down, so does progress in nearly every other health domain.
I’ve had clients in their 40s and 50s come to me believing their best physical years were behind them—dealing with low energy, nagging joint pain, or feeling disconnected from their strength. After a few short months of targeted strength work, mobility routines, and coaching adjustments, their posture improved, energy returned, and daily aches disappeared. One client said it best: “I didn’t realize how much I was avoiding until I could move pain-free again.”
Why Body Matters: The Foundation for a Capable Life
Movement is the currency of health. It’s how we interact with our world, regulate metabolism, manage stress, and build emotional resilience. You can have perfect lab results and a flawless diet—but if you can’t move well, your health is still compromised.
One of the most empowering truths in health is this: there isn’t a single disease or condition that doesn’t benefit from having a capable, strong, and mobile body. Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia both speak regularly on how physical strength and cardiorespiratory fitness are directly correlated with improved healthspan.
Whether it’s walking with grandkids, dominating a ski trip, or simply making it through your day without pain—your body is the access point to every meaningful experience.
It’s Cliche but Movement Is Medicine
At Clay, we think of fitness as medicine. It’s not something to bolt on when you’re trying to lose weight—it’s the baseline. When we assess clients, we look beyond conventional metrics like BMI and step counts. We want to know: Can you squat with control? Are your joints moving through a healthy range? Can you generate strength relative to your bodyweight? This tells us far more than any calorie burn stat ever could.
When we assess clients, we go beyond outdated metrics like BMI and calorie counts. We ask:
Can you squat with control?
Are your joints moving through a full, healthy range?
Can you produce strength relative to your body weight?
Using advanced tools like VALD Performance, we evaluate joint health, mobility, and muscular imbalances. This lets us uncover the often-hidden contributors to chronic pain, poor performance, or stalled progress—and fix them with targeted interventions.
Minimum Effective Dose: Why Your Workout Plan Matters
There’s a myth that more is always better. At Clay, we guide clients toward the Minimum Effective Dose (MED)—the least amount of exercise required to spark positive adaptation without causing burnout or injury.
If you’re not able to move consistently because of pain, poor technique, or lack of foundational strength, you’ll struggle to meet your health goals—no matter how good your intentions are.
We structure movement progression around three priorities:
Mobility first – because you can’t strengthen what doesn’t move.
Strength second – because muscle protects, not just performs.
Volume and intensity last – because quality beats quantity, every time
We often use tools like VALD Performance to benchmark client movement and strength against normative data. Seeing where you land relative to your age and gender cohort can be a powerful motivator—and a wake-up call.
Tools once reserved for elite athletes—like Oval and VALD—are now in your corner. Clay brings top-tier tech to everyday health.
Strength, Mobility & Inflammation: The Daily Battle
One of the most overlooked aspects of poor mobility or low strength is its impact on inflammation. Chronic low-level inflammation drives most modern disease. While nutrition plays a big role, so does movement.
A strong, mobile body improves circulation, clears cellular waste, regulates blood sugar, and helps modulate stress—keeping inflammation in check. This aligns with findings from NIH research on exercise and inflammation.
We coach our clients to:
Prioritize high-leucine protein to maintain lean mass
Eat healthy fats for joint and hormone support
Limit excess sugar to reduce inflammatory spikes
Move daily—through strength work, walking, mobility flows, or recovery sessions
And just as importantly: move daily. This doesn’t mean crushing yourself in the gym. It means choosing movement that’s sustainable and habitual—strength training, walking, mobility flows, recovery sessions. Andy Galpin calls this “base-building,” and it’s the foundation of long-term fitness.
Body & Menopause: Proactive Strategies for Women
For our women clients approaching or in menopause, we take a proactive stance. Declining estrogen has a significant effect on bone density, joint health, and muscle retention.
Our programs often include:
Resistance training
Impact loading (to maintain bone density)
Targeted recovery techniques
We also use tools like grip strength, balance assessments, and functional range testing to evaluate how a woman’s body is aging and where intervention might be most powerful. These measures are supported by Harvard research showing strength training’s impact on longevity and independence.
Body for Men: Strength, Energy & Injury Resistance
For men, especially those entering middle age, Body is about reclaiming strength and energy—but also protecting against decline. Testosterone tends to drop, and with it comes reduced muscle mass, lower motivation, and higher injury risk.
Through assessments like jump testing, isometric strength evaluations, and VO2 analysis, we pinpoint weak links and opportunities. We often coach men on building foundational strength, supporting testosterone production through lifestyle, and moving away from the “grind” mentality toward a smarter, longevity-based fitness strategy.
The Clay Approach: Personalized Coaching for Longevity
At Clay, your movement data isn’t buried in a chart—it’s central to your coaching plan.
Whether you’re new to strength training or returning from injury, we help you:
Understand where your body is today
Set realistic, measurable movement goals
Implement nutrition, supplements, and sleep adjustments to support your training
This isn’t about chasing six-pack abs—it’s about building a body that supports a long, rich, capable life.
Written by Andrew Browning, Coaching Director @ Clay Health & Care Andrew Browning is a performance coach and educator with nearly two decades of experience in training, teaching, and behavior change. As Clay’s Coaching Director, he combines deep knowledge in exercise physiology, metabolic health, and recovery with a passion for helping people build sustainable habits that fuel performance at every level.
Maggie Riemenschneider is a nurse practitioner with a holistic and personalized approach to care. Drawing on her background in primary care, functional medicine, and women’s health, she helps patients uncover the root causes of their symptoms and empowers them to take charge of their long-term health.
