Longevity is trendy right now. Everyone wants to live forever. Or at least past their forties without feeling like junk.
But the conversation at Women’s Health Lab went deeper. Claire Stern Milch from Elle hosted a panel called “The Science of Staying Strong.” The guest list was solid. Tara Narula, M.D., an ABC News chief medical correspondent, brought the science. Sutton Foster brought the grit. They talked about resilience. And stress.
Foster, known for Tonys and tap shoes, now runs retreats at Canyon Ranch. She has a routine. It is simple. She baths every night.
Fitness is a side hustle, not a hobby
Foster doesn’t just act. She teaches.
She runs a class at The Limit, a gym in the city. It’s tough. “It pushes me to a limit,” she said. When you hit that wall, you realize you can do anything. Or something like that.
But it’s not a sprint. It’s a daily struggle. She wakes up and asks herself a single question: do I feel strong today? Some days the answer is no. You have to keep going anyway.
This grind led her to Canyon Ranch. An old friend from elementary school works there. Asked if she wanted to lead a retreat.
“I was like, ‘Sure,’” Foster said. Then the doubt hit. Who is she to lead wellness retreats?
Then the mindset flipped. Who is she not to?
She launched “Leading Women.” Broadway actors are often isolated. Stars are lonely. The retreat builds community. No competition. Just support. Women supporting women. It combines fitness, nature, play. The full kit.
“There’s room for more than just of us.”
The bath routine matters
When the day ends, Foster escapes to the bathroom.
Not for cleaning. For survival. She takes a bath. Every night. Candles. Fake glow lights that change color. It’s her sanctuary. Twinkly lights calm the nerves.
She also journals. And goes outside. It’s old school stuff. It works.
Resilience is not about being unbreakable
Dr. Narula has a different definition of strength. It isn’t about staying intact.
It’s about clay. You get hit. You break a little. But then you get reshaped.
“You allow yourself to be broken… and reformed into something that is new,” she explained. Your view might change. Your goals might shift. That’s fine. You just keep moving forward with joy.
Stress fights back. It starts in the brain. A cascade of hormones. Cortisol. Adrenaline. Your heart races. Blood pressure spikes. You’re essentially weaponizing your body against itself.
We forget the internal cost of that response.
Find your micro-moments
You can’t stop the stress. The world is what it is.
Narula suggests “micro-moments.” Tiny pauses that dial down the noise. Holding a partner’s hand while watching TV. A walk in nature. These small joys build a buffer.
Foster uses a stovetop metaphor.
What is cooking on your burners? What is on fire? What needs to be marinated? What should you just turn off?
She’s learning to say no. It’s hard. She used to wait for burnout. Now she recalibrates before the body breaks down. A conscious pause.
Is it easier said than done? Probably. But someone has to try.
We still don’t know how to switch off. We just keep dialing the knobs.
