About Laura Dow
Writer, speaker, wellness coach.
“Movement is life. Moving your body consistently is a great gift to your physical and mental health.
Let me help you maintain your strength and physical functioning as you continue to age so you can live life on your terms.”
About Laura Dow
Laura Dow is an award-winning fitness professional, author, and pro-aging advocate. As a fitness professional, she has worked with older adults for more than 20 years, providing fitness training, yoga instruction, and wellness coaching in a variety of fitness settings, including commercial health clubs, yoga studios, and continuing care retirement communities.
Laura is the author of “Mind Your Movement: Six Essential Physical and Mental Tools To Stay Active As You Age, Vol 1” (2024). Her book provides easily understood, immediately actionable tips to help readers add more movement to their lives.
As a pro-aging advocate, Laura has appeared on numerous podcasts, live TV, aging conferences, and other online and in-person events discussing physical activity for older adults and how ageist beliefs can hinder starting or maintaining an exercise routine.
As part of a group of fitness professionals, Laura is a co-writer of “Ability, Not Age” which has been published in journals of both the American Society on Aging and ICAA. “Ability, Not Age” was awarded an honorable mention by the Mather Institute for their 2025 “Promising Practices Award: Recognizing Innovative Approaches To Serving Older Adults”.
Her upcoming second book (working title): “Mind Your Movement: Shattering Ageist Barriers To Stay Active As You Age, Vol 2” is a continuation of her pro-aging advocacy, helping readers understand and overcome the many ageist barriers that hinder older adults from starting or continuing a structured movement routine.
Ms. Dow currently lives in Northern Virginia.
Laura Dow has written an ideal handbook to help adults move from feeling stiff and out of shape to achieving fitness, well-being, strength, and optimal health. Her model is comprehensive and well thought out and she walks you through the stages to getting strong and fortifying your body, mind, and spirit, one step at a time.
Unlike many exercise programs, Laura has created a targeted roadmap to wellness that features building blocks that will not overwhelm you, but instead are simple steps that propel you to strength, wellbeing, and a profound feeling of truly being fit.
Gail McMeekin
LICSW, career and creativity coach and author of multiple books including “The 12 Secrets of Highly Successful Women.”
I thought I knew quite a bit about the human body, specifically my own, since I have been physically active most of my life and have a medical background. However, after reading this enlightening book, I realized I had forgotten the basics that can lead to a healthy lifestyle and help with aging. Laura provides simple exercises, along with illustrations of correct body mechanics that are absolutely needed for an improved body, as well as an improved mental attitude.
Particularly, the sections on correct posture, ability to balance to help reduce the risk of a fall, and different breathing techniques to deal with life were so illuminating to me! I had forgotten those basics that are necessary to have a healthy body and mind. I highly recommend this book to those wanting to learn how to begin to improve their lifestyles and to “athletes” who need to refresh their memories on the basics of healthy living.
Mary Ann D
R.N., Assistant Director for Health (retired)
Well-written, inviting and pleasurable, “Mind Your Movement” immediately engaged my attention and is a wonderful reframe of what is often a preachy, threatening topic-EXERCISE!
By reading this book, I realized my body is not getting as much attention as my mind and spirit during my daily life. I appreciate the author’s acknowledgement of accepting wherever the reader is at with their fitness level as well as the client vignettes and the author’s own story which were easy to identify with and relatable.
Martha S.
Founder & Owner, Hearts & Hands Reiki
The holistic approach, covering not just physical fitness but also mental well-being and nutrition, makes this book a standout.
Valeria L
Small Business Coach
This book spoke right to the heart of the matter – YES, our aging bodies can still move! All you need to do is read this book to gain the motivation, intention and mindset to get going beginning today. The frankness and practicality of this book is a testament to Laura’s skill, heart and mind in working with her older clients. I am one. And have been her devoted client for many of my senior years. This book is a necessary roadmap for any senior adult who wants to get moving again and get FIT! No matter what your age is.
Susan Cherney
Latest Book
Mind Your Movement
Mind Your Movement is an easily understood, accessible guidebook written with care and respect to help you move your body better as you age.
Drawing on over 20 years of experience working with older adults, award-winning fitness expert and “Stiff To Fit” founder Laura V. Dow shares her most successful strategies. Discover the six essential physical and mental tools—from breath and posture to balance and mindset—that will empower you to create positive change and stay active for life. It’s about ability, not age!
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