Unbreakable: A Woman's Guide to Aging with Power

by Vonda Wright

Stronger muscles and bones, increased mobility, lifelong independence, and a new mentality for aging with power—this cutting-edge guide to nutrition, training, and lifestyle will optimize a woman's body for longevity, through menopause and beyond.

More than 70% of women experience musculoskeletal symptoms like joint pain, muscle loss, and reduced bone density as they enter perimenopause and menopause. These symptoms—what Dr. Vonda Wright refers to as the "musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause"—can often set women up for broken bones, increasingly limited mobility, and reduced independence later in life. Indeed, as Dr. Wright explains in Unbreakable, because we tend to ignore the fitness of our skeletal muscle—the engine that drives our healthspan—our muscles and bones can get weak and crack under our own weight, sending us to the ground. Unbreakable outlines the path to protecting ourselves against this too-common fate.

Drawing on her decades of experience as an orthopedic surgeon helping women at all fitness levels to repair their bones and regain strength, Dr. Wright gives clear action steps to counteract the "timebombs" of aging in four critical

Nutrition: What to eat to extinguish inflammation, repopulate the gut biome, and support strong bones and muscle growth.
Exercise: Pinpointing the right combination of cardio and resistance training for you to aid in tissue regeneration and improve metabolic function.
Lifestyle: How to manage chronic stress, get more restorative sleep, and turn down system inflammation in daily life.
Supplements: What to take to target the elimination of “zombie cells” and improve cell function.

Including a unique quiz to assess your present musculoskeletal fitness (your "Unbreakable Score"), information about baseline blood and mobility tests that will help you understand your current health state, twenty easy, anti-inflammatory recipes, and a master exercise plan to help you pace your weekly workouts, Unbreakable is an invaluable roadmap for adding more healthy life to your years.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Science, Audiobook, Nutrition, Personal Growth

400 pages, Hardcover

First published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I try to read health books regularly. I find them kind of fascinating. I rarely give out 5 stars but this one absolutely deserves it for a few reasons. The fact that I ordered a hard copy when I got home from work after listening to the audio says a lot.

The author isn't the first to talk about the concepts she covers, but what makes this book so helpful is how she pulls it all together in one place and uses her own stories to strengthen certain bullet points. Her approach to aging well and aiming for longevity was based on her decades of experience as a doctor and it felt down to earth. Unlike many books in the health and wellness genre, it wasn't militant or polarizing. She meets her clients/patients where they are, and as a reader, it felt like she was offering us that same kind of flexibility.

Another thing that stood out was the way she did her own narration of the audio. She was warm and personable without fishing for compliments or setting off a confetti cannon every other page for herself....which is so very rare in this field. She also wasn't trying to sell a product or push a brand, which, again, is rare. I've heard her on several podcasts launching this book and that same sincerity shines through here.

I do have one negative though. The very end (kind of had a huddle feel) sounded so AI! It lacked the feel I got from the whole book. But definitely not a deal breaker.

Overall, this book was informative and refreshingly ego-free. I loved the layout and the organization. She went step by step and stayed out of the weeds. So 5 stars and I can't wait to receive my own copy.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide for women on aging with greater vitality, strength, power, mental acuity, and independence. Written by an orthopedic surgeon/longevity specialist, with tips for exercise, nutrition, mindset, and a healthy lifestyle, along with a six-week implementation program that I found incredibly helpful. A wonderful resource!

[Abi_reads_and_scribbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one really tells you how aging really hits different once you turn 40. I come from era of 90s/ 2000's diet culture and mothers who never really discussed what happens in the transition into perimenopause. Jokes have always been about hot flashes, but when I turned 41, let me tell you, a truck might as well have run me over. The brain fog, the exhaustion, the cycle changes in literally everything was unreal. On top of that parenting and watching my aging parents has been huge inspiration to get my butt into incorporating healthy routines.

I was constantly trying to find books on this topic and what to do, since various tests and dr visits came up empty. I've read, and given up on SO MANY hokey-pokey self help books, but this one was fantastic. If you're a woman 35 and up I highly suggest it. It really explains so much.

Written by a bone doc herself, Dr. Vonda Wright does a great job dropping facts, studies and an action plan. I've been following her for awhile on Instagram and when I saw her book on Netgalley I jumped at the chance to review it.

Wright talks a lot about our bones, nutrition and and how lifestyle plays a huge role in how we age. I didn't realize how fast we lose bone density from nursing our babies and the decline that happens when we are between 30 and 40. Wright's approach to what to eat and what kind of workouts to do are also well detailed. I know I struggle with macros because I feel a constant overwhelm with what those numbers should look like. Wright really has a great workbook component in this to track your goals and workouts.

Though I highly recommend this, I do with a few caveats. First, I'm someone who is still able to move and I don't have any mobility limiting issues. Second, the cost of some of the tests she suggests like the Dexa scan can be expensive. Overall, Wright's plan in the book is doable. I'm planning on adding sprints and her workouts into my daily life to keep this bod movin and groovin.

Thanks to Netgalley and Rodale books for the ARC.

Rating: 4.5⭐
Release date: August 26

[Kristine L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written by an orthopedic surgeon and "longevity specialist" - whatever that means - this book is for all women wanting to live their best life long into their senior years. It's especially helpful for postmenopausal women and offers "A 6-week program for lifelong strength and vitality."

It includes tons of medical info that gets pretty technical pretty fast. It offers 20 pages of healthy, nutritious recipes.

A big issue I had with the big is in Part TWO: Building Your Unbreakable Future with the exercise acronym FACE. Flexibility/Mobility, Aerobic Activity, Carrying a Load and Equilibrium and Footspeed. Several of the exercises described are difficult to visualize and execute properly without illustrations. This section has none. Also, the author seems to assume that everyone has access to a gym, personal trainer, or physical therapist. Not.

The quantity, intensity and sheer volume of exercise sessions - sometimes 30 to 45 minutes with "10 minutes of light jogging or cycling" with "static stretching afterwards" - may be daunting to the point of overwhelming for beginners. For example, the "dynamic warm-up" is "ten simple movements" with multiple reps. These "should take you about 15 minutes." That's BEFORE and in addition to the session itself. The Day 1 Lower Body Workouts include 19 separate exercises, with about 10 reps and 4 sets of each. That may be a bit much for beginners.

This book was okay-ish. But not worth a re-read. It feels clunky and is not particularly user-friendly, especially for those new to the bone-building/health journey. I've found more practical, easier-to-follow resources elsewhere.

[M]

written by AI and read to you by Vonda Wright, md -In case you didn't catch it the million times she mentions it, she is an orthopedic surgeon (riding the menopause gravy train) & uses the word badass & baddassery just as many times to describe herself.


Author describes participating in Spartan competitons as "doing hard things". Definitely has a different meaning for me.

"feeding episodes"

tldr: eat well, exercise, sleep, reduce stress (yet constantly be optimizing)...and make a gajillion doctor appointments for labs, scans, diagnostics -- that won't be help much bc "we need more research"

i dont know who this book is written for - people that are already into training, peak performance know all of this and people who are not, I don't see how this book would be motivating/inspiring.

[Rachel Oppitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive & impressive content. Needs more photos and diagrams or additional editing. It was not a fun read (boring). I think many lay people will feel lost and overwhelmed.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audio but highly recommend reading the hard copy (which I may buy) in order to have access to the charts and appendixes. Very informative and inspiring but too technical at times.

[G. Aria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to several podcasts with Dr. Vonda Wright and expected Unbreakable to deliver clear, practical guidelines. While the book does a great job framing aging as something women can actively influence, I was disappointed that most of the exercise instructions are tucked away in the appendix and only described in text. In an era where video instruction is standard, this makes the book feel impractical to follow. The same goes for the nutritional section — it includes valuable information with detailed measurements, but it’s so specific that it feels unrealistic to live calculating every bite. I finished the book still unsure what to actually follow in my daily routine.

[Debbie Brouwer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book and it sounded like one long infomercial with many repetitive phrasing and “inspirational” catch phrases. The medical terminology would be above your “average” woman with a non medical or physiological background and the exercise descriptions don’t need to be part of a book. The entire first chapter is dedicated to what she’s going to talk about in the rest of the book. I agree with an earlier review, not sure who the intended audience is for this book.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook but am happy that I bought a hard copy. I will definitely be returning to the information on health assessments and the appendices with recipes, workout plans, etc.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 stars, if I could.
Very informative and empowering. This is not just a book about peri- and post-menopause, it is largely focused on AGING WITH POWER.

I highly recommend this for all women, not just those who have been active or are athletes.

A great how-to on aging and staying active and strong.

_______

“I do not mean merely living in the absence of disease (which we’ll talk about in a bit) but truly investing the time and energy to transform from the dullness of “fine” to the physical and mental vibrance of Unbreakable. You are worth it.”

And I apologize for the TMI, but I immediately burst into tears when I read this quote. This is exactly what happened to me and I felt so broken. Now, I feel seen and empowered:

“I felt on top of the world…until I turned forty-seven, when suddenly—no exaggeration—I thought I was going to die. My whole body hurt. My period was a flooding river. I wasn’t sleeping well, and when I did sleep, I often woke in a hot sweat with a raging heart rate. My once sharp brain, which had always been capable of absorbing deep detail and memorizing books of information, was now shrouded in fog. I felt like I was losing my mind.”

“Only 30 percent of health and aging is the result of genetics. The other 70 percent is caused by our lifestyle choices, which directly influence how our DNA is expressed.”

[Kelly Gesker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book prior to it being published. With all the information out there, I opted to pick one source and hit it hard. I appreciate the science and the emphasis on mindset, medical and physical health. It has stirred me to tackle the next 40 years of my life more consciously, recognize that I have choices and not making a choice is also a choice. That being said, my eyes did begin to cross with endless abbreviations, numbers and recommendations. I had taken careful notes and struggled to find a recommended starting point for my (not) fitness level. I have instead fallen back to a more beginner exercise program while taking the FACE recommendations into consideration. I am more motivated than ever but opting to be realistic and activated rather than feeling the task insurmountable.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure my rating may be on the low side because I listened to the audiobook while my ferritin levels are below 20 which makes it feel impossible to even walk briskly let alone do the exercise suggested.

That said, this is fairly comprehensive, and I like that the author is pretty direct about mindset. You have to want the change enough to do hard things consistently, and often to do even more challenging things once you get used to the original hard things!

[Natalie Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Great information especially about building bones and muscles with various exercises and resistance training. I don’t agree 100% with her nutritional advice but overall it is a great resource for better health and longevity.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved listening to this author in snippets on podcasts. I chose to listen to this book, and I think it would be much. Water with a physical book. Much to mark and calculate as you go. Hard to listen to in segments at the gym lifting HEAVY. Ha. I did learn from it.

[Judyleach · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a post menopausal woman dealing with health information overload, I was glad I read this book! I love all the tests and measurements to get a baseline of where you are at and recommendations on how to move forward. Where it lost a star for me was too much technical medical info and jargon. There were some spots I just turned the page and moved on.

[May May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Xuất sắc!

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The complete book for those of us that are post menopausal, looking to level up strength training and protein meal planning. This book is my health manual for a continued vivacious life.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book goes into extreme detail of workouts, foods to eat and other behaviors for women as they get older.

[Roxanne Meek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Vonda Wright is an Aging-Well Rockstar! So much great info underlined and highlighted. Thank you, Dr. Vonda!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book on women’s health and aging. Truthfully- i didnt read every word as some dod not apply but it was great to read about someone trying to link womens issues (menopause, increase cholesterol and inflammation, nutrition). Worth a read

[Qwalyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much better than Next Level Fitness. The writing and research are much higher quality. I borrowed it from the library but buying my own copy now so I can use the workbook features.

[Andrea Killingbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this book for every woman to read. It is scientifically based and provides us with information to care for our health at any age and how to age stronger for longevity. I wished I read it when I was younger.

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mandatory reading for any women over 40.

[Jankp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the book were better edited. Each chapter lists the references in alphabetical order by author. It would have been so simple to footnote each reference cited with a number for easy follow up. I read this book as I’m interested in the science behind it but it is so time-consuming to read through and figure out which reference goes with which claim.

Others have stated this also but the lack of photos in the exercise section is a miss. It would be nice to have the visuals together with the plan of action. There are videos of the movements at theunbreakablebook.com

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guide is designed for women who want to remain strong, mobile, and independent as they age. Instead of accepting joint pain, muscle loss, and fatigue as “normal,” Dr. Wright emphasizes that women can address these warning signs. With decades of orthopedic experience, she provides readers with a clear toolkit that shows us how to move in ways that rebuild bone and muscle, which foods support long-term vitality, the importance of rest and stress management, and supplements that can enhance bodily function.

Dr. Wright goes beyond merely presenting facts; she offers a practical roadmap that includes baseline health tests, simple recipes, and a six-week strength plan designed to catalyze positive change. The author shares her journey from sports medicine to becoming a prominent advocate for women’s health, challenging the myth that aging inevitably leads to decline. She explains why women's bodies age differently, how daily habits like walking and strength training can significantly improve long-term health, and why mindset and self-worth are essential for achieving sustainable change.

I appreciated how Dr. Wright writes with both authority and compassion. She invites readers to view aging as a stage of growth rather than decline. The blend of medical insights and practical strategies makes the book both informative and applicable. It is easy to read and straightforward to implement. This book left me feeling optimistic about aging, convinced that with the right choices, I can age with strength, energy, and confidence.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://shows.acast.com/moms-dont-hav...

[Phylicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️I absolutely loved this book. Unbreakable isn’t just another “health” book—it’s a guide, a toolbox, and honestly a bit of a wake-up call all rolled into one.

For me, it really solidified so much of the foundational knowledge I already had about my own health and longevity, but then it went way further. It challenged me to evaluate things differently, to think deeper, and most importantly—it gave me structure and actual tools I can use every single day to build what Dr Wright calls an “unbreakable life.”

What I adored most was how practical it all felt. It’s not just theory, it’s step-by-step strategies, mindset shifts, and science explained in a way that feels accessible and empowering. I didn’t walk away overwhelmed, I walked away motivated. You know that feeling where a book clicks with where you are in life? That’s exactly what this did for me.

And let me tell you, if you’re in the cougar puberty years of perimenopause—where your body and hormones are shifting, where you’re starting to feel the effects of aging but still want to live with strength, energy, and vibrancy—this is an absolute must read. I wish every woman navigating this stage had this book in their hands. It’s validating, it’s inspiring, and it makes you feel like you’re not powerless in this journey.

Dr Wright writes with such authority, but also with warmth. You can tell she genuinely cares about equipping women to thrive, not just survive, through this season of life. I came away with new perspectives on longevity, vitality, and aging with strength—not fear.
Can I recommend this book enough? Honestly, no. If you care about your health, your resilience, and living a long, vibrant life—you need to read Unbreakable.

5 stars, without hesitation.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

💪✨ “Aging isn’t a decline—it’s a training opportunity.” ✨💪

If you’re a woman approaching midlife and beyond, Unbreakable by Dr. Vonda Wright is the science-backed, empowering guide you didn’t know you needed. 🔥

This book isn’t about shrinking or slowing down—it’s about powering up. Dr. Wright reframes how we view perimenopause and aging by shining a spotlight on what she calls the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause and gives us real tools to fight back.

What I loved:
🧠 Evidence-based wisdom from a leading orthopedic surgeon
🍽️ Anti-inflammatory nutrition tips + easy recipes
🏋️ A 6-week master exercise plan focused on strength and mobility
💤 Sleep, stress & supplement strategies for cellular health
💥 A mindset shift: from fragile to unbreakable

Whether you’re a fitness newbie or a seasoned strength queen, this book meets you where you’re at and gives you a path to stronger bones, more mobility, and a longer, more independent life.

📅 Coming August 26, 2025 from @rodalebooks
Thank you #NetGalley and #RodaleBooks for the ARC!

#Unbreakable #VondaWright #WomensHealth #HealthyAging #MenopauseWellness #PerimenopauseSupport #LongevityForWomen #AgingWithPower #StrongNotSilent #MuscleIsMedicine #ReverseAging #MidlifeWellness #BoneHealthMatters #StrengthTrainingForWomen #UnbreakableBook #Bookstagram #NonfictionReads #ARCReview

[Ginger Hudock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbreakable is written by a very experienced orthopedic surgeon and is targeted to pre- to post menopausal women who want to age powerfully. This book first discusses the physical hallmarks of aging which for women include hormone decline after menopause. She recommends hormone replacement therapy for women, when possible, to help. The most important factor for combatting age-related decline, for Wright is exercise. This book gives her 4-part FACE exercise prescription,, which chapters on each part. First is flexibility and mobility, second is aerobic activity, third is strength (carrying a load) and fourth is equilibrium and foot speed. There are also chapters on diet and on stress reduction.
I am post menopausal and was pleased that my diet, hormone replacement therapy and exercise were already pretty much in line with Dr. Wright's recommendations. For those readers who want to improve their physical health, this book gives excellent recommendations, including detailed exercise instructions. It would be of particular use to health coaches or trainers in working with their clients. I highly recommend this book to any woman interested in living a long and healthy life.
I received a complementary copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars - Unbreakable by Dr. Wright is one of those rare guidebooks I know I’ll be reaching for again and again—whenever I need a little nudge, a little guidance, or a reminder that my post-menopausal self is far from done. I appreciated her upbeat, empowering tone; it’s refreshing to hear that slowing down or becoming fragile is not a foregone conclusion.

As a visual learner, I did find myself scratching my head over a few of the exercises—they’re described clearly, but my brain likes pictures. A quick bit of online sleuthing fixed that, and once I could see the movements, everything clicked.

After being told more than once that “aging aches and difficulties are just something you have to live with,” it was downright uplifting to discover a book offering hope and a practical plan. Dr. Wright doesn’t promise miracles, but she does offer tools to help us fight back against the process and truly enjoy our lives. And honestly? That’s exactly the kind of reinforcement I’ve been looking for.