Parade, 2025

'I'm 71 and Doctors Say I Have the Heart of a 50-Year-Old—Here's My Workout Routine' They say you can't pick your gene pool, and that's certainly been true for Liz Hilliard, a 71-year-old living in North Carolina. Hilliard's family history includes diabetes, heart disease and strokes. Her father died of a heart attack at age 62, and her paternal grandfather died of one at 41.

However, Hilliard is determined to control what she can, and that includes the way she moves her body. When she couldn't find a fitness class she liked, she developed her own workout method, the Hilliard Studio Method. This method combines Pilates with strength training, and is now at the core of her fitness routine—and she says it has her feeling her absolute best in her early 70s. It's more than a feeling. At a recent doctor's appointment, Hilliard received a clean bill of health.