“These are the Best Years of Your Life!”

That’s the battle cry of Dr. Vonda Wright, a Sharecare advisory board member who also happens to be one of the few female orthopaedic surgeons in the U.S. An energetic mom, doctor and athlete, Dr. Wright specializes in fitness and sports medicine and recently published her second book, Dr. Vonda Wright’s Guide to Thrive: Four Steps to Body, Brains, and Bliss. We caught up with Dr. Wright today and she shared some interesting and inspiring tidbits.

Vonda Wright, MD

Day job: Practicing orthopaedic surgeon, Director of the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes (PRIMA) at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine

Weekend job: For 5 years she was head football doctor for the NCAA Div I University of Pittsburgh Panther Football team.

Favorite quote: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” —Henry David Thoreau, Walden 

Proud to be: An over-40 athlete. She recently joined her 72-year-old father in the Pittsburgh Half Marathon.

Favorite dance step: A former competitive ballroom dancer, Dr. Wright likes to glide across the floor in a Fox Trot with her eyes closed.

Health mission: “I want to help change the way we age in this country. Aging is not an inevitable decline from vitality to frailty. We control 70% of how we age with simple lifestyle choices!”

What’s always in her fridge: Broccoli, low-fat milk, pineapple and parmesan reggiano

The move she does every day: “I love planks, monster walks and foam rolling!”

Her new definition: Adult Onset Exercisers. “That’s what I call folks who, after a lifetime of sedentary living, decide to make a daily investment in their health and get MOVE-ing.”

Passion: “Raising my amazing four-year-old Isabella to be loving, courageous and to use her smarts and believe she can do anything she wants in life.”

Secret pastime: Flipping houses. “Oh-so-much work! There is nothing like seeing a vision of what could be in your head and making it come true with your very own hands.”

Weight-management secret: “Follow the 500 rule. To lose a pound of fat, you must burn off 3,500 calories a week. Burn 500 calories seven days in a row and you will lose one pound!”

Advice to live by: “There is never an age or activity level where it is too late to take control of your health and aging by making a daily investment in your health through exercise and smart nutrition. You are worth it.”

What she loves about Sharecare.com: “After surgery, my favorite part of caring for people is taking the time to teach them about what is going on inside their own bodies. This is exactly what Sharecare.com is all about! Sharecare.com is an amazing place to safely ask questions and get real answers from real experts.”

File under: Expert Spotlight