'Golden Bachelorette' Joan Vassos said she's more active than ever at 62, thanks to pickleball and weightlifting

• "Golden Bachelorette" star Joan Vassos said she has more time and energy in her 60s to be active.
• She loves energizing hobbies like pickleball and also does strength exercise for longevity.
• Her healthy eating strategy is to get plenty of protein like turkey, and enjoy daily treats too.

At 62, the fun is just getting started for Joan Vassos.

The "Golden Bachelorette" star said that as the years go by, she has more time for what she loves — activities like pickleball, playing with her grandkids, and traveling — and plenty of energy to keep up.

"I feel like I'm living kind of backwards, that I am doing more things and I'm more active at this age than I was when I was younger," Vassos told Business Insider in an interview on her partnership with pain relief brand Aspercreme.

She credits her active lifestyle for helping her look and feel youthful, from lifting weights for strong bones and muscles, to eating enough protein for longevity — with treats like chocolate to look forward to.

"Age is just a number and it shouldn't define what you do and who you are," Vassos said. "When I was growing up, as you became a grandmother, you were expected to slow down and act like a grandmother. And I feel like that is so not true anymore."

Social exercise like pickleball is good for longevity

Vassos said one of the biggest benefits of getting older is that she has more time to do the activities she loves instead of hitting the gym at 5 am before getting the kids to school and heading to work.

She enjoys hiking with friends as well as improving her pickleball game. The trendy sport that can help develop balance, agility, and core strength, all of which are key factors in longevity and healthy aging.

Vassos said her best exercise advice is to make it a group activity, whether you're into pickleball or just taking a walk. In her 30s and 40s, she'd meet up with other moms to take a few laps around the nearby track while her kids were at sports practice.

"I made some of the best friends I ever had during those years and I really looked forward to going," Vassos said. "That social aspect of it is good. It fuels my soul, also the workout is good for you."

She does strength workouts at home

Vassos said resistance training like push-ups, planks, and dumbbell exercise play a major role in keeping her healthy and resilient over time.

"It's important because bone density is a big issue at this age. You need to use weights to help with bone density," she said.

Research suggests lifting weights and other strength workouts can boost longevity, reduce the risk of injuries, and improve quality of life too.

Pulling up a quick YouTube video and using some dumbbells at home can be more convenient and less intimidating than hitting the weight room, Vassos said.

"If I had to get ready every morning and go to a gym, I probably wouldn't do it. But things are easy now. You can turn on your TV, pull up YouTube and you can do any exercise you want," she said.

A high-protein diet fortifies the body

Vassos said her diet is big on protein. It typically includes a lot of lean meats like turkey or rotisserie chicken as an easy, versatile staple for healthy meals.

"I naturally gravitate to protein," she said.

Protein is a crucial nutrient for building and maintaining muscle, and repairing tissue. As people age, muscle mass can decline over time, so it's important for older people, especially women, to get enough protein for longevity.

She has a daily treat like cookies or chocolate

Along with a generally balanced diet, the key to eating well over time is a bit of indulgence, according to Vassos.

"I don't really deny myself anything. I don't drink a lot of wine, but I drink a little bit of wine and when I go to dinner, I will order dessert and share it with somebody," she said.

Her kitchen is always stocked with sweet treats like chocolate or cookies, and enjoying them helps keep her on track for the long-term.

"If I denied myself, I would probably crave a cookie. But if I have a couple cookies a day, it's not going to kill me," Vassos said. "It's about living life and being happy."