Variety is the spice of life that keeps Peg Murphy Branyan active and healthy at 66. An avid runner, hiker, world traveler, and philanthropist, the Director of IT retiree and grandmother stays busy living with purpose, meaning, and movement.
Peg has stayed active throughout her life through various pursuits. She has enjoyed a decade of road cycling tours, years of long-distance marathon running, and taught step aerobics and cardio kickboxing during the 90s and early 2000s. Additionally, she has maintained a consistent practice of strength training for three decades, engaged regularly in yoga and meditation, and developed a passion for hiking, particularly in the Colorado Rockies.
“My exercise has taken different forms over the years as my interests change,” she says. Most recently, Peg has dabbled in mat Pilates and even completed a sprint triathlon. The science agrees: taking on new physical challenges as a “beginner” can offer neuroplastic and neuroprotective benefits at any age. Plus, Peg gets a good chuckle out of trying new things, like a recent hip-hop drop-in class she took in Salida, CO.
“It is important to continue to move and be outside as you grow older,” she explains of adjusting her routine over the years. “I have also worked on stress management, which exercise has helped a great deal with.”
Peg was inspired to live more intentionally after losing a dear friend and running buddy to ovarian cancer seven years ago. “She was one of the healthiest people I knew, and understanding that there are no guarantees in life made me reevaluate what my priorities were,” Peg explains. “I was fortunate enough to retire at 59.”
Retirement allowed Peg to dedicate more time to her favorite activities and enjoy the outdoors more often. Since moving to Memphis 12 years ago, she has felt welcomed by the community, having met many friends through running and other activity-based groups.
Staying active is just one way Peg continues to live with purpose. She serves as the Chair of the Development Committee and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Campbell Clinic Foundation, which trains local surgeons as well as doctors on overseas assignments, funds research and fellowships, and hosts high school field exploration days. Additionally, it spearheads initiatives including Our Hearts to Your Soles, which provides foot care for the homeless, and supports the Cerebral Palsy Care Center at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, helping families access comprehensive care for cerebral palsy.
“Working with the foundation has been very gratifying,” she says of their shared values, noting the quality of care her husband Tom received at the Campbell Clinic after rupturing knee tendons during a fall.
These days, Peg begins her mornings with meditation, yoga, mobility work, and strength training, and rounds out her days hiking and walking with family and friends, or traveling the world with her husband to destinations like Africa, Argentina, and New Zealand.
“Every bit of movement counts,” advises Peg. “I try to make my time count by focusing on doing the things that bring me joy, and feeling gratitude for what I have.”
By Shlomit Cohen
Photo by Tindall Stephens
