Dr. Vonda Wright is working on an age-defying program of sorts at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

She's an orthopedic surgeon and has come up with a plan for people to follow in order to look and feel better as they grow older.

"I have lots of patients who come here and say, 'You know, I never knew how amazing I could feel ... until you put me on a program or really fine tuned my health and now I feel amazing,'" said Wright.

She has a specific plan for storing up health you can use later in life.

The first step -- ask yourself every day "will this make me stronger?"

"As I stand outside the elevator at the office for sports medicine do I push the button or take the 14 stairs? As I go to the vending machine and I can choose a bottle of water or a bottle of soda ... Do I choose the bottle of soda that will erode my bones or the bottle of water that's going to flush out my system?" Wright said.

Wright said in your 20s, you can let things slide.

But there are two decades that really count -- your 30s and 40s. The choices you make then will make or break you later on in life.

"If you are a pack-a-day smoker, let's try to cut that back. If you are a 6-pack-a-weekend drinker, let's cut that back. If you are a no-exerciser, let's get out after dinner and take a 30-minute walk."

Wright said one area of your body is crucial to focus on -- your core.

Three exercises can help really develop these muscles.

The first is a "chair hold" on the wall. It looks like you are sitting on a chair against a wall, except the chair is invisible.

The second exercise is called "planks facing down." On this one you lie down on the floor face down, then hold up your whole body slightly with your hands.

And the third position is "planks to the side." It's the same exercise except you hold yourself up with one hand and turn your body to the side after lying down.

"Planks are simply supporting yourself with your upper body and your toes and using your core, these belts of muscles to keep your body flat," said Wright.

She said hold the planks for 30 seconds at first and work up to two minutes.

Exercise can also help reduce your chance of breast cancer, heart disease and diabetes by 40 percent.

There are three numbers you have to know in your 30s.

Your baseline for weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in your early 30s should be the constant you strive for later on in life.

And what supplements are worth the money? Wright said calcium supplements to build your bones will help support you later on in life.

And omega-3 is vital to skin and brain health

Only 30 percent of how we age is due to genetics.

So Wright said the choice is yours.