It is time for you to start working out because exercise is the best way to slow down aging! As a person grows older, the muscle loss continues, ultimately lowering an individual's physique by up to 50%, resulting in frailty and impairment. Muscles and joints become inflexible and rigid at the same time. The nervous system changes with time as well. Reflexes slow down, coordination decreases, and memory problems frequently occur at inconvenient moments. As time passes, recovering after an exercise, injury, or sickness becomes more challenging.
How is exercise anti-aging?
Although exercise is not a magical cure for aging, it does slow down the process.
1. Exercise keeps your skin soft:
Maintaining a regular workout regimen might help to improve the skin texture. Exercising helps feed oxygen and other nutrients to the skin by increasing heart rate and enhancing blood flow. Which keeps the cells moisturized, increases collagen production, and encourages new cells. This process helps to keep the skin bright and is also beneficial for anti-aging.
2. Exercise improves posture:
As you become older, your ability to maintain a healthy posture starts to deteriorate due to muscle loss and bone density variations. You can restore strength and prevent bone loss through strength training with barbells, weights or by doing low-impact exercises such as swimming and climbing. Proper control of your core and spine has the extra benefit of keeping your body and joints in good shape. In addition, your higher stance will help you look younger.
3. Exercise improves flexibility:
Although any exercise can increase our flexibility, including aerobic and anaerobic activity, yoga and Pilates are particularly good at extension as we age. So don't be one of the many people who avoid yoga due to their lack of flexibility. That's a perfect incentive to give it a shot! As you age, you can lower your risk of fractures, such as knee problems, by increasing your mobility while boosting your life expectancy.
4. Exercise boosts mental health:
Regular exercise has been shown to increase the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory formation. As a result, those who exercise regularly sometimes have a younger brain—making it easier for them to still learn and maintain excellent mental health for decades max vs. those who are inactive and do not engage in daily activity.
5. Exercise slows cell aging:
Exercise not only makes you feel younger, but it may also slow down the maturing of your chromosomes. This is because there are caps at the end of chromosomes, known as telomeres, that hugely impact the aging process. Regular exercise and telomere extension have been linked, suggesting that exercise is beneficial for slowing down the aging process.
Some tips:
Don't forget to hydrate your skin while exercising by drinking water with or without antioxidants and electrolytes depending on the intensity. Staying hydrated and nourished also contributes to anti-aging!
My favorite workouts are Pilates, running, swimming, and especially John Benton's Model Fitness. Check out his website for unique full-body workouts that incorporate a mix of cardio, isolation toning of the inner and outer thighs, hips, and waist—with a heavy focus on building a strong core.