Summary
In this guide, you'll learn about the 3 best anti-aging exercises such as:
- Running: Running improves your cardio-respiratory health, boosting your overall lifespan - all the while making you look younger.
- Strength Training: By helping you build muscle mass and definition, strength training improves your strength, preserves muscles for a longer duration and minimizes the risk of diseases.
- HIIT: Not only does HIIT help in building your endurance, it also improves your blood circulation, which rejuvenates your skin cells, giving you that youthful glow.
Don’t you just want access to the elixir of youth so you can lock in on your age and be evergreen?
While there’s no magic potion to eternal youth (and quite frankly, you will age as you grow older), there is something you can do to stay young – workout!
Exercise and aging are directly linked. A study reveals that consistent exercise is a powerful age-preventive tool. Working out preserve muscle strength and cardiovascular health.
It also keeps you physically fit so you don’t weaken as you age. Regular activity also prevents the risk of diseases, which improves the quality of your life.
With regular exercise, you’re not just able to build muscle, but also maintain it. This ensures you don’t just look young, but you also feel young and active, especially as you grow older.
If you’ve ever wondered “does exercise make you look younger?” The simple answer is – yes. In this guide, you’ll discover the 3 best exercises to keep an aging (or young) body strong and fit.
Getting In Shape After 50: 3 Exercises That Reverse Aging
From home exercises to hyrox exercises, working out significantly boosts your health and quality of life. However, there's different researches on the types of exercises that promise longevity. While it's a tough call, it's best to rely on science for the best options.
Here are some of the best anti-aging exercises you should do:
1. Running
In 2014, Cooper Institute of Dallas conducted a study on running and reduction in mortality risk. This study showed that by running as little as five minutes a day could give you a longer life.
After the study, many queries flooded the researchers. If walking could get you a longer life? If high-mileage runners are the most immortal of all? Or even, if long-distance running could be counter-productive?
The most recent study published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases reanalyzed the follow-up studies and found some connection between running and immortality. Despite the running speed, the risk of premature death decreased by 40% in people who were involved in even occasional running.
The study considered running two hours week of training. According to that, 40 years of training would take less than six months of training, but increase lifespan by 3.2 years.
They concluded that an hour of running could increase life expectancy by seven years. However, there were questions raised why running is the most potent form of exercise for life longevity? The answer to the question remains uncertain.
However, data shows people who ran lived the longest. As running leads to better health, it backs the data for life longevity.
If you want a mix of running and workout, try the HIIT treadmill workout!
7-Day Beginner-Friendly Running Routine
| Day | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run/Walk | 20 minutes alternating between 2 minutes of jogging and 2 minutes of walking. |
| Tuesday | Rest or Light Walking | Light walking for 20-30 minutes or rest. |
| Wednesday | Run/Walk | 25 minutes alternating between 3 minutes of jogging and 2 minutes of walking. |
| Thursday | Rest or Light Walking | Light walking for 20-30 minutes or rest. |
| Friday | Run/Walk | 30 minutes alternating between 5 minutes of jogging and 2 minutes of walking. |
| Saturday | Active Rest | Stretching or yoga for flexibility and recovery. |
| Sunday | Rest | Complete rest to prepare for the next week. |
2. Strength Training
Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine published a study in the Journal Of Preventative Medicine. They found a correlation between strength training and life longevity.
Researchers collected death certificates of more than 30,000 people aged 65 or older. Only 9 percent did strength training at least twice a week.
From the sample, trainers had 46% less risk of death than people who didn’t train. Moreover, trainers were 41 percent less likely to have cardiac-related fatalities and 19 percent less likely to die from cancer.
If you're trying to add strength training into your routine, you can start by dividing your muscle groups into upper body and lower body days.
7-Day Beginner-Friendly Strength Training Routine
| Day | Focus Area | Exercises | Reps & Sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Upper Body | Seated Dumbbell Press, Bicep Curls, Triceps Pushdowns | 2 sets of 10-12 reps |
| Tuesday | Lower Body | Hip Extensions, Lunges, Squats | 2 sets of 10-12 reps |
| Wednesday | Core & Balance | Planks, Flutter Kicks, Reverse Crunches | 2 sets of 10 reps (each side where applicable) |
| Thursday | Active Recovery | Light Walking, Stretching | 30 minutes |
| Friday | Full Body | Bodyweight Squats, Push-Ups (knees), Dumbbell or T-Bar Rows | 2 sets of 10-12 reps |
| Saturday | Rest | - | - |
| Sunday | Rest | - | - |
3. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota lead a research on a group of sedentary lifestyle men and women for their cellular health. They conducted few tests on their aerobic fitness, sugar levels and mitochondrial health for a suitable sample.
Research required the bunch to have different exercise routines including aerobics, weight training and high-intensity interval training. After weeks, results differed for each form of exercise.
Results displayed more muscle strength for people given weight training. More endurance for people given high-intensity interval training.
Results were unexpected from the biopsied muscle cells. Interval trainers had the most changes in their genes, up to 274. Moreover, older people on interval training had a remarkable change of 400 genes, way more than aerobic trainers and strength trainers.
The results suggested that HIIT had the biggest impact on the health of the muscle cells.
Change your life by learning more about High-Intensity Interval Training and how to get started on it!
7 Day Beginner-Friendly HIIT Routine
| Day | Workout Details | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Warm-up (light walking 3 min), Alternating knee lifts with arm reach (20 sec on, 40 sec off, repeat 4x) | 10 minutes |
| Tuesday | Warm-up (gentle stretching 3 min), Chair squats to overhead press with light weights (20 sec on, 40 sec off, repeat 4x) | 10 minutes |
| Wednesday | Warm-up (light jogging on the spot 3 min), Modified jumping jacks (20 sec on, 40 sec off, repeat 4x) | 10 minutes |
| Thursday | Active Recovery Day: Light walking or stretching | 20 minutes |
| Friday | Warm-up (dynamic stretching 3 min), Side step with kettlebell swings (20 sec on, 40 sec off, repeat 4x) | 10 minutes |
| Saturday | Rest or gentle yoga for flexibility | Flexible |
| Sunday | Rest or leisurely walk to stay active | Flexible |
Why Muscle Strength is Crucial to Stay Young?
Several studies talk about muscle loss within our cells. The medical term for this is Sarcopenia. Mitochondria diminish in number and potency as we get age. Mitochondria are powerhouses in our cells which produce energy. A study done on Cell Metabolism suggested that some workouts improved the mitochondrial health in our cells.
In layman’s terms, exercise is like a battery power bank for your body. Even if you are on the go, you are charging your battery cells. When the body engages in physical work, the cells look more like the cells of a younger body.
Exercise has an overall physiological impact on your body and mind. Your body will respond more actively on the daily tasks. Your skin will glow more for a younger look. Moreover, the risk of mental diseases will significantly decline.
What Workout Is Best For You?
All of the above exercises are powerful for your life longevity and aging muscles. However, not all necessarily are suitable for you given your fitness level. Some workouts require more than the other in a period.
HIIT is the most efficient exercise yet the toughest one. If you think you are not at your fittest level, you should opt for strength training or running. However, you can choose for a beginner level HIIT workout.
Running can be injurious to some. Shin splints and runner’s knee are common amongst serious runners and older cohorts. However, it is the most convenient of all. Just get a decent pair of runners and get going.
For strength training, you might need a gym membership for a various number of exercises. Another choice is to buy a few props like the resistance band and a few dumbbells, but you will have limited exercises.
Find what workouts challenge you and at the same time doesn't risk you for any injury. Find your workout to stay young because life is already short so add some years to it.
What is the best exercise to stay young?
The best exercise to stay forever youthful is a combination of strength, flexibility and cardio training. This helps you build muscle, become more toned, improve your blood circulation and have flexible joints as you age. Resistance training with weights, machines and resistance bands gives you muscle definition, as well as preserves your muscles - this keeps your skin and body from 'sinking', making you look younger. In addition, running and HIIT improve your cardiovascular health and overall endurance, which improves the quality of your life.
Can exercise keep you younger?
Yes, exercise and aging are connected. Not only does exercise impact you physically, it also keeps you in that positive headspace, keeping you mentally strong and youthful. With consistent workouts such as HIIT or running, you're able to increase your muscle mass and brain performance. This keeps your body's vitality youthful, prolonging the aging process. This also prevents the risk of diseases that come with age.
Will my face look younger if I exercise?
Yes, your face will look younger if you workout. This is because working out improves your skin's elasticity, making it look tighter and younger. Cardio such as running gets your blood flowing throughout your body, reaching into your skin and nourishing the skin cells. This gives your skin a healthy, youthful glow. In addition, exercising regularly helps in stress management, delaying the wrinkles from forming on your skin, which makes you look younger. You can also do some specific face exercises such as cheek lifts, jaw releases and eye squeezing that tighten your facial muscles to make your face look younger.
How to look 20 years younger naturally?
If you want to look 20 years younger naturally, you need to have a healthy lifestyle. This means your routine should have 10-30 minutes of minimum workouts, a nutritious and protein-rich diet and plenty of sleep. You also need to drink 8-12 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated while doing a skincare routine tailored to your skin type. You should also avoid smoking and drinking, eating sugary and processed things, and not wearing sunblock to look younger.
