The Best Fitness Habits to Slow Aging

The things people already do to stay healthy in general are also the best ways to stave off the effects of aging. Whether you’re in your 20s or your 60s, one thing is true when it comes to aging: you can’t stop it. But being physically active is one of the best ways to stay healthier and potentially add years to your life.

There are hints of lifestyle interventions that may have potential to lengthen life and delay aging. One that’s been particularly well-studied is calorie restriction (CR). This is where you reduce the total number of calories you consume, but still get enough of the essential nutrients. From yeast to rodents, studies have found that CR can increase longevity and delay age-related diseases.

Other measures recommended for delaying aging include not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, getting good sleep, getting preventive cancer screenings, and treating hypertension and high cholesterol. People have demonstrated that if you do these things, which are all feasible, you can increase your life expectancy by 10 years. You probably know that regular exercise reduces your risk for heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. What you might not realize is that it can also slow the speed at which your cells age. Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes inside cells. Over time, a cell’s telomeres get shorter and shorter, eventually causing that cell to die. The loss of telomeres as people get older plays a role in many age-related health changes — and some studies suggest that regular physical activity helps delay this process.

How to slow aging down

Here are three fitness habits that can slow down the clock. If you haven’t been active for a while, start out gently and build up gradually to harder workouts.

1. Walking at a Fast Clip

Walking helps improve heart and brain health, lower blood sugar, and maintain strong bones. Plus, research has tied aerobic exercise — which includes walking at a brisk pace — to having longer telomeres. The greatest health benefits come from walking more than 3 miles per hour on a flat surface or more than 2 miles per hour uphill. Along with brisk walking, other examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activity include bicycling, water aerobics, and doubles tennis.

2. Interval Training

Now and then, challenge yourself to dig deeper. Break up a moderately difficult walk or bike ride with short bursts of running or cycling at top speed. You’ll get the same health and anti-aging benefits as you would from exercising at a steady moderate pace, but in less time.

3. Flexing Your Muscles

Muscle mass and strength typically peak from ages 30 to 35. After that, muscle power usually starts a slow downhill slide. But you can put on the brakes with strength training. At least twice weekly, do activities that force your muscles to work against gravity. You might lift weights, use a medicine ball or do body-weight exercises (such as push-ups and squats).

Summary

It’s good to get any kind of regular movement and exercise, no matter what type it is. There are lots of physical benefits, but exercise can also have additional positive effects. We know that if you exercise, you’re more likely to sleep better. We know that you’re more likely to have mental health improvement consistently and be more social and maintain social contacts.