2023-11-04 16:07:00
Maintaining a good diet and doing physical activity every day are aspects that contribute to healthy longevity. (Illustrative image Infobae)
Life expectancy has increased in recent years thanks to medical advances and also a greater awareness of adopting healthy lifestyles, even from a young age.
In addition to not smoking, not drinking alcohol, eating well with plenty of fruits and vegetables and having a good social activity, other key things that doctors recommend is to stop a sedentary life and do physical exercises, or even walk to live longer.
In that sense, Dr. María Clara Perret, a research doctor specializing in Geriatric Medicine at the German Hospital, had pointed out to Infobae that “the stage of old age is frequently associated with illness and disability. However, it has been proven that they can be postponed and reduced if one adopts a healthy lifestyle and actively engages in life.”
It is not necessary to join a gym to do healthy physical exercises, since at home we can adopt them and do them correctly (Getty Images)
Even, in the words of Dr. Parul Goyal, a geriatrician at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, “aging well consists of three different components,” which are physical health, emotional connection and mental support.
Without a doubt, doing any type of body movement is good for health throughout life, and especially when one is already an older adult. For example, aerobic exercise improves the cardiovascular system, strengthens the immune system, increases respiratory capacity, and helps maintain a healthy weight.
It also benefits the brain: science has shown in several studies that it contributes to improving mental health due to its anti-stress and general well-being effect. On the other hand, strength training, such as that done in the gym, offers the benefits of keeping bones strong, essential to prevent osteoporosis. Finally, flexibility exercises, such as yoga and tai-chi, provide elongation and agility to the muscles.
Stretching provides muscle strength and elasticity (Getty Images)
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, adults over 18 years of age should perform 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise to increase your longevity.
Common age-related illnesses such as pneumonia, stroke, diabetes complications and serious urinary tract infections might be prevented simply by increasing moderate physical activity, a study has found. recent study conducted by researchers from the United Kingdom.
Scientists found that among almost 82,000 British adults, those who exercised regularly were less likely to be hospitalized for various health conditions in the coming years.
From a young age it is important to adopt an exercise routine to postpone illnesses (Gettyimages)
“It doesn’t matter how you get there. There are some studies that say ‘microbursts’ or ‘microdoses’ of exercise have the same cumulative effect as traditional 60- to 90-minute training sessions,” says longevity expert Ryan M. Greene. However, if the main goal is to contribute to longevity, specialists recommend focusing on training to build and maintain a healthy amount of muscle in the body.
“Muscles improve metabolic health, regulate blood sugar and cholesterol, and provide amino acid reserves for recovery in the event of illness or injury,” said longevity expert Dr. Halland Chen. Focusing on the body’s muscle mass “also reduces the risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease.”
Taking these effects into account, it is important to adjust training to increase longevity. These specialists detail 3 important recommendations for adjustments to your exercise routine to stay healthy for longer.
Experts say that you have to do combined exercises, which contribute more than isolated ones (Getty Images)
Doctors seem to insist on strength training as an ally of longevity. “Studies are beginning to show, quite unequivocally, that loss of muscle mass over time “It is one of the factors that most significantly impacts not only longevity, but also quality of life,” Greene said. “If you don’t do things to help maintain muscle mass, bone density becomes a problem,” she added.
Chen maintained that muscle mass is naturally compromised as we age, as our muscles tend to deteriorate if we do not provide them with proper maintenance. “I would say that resistance training is more important than running, swimming or brisk walking. “It is resistance training that helps maintain muscle mass, which increases bone density and reduces the risk of injury,” she added.
Importantly, strength training can also naturally develop balance and mobility, two things that can help decrease the risk of falls.
Regular physical activity is key to delaying the onset of diseases and reducing the impact of aging
“By developing muscle strength and learning to do movements properly, such as squatting, twisting, pushing, pulling, you should, by definition, improve your balance,” Greene said, while Chen added that you should start working on balance and mobility training when you are young, as as we age the body becomes less flexible, making it difficult to access a full range of motion.
Although aerobic exercises are key to health, it’s important to balance these with two workouts specifically focused on building muscle twice a week, even if that means swapping in a couple of weekly runs or walks.
Aging is an accumulation of molecular and cellular damage, but not all of us age at the same rate or in the same way (Getty Images)
Exercise routines in a gym typically focus on the main muscle groups: the back, chest, quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings. But, Chen says, it aims to exercise our smaller muscle groups in the arms, lower legs, and shoulders.
“These muscles are not the ones that lift or push the most, but maintaining them is good for stability and balance. Working on them is fantastic for your body to develop proportionally, which prevents physiological misalignment and pain,” he said and reminded that we must not forget movements such as calf raises or rotator cuff exercises.
It is important to carry out good management of specific exercises, recommended by experts (Getty)
Last October a study from the University of Houston published in iScience noted that they found that doing “soleus pushups” (SPU), which involves raising and lowering your heels while sitting, can help the body regulate glucose and improve fat metabolism.
Experts recommended doing more exercises that promote compound movements than those that increase isolated ones, such as when doing leg presses. That is why he recommended rowing, where several muscle groups are worked simultaneously.
“The exercises with the greatest performance are those with compound movements. “These are the movements that tend to involve larger muscle groups,” Greene noted. Examples of compound movements include squats with overhead presses, weighted crawls, and stretches.
1699117173
#Longevity #Exercise #Routine #Tweaks #Stay #Nimbler #Healthier #Longer
