The Best Anti-ageing Workouts
We normally turn to creams, sprays and serums to combat the signs of ageing and help iron out wrinkles and smooth skin. However, hitting the gym could be a more productive time saving option as exercise boots your energy and your physical ability to keep doing the things you love. Exercise and your levels of fitness directly affect how youthful you look and feel, to the way you move, and your ability to do whatever you want. This article aims to provide you with the best anti-ageing workouts to help put the focus on active aging.
First of all, and basically, the majority of strength training programmes will specifically target your anti-ageing goals. Strength training hones in on the testosterone boosting by-products provided by multi joint exercises. By keeping the weight resistance around 70% of your max and keeping the reps high around 12 to 15 with good form will flood your body with anti-ageing chemicals such as adrenaline, testosterone and endorphins.
It is difficult because people who are feeling the effects of ageing often say “I can’t exercise, my back hurts” or “my knees gave out years ago” but then you will see that person picking out food shopping from their car, or picking up their child off the floor, it’s easily done. Making that connection between your body and exercise is not as scary as you may think; you will be surprised by the range, and the amount of movement you put your body through on a daily basis. Making those links to an exercise programme will simply help you focus on specific goals aiming to help you move more freely and feel younger. Throughout a normal day for example, you squat very often, your knees are probably at a right angle reading this article now, the point is that it’s essential to lean to squat, move and bend properly. A stronger knee joint means less chance of knee pain whilst moving through your everyday life. Adding a squatting movement to your exercise programme will significantly help improve muscular and skeletal structure, helping you feel younger, however a top tip is to get advice on how to squat correctly, or not at all.
Furthermore the thought of embrace high-impact activity can also be a scary thought for older people. But again, jumping off a curb or skipping out the way off the road as a car comes by is something that is part of everyday life. A lot of older people are afraid to jump because it’ll hurt the knees or hips, you need to jump in everyday life, and you need impact to build bone density. Of course this means working your way up gradually, initially a hardened step up is enough impact to improve bone density over time, for example take a forceful step forward when lunging or marching, or use the bottom step of your stairs to alternate step ups with each foot.
Variety is the spice of life, and when it comes to exercise that is certainly the case. By keeping your muscles guessing of what could be next, going through a range of different movements and not allowing your body to adapt from one week to the next will provide a strong basis to an exercise programme designed for anti-ageing. Choosing to take different weekly classes is a sure way to mix up your exercise regimes. Scientists in Belgium recently discovered that just 45 minutes of spinning boosts the production of an anti-ageing compound, NRF1, which protects our DNA and therefore keeping our cells younger and healthier.
A further variation to your programme could be to understand the principles of high intensity interval training (HIIT). Studies have shown show that HIIT workouts, which take far less time to complete than slow and steady cardio workouts, lead to as much as twice the total fat lost than a slow-and-steady cardio program. Interestingly the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is produced during bursts of high intensity interval cardio training and resistance workouts, this is responsible for the growth of tissue in the body. HGH improves bone density, skin elasticity, collagen production, organ health and decreases the production of fat storage in the body. A HIIT workout is a sure way to generally improve your health and physical well-being and combatting the signs of ageing while you’re at it, making it one of the best anti-ageing workouts.
In addition to a physical workout it is important to have a mental workout also. Exercising your brain should also be part of your anti-ageing workout programme. The more exercise and activity your big grey matter gets the better, keeping your brain engaged will help combat signs of ageing preventing the old saying “if you don’t use it, you lose it”. If you’re not one for crosswords, Sudoku, or puzzles then a great way to combine cognition and exercise is to take up a class that involves memorising choreography such as Zumba or step classes, changing direction and lots of movement like kickboxing and dancing or even reaction training like squash, tennis, and ping pong.
Louise and Richard Thomas founders of Fresh Start
When attending our boot camp holiday in Chiang Mai you will have unprecedented access to the best anti-ageing workout programmes both physically and mentally. Fresh Start boot camp certainly does provide you with opportunities to reach your health and fitness goals, but also a chance to recover and recuperate in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Thailand.
Reference
1. http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/7-ultimate-anti-aging-exercises
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/body/the-anti-ageing-workouts-to-take-up-now/
3. Buckley,AJ.et al. (2010).Adaptations to skeletal muscle with endurance exercise training in acutely fed versus overnight-fasted state. Journal of Science and Sports Medicine. Jul;13(4):465-9
