Feeling 25 at 45: Knock 20 years off your age with these fitness and nutrition tips!
Maintaining fitness and nutrition habits is tough, especially as the body begins to get older and the aches and pains from exercise last longer. But there is a way to get fitter and healthier by eating right and quite literally sweating off the years!
Lots of exercise and good nutrition provides the body with many benefits, but what if I told you, it could make you look and feel younger. In a recent study, they found that a good exercise and nutrition routine can help you to maintain cardiovascular health and make you feel 20 to 30 years younger. They also found that those who regularly exercised year on year, looked decades younger than those who had not kept up a regular exercise routine.?
Here's 10 ways exercise makes you feel and look younger:
1)???Regular Exercise Slows the Aging Process
In short, exercise has the power to slow and shut down the aging process. Telomeres are the caps at the end of chromosomes, the shorter these become the older you look. The longer these can stay the more longevity and youthfulness you will have. Recent studies have been able to link regular exercise with the delay in the shortening of the telomeres. But what is even more impressive, exercise can reverse aging by lengthening the telomeres. Exercise doesn’t just make you feel and look younger but is linked to longer life and better health.
2)???Exercise Improves Flexibility and Blood Flow
As you get older, especially into your 40s, you might notice stiff joints in your body. This is due to the blood vessels losing their flexibility, making it difficult for them to expand and contract to provide oxygen-rich blood to the important areas of the body, such as muscles, heart, and brain. Its widely known that exercise can reduce blood pressure and improve overall circulation. This leads to improved flexibility and a reduced risk of injury. Practicing stretching such as, Pilates or yoga can boost flexibility and greatly increase the feeling of being young and able to move freely!
3)???Exercise is Linked to Heart Efficiency
One thing most young people have, is a healthy heart that efficiently pumps blood around the body keeping them fit and healthy. Just like any muscle left untrained, our heart becomes weakened and inefficient. This results in the heart having to work harder to do its job, resulting in more stress and fatigue. Exercising regularly can increase the health and strength of your heart. Just like training your biceps can result in you being able to lift more weight, training the heart through exercise allows for more efficiency and less stress. Ultimately, this results in a healthier and more youthful heart.?
4)???Exercise is a Form of Skincare
As a younger adult, you’d panic about having a sweaty face and the fear of becoming spotty. But what if I told you that sweat dripping from your face is one of the ways your skin will stay feeling and looking younger. In a study on people over 40, it was found that exercising can increase the suppleness and elasticity of skin resembling a look of someone in their 20s and 30s. Exercise can also increase the glow of someone’s face!
5)???Regular Exercise Improves The Length and Quality of Sleep
Getting high quality sleep is key to remaining youthful. Exercise can play a pivotal role in helping you achieve this. Research shows people would exercise on a regular basis are more likely to get good quality sleep and more of it! Getting a good night’s sleep is key to feeling and looking younger, all the body’s systems get the chance to rest and recharge during sleep. In most studies, it is suggested that 150 minutes of exercise a week can improve overall sleep duration and quality by up to 65%!
6)???Exercise is Prove To Help You Keep a Higher Metabolism
As we age, especially into our 40s, our metabolism naturally slows down. This makes it harder to maintain our physique and we are more likely to add on fat! Having a structured workout routine can help to combat this, more specifically resistance training. The better ratio of muscle mass to fat mass you are able to maintain, the higher your metabolism will stay. Even at rest, the body will burn through more calories if you are able to hold a higher amount of muscle mass, making you feel and certainly look younger!
7)???Slimmer Waist Line Through Exercising Regularly
Fat has a funny way of distributing itself as you age. Typically, more fat is deposited to the belly area, especially in females when going through the menopause. Unlike fat around the rest of the body, this fat can increase the risk of illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. Exercise can reduce belly fat and help to maintain a younger looking figure, which is also healthier in the long run! The most optimal approach to shift this stubborn fat, is a combination of both strength and cardiovascular training.?
8)???Regular Exercise = Stress Relief
Some forms of exercise work great as a distraction from stress and anxiety, such as a day out hiking or a long outdoor run. But there is a lot of science behind using exercise as stress reduction. Many studies have found that endorphins are release during a workout. These have been shown to have a relaxing and anxiety reducing effect on the mind. Staying stress-free improves our appearance, being stressed for long periods of time can result in an accelerated ageing process.??
9)???Exercise Protects You From Illness and Injuries
Sticking to an exercise routine has amazing benefits to the risk factors of becoming ill or injured. As we age our body is more suspectable to illness and injury, but we are able to fight this directly with exercise. Working on maintaining your cardiovascular fitness is hugely important to keeping blood pressure down and fatty tissue away from the body’s organs. Both of these if left to take over can cause heart disease and many more issues. To further this, regular exercise strengthens the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones of the body which creates a harder shell less at risk of injury.?
10)????Exercise Improves Overall Mood and Sex Drive
As we mentioned earlier, exercise can reduce stress. But did you know it can also improve your mood and sex drive! Just like the stress-relieving properties of exercise, the endorphins also have a positive effect on mood and overall body confidence. When it comes to sex drive, this is simply explained as a change in neurotransmitters which are linked to pleasurable feelings. In some studies, men over 40 became less likely to experience ED when they stuck to a regular exercise routine of cardio and weights.?
Here's 10 ways nutrition makes you feel and look younger:
Aside from maintaining a healthy, balanced and nutritionally rich diet, there are some foods which can directly help you to look and feel younger.
1)???Coffee
Usually, the biggest shock to most! In the past, people were told to cut coffee from their diet for better health. But recent studies have shown drinking coffee regularly, reduces the risk of early death. Coffee is also packed full of antioxidants to support health and overall fitness.?
2)???Maca
Maca is a Peruvian plant and has recently been dubbed as the next big ‘superfood’. It can improve ageing skin by building skin resilience. Maca promotes regeneration and healing of the skin mostly because of its micronutrient makeup (B6, Niacin, and Riboflavin). This powder goes great in smoothies, or you can mix it in your coffees and teas.
3)???Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are one of the more commonly known seeds, but did you know the wide range of health benefits they offer. They are high in antioxidants, improving overall health and fitness, whilst reducing the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. They also contain a high volume of an omeage-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which has been shown to support skin health, keeping it hydrated, plump and youthful.?
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4)???Garlic
We’ve already established as we age, we begin to stiffen up! Due to the sulphuric nature of garlic, it has been proven to reduce the symptoms of inflammation. This helps to support flexibility and mobility, especially in older populations. There are many other sources of anti-inflammatory foods such as, ginger, honey, apples, and spinach. You should try to have a range of these to get the most optimal anti-inflammatory effects.
5)???Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the most healthy and naturally sourced oils available. It’s packed full of health fats that promote good health and longevity. It is also rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation and oxidative damage in the body. Nutritionally complete diets that contain olive oil has been linked to a reduce risk of chronic diseases and illnesses.??
6)???Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a very rich source of polyphenols, these support the body with providing antioxidant properties. The flavanols in dark chocolate are linked to feeling younger by reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and general cognitive decline. In addition to this, dark chocolate is thought to protect the skin from sun damage and reduce the skin’s aging process.?
7)???Water!
Hydration is the king/queen of looking and feeling younger. Being properly hydrated will keep the skin plump and improve elasticity, this will reduce the appearance of wrinkles and cracks. Asides from the visual aspect, water provides the body energy and boosts our alertness. This can help to keep your mind sharp and feeling younger.?
8)???Alcohol
Reducing your alcohol intake can have a hugely positive effect on staying young! Excessive drinking can cause major health complications within the body, however these can often be reversed by reducing your intake or stopping drinking altogether. The skin can become damaged, dehydrated and inflamed from alcohol, this results in an older looking appearance. It can also effect other areas of the body, causing weight gain and a reduction in muscle mass. So maybe consider sticking to water on nights out!
9)???Vegetables
Vegetables are low in calories and nutrient-dense. Eating a variety of vegetables helps to reduce the risk of diseases and illnesses. Most vegetables contain properties such a Vitamin C and Collagen which is key to good skin health. Collagen is naturally produced in the body but it has been shown to decline after the age of 25. It is important to eat all the varieties and colours of vegetables as they provide different benefits to your skin and overall health.
10)????Tomatoes
Tomatoes whether you think they are a fruit or a vegetables, are good for keeping you youthful and feeling healthy! Tomatoes have a high lycopene content which can provide many impressive health benefits. Most notably lycopene is a key antioxidant that reduces the risk of chronic disease. In one study, a case study on women who drank antioxidant-rich drinks containing lycopene every day. This resulted in a decrease in wrinkle depth and visibly clearer skin after 15 weeks.
All of these tips should help to promote youth and longevity. These are just some of the tips which will help along the way. It is important you first find an exercise routine and nutrition plan you are able to stick to!
REFERENCES:
The trigger to writing this article was an interesting discussion I had with Dan Richardson a Sports Performance Nutritionist who has worked with professional athletes, across a variety of sports. He has worked as the ‘Head of Performance Nutrition’ at Warrington Wolves RLFC. In the past, he has worked with clubs such as, Sale Sharks, Manchester City FC, and England Touch. He holds Master’s Degree in Sports Nutrition. He is also registered nutritionist with the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr)
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Senior Project Management Lead, EX-KPMG, EX- EY
2 年Thank for sharing Dr. Samir Kapoor
Performance Nutritionist | Optimising Athletic Potential
2 年Excellent article Dr. Samir Kapoor, great to catch up with you on this topic and good to see you put it into an article!
Founding Member @ Wellness Point | Corporate Wellness Solutions
2 年I guess people realise the importance only once they hit 45. .
Co-Founder & Head of Product
2 年Great article Dr. Samir Kapoor
Learning Leader | Driving Global Business Performance | Talent Evangelist | CopenHagen Business School Certification | Visiting Faculty at a prominent Management Institute
2 年Superb Sameer, another gem from your pen..