Strength training uses weight to build muscle tone that supports the joints. Whether you choose to work out at home or a gym, pay attention to technique.
Working out in front of a mirror can help. Try to commit to exercise at least three times a week. You can mix it up, though. It doesn’t all have to be weights-related.
There’s been a misconception that impact sports like running can weaken joints. However, they can have their place. Running, being a high impact, weight bearing exercise, helps maintain lower body and pelvic bone strength. It also helps keep the tendons and ligaments healthy by putting load through them, which in turn makes them stronger.
Sports like swimming, exercise classes, water aerobics, Pilates- based exercise, even off-road walking, are all low impact but contribute towards strengthening and mobility.
Other valuable activities include golf (for walking and shoulder joint strengthening), paddle boarding (core and shoulder strengthening), swimming (a great all-rounder) and cycling (knee strengthening).
Strengthening all the muscle groups, but particularly those surrounding joints, is really important. Our muscles support the joint and effectively hold it in place. If they’re weak then the joint can become unstable and this in turn can increase the risk of arthritis, as well as making movements stiffer.
A review of studies found muscle strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality of major diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer.
Recent studies show that omega 3 fatty acids can help reduce joint inflammation, too. These are found in many foods such as oily fish, nuts, seeds and plant oils. So it’s also worth paying attention to diet. Aim for unprocessed foods as much as possible.
The answer is not as simple as you may think. You can plank daily, but the length of time you should hold a plank for can vary from 10 seconds to a minute. Here’s why: Your form matters most. Keeping perfect form is the goal – only do it as long as you can keep this.
As a general guideline, you should strive to do three sets of up to 60 seconds. But of course it’s okay to start with a shorter time and work up to a whole minute.
Shorter planks can still give you a solid workout. Try holding a plank for 10 seconds, relaxing for five to 10 seconds, then re-engaging for 10 seconds, and repeating for three to six sets. You receive very similar strengthening benefits because you are engaging your muscles for the same amount of total time as if you just held the plank for 30 to 60 seconds without stopping.
That being said, a minute tends to be an ideal time frame for getting the most from a plank. Longer time under tension is more of a challenge. But, if you can easily plank for a minute, you increase the difficulty by contracting your abs more, and squeezing your glutes and quads more.
Again, don’t push yourself to hold a plank for even longer if you’re not ready. Forcing yourself to hold a plank for an excessive amount of time can put a lot of strain on your lower back. As fatigue sets in, the lower back may start to arch. This is where you put yourself at risk for injury.
So in summary, plank when you can and do it as long as you can holding good form, for up to a minute. Follow this advice and you should see great results!
Being more muscly not only makes you look good, it improves your posture and reduces the risk of developing back pain. Muscles burn calories, even when you are asleep, and they are also essential for keeping you active.
One of the best ways to build up your muscles is to do resistance training. Body-weight exercises, such as squats and press ups, are some of the best for your heart and brain.
Research says that squats can have a more powerful brain-boosting affect than walking or jogging. So try even just a couple of minutes a day to feel the benefits!
One in 20 people reading this will have a gene that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease 15-fold. This gene, called AP0E4, doubles someone’s risk. And having two copies of this gene, as some people do, increases the risk significantly.
However, experts say most carriers are able to ‘out-exercise’ their genetics, meaning that if they look after themselves, exercise and eat well, then their risks are reduced to a similar level to those without the gene.
Around 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week is needed: this includes cycling, swimming, power-walking or strenuous gardening.
It goes to show how we are so much more than our genes, and how environmental factors – such as how healthy a lifestyle we choose to live – influence our health in such an important way.
If you’re planning to hit the gym this New Year, try adding raw ginger to your post workout smoothie.
It contains gingerol and shogaols, with anti-inflammatory properties. A 2010 study on pain found that 2g of raw ginger reduced exercise-induced muscle pain by up to 25% for 24 hours compared with a placebo.
All exercise is beneficial as you age, but choose carefully and you can target the areas of your body you’re most concerned about to stay fit.
Unfortunately there’s no magic exercise that’ll help you stay young forever. Ageing is a natural process – and a privilege – that we should whole heartedly embrace. However, if you fill your days with unhealthy habits, like a poor diet and minimal movement, you could end up ageing prematurely and shaving years off your lifespan.
So, while there is no way to avoid ageing altogether, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself looking and feeling healthy as you get older. While diet plays a big part in maintaining your health, exercise is also crucial to supporting your body’s journey through the decades.
Here are the best anti-ageing exercises to ward off age-related diseases and conditions and keep you looking and feeling younger as you age…
Walking Accessible, thrifty and super-effective – walking is the ultimate anti-ageing exercise. Regular walking is linked to lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. But don’t dawdle – experts believe that your speed might help you monitor how healthy you are. Studies have found that a person with a walking speed slower than 0.6m per second may be at increased risk of poor health.
Running It’s good for your heart, but running is also a form of weight-bearing exercise, meaning it challenges and strengthens your skeleton. Studies have shown that runners have fewer disabilities, stay active for longer and halve their risk of an early death.
Yoga Yoga offers a resistance workout, enhancing muscle strength and flexibility, and can help offset lower back pain, stiff joints and loss of balance. But yoga is also an effective stress reliever – in an analysis of its effect on the brain chemical GABA, research has found that it is superior to other exercise in terms of its positive effect on mood.
Pilates Pilates strengthens the core muscles that protect your spine – but it also enhances joint flexibility, balance and coordination. Crucially, it’s great for injury rehabilitation and is gentle enough to be continued into old age. According to studies, a sustained programme can enhance mobility.
Dancing Dancing is a weight-bearing form of aerobic exercise and can rev up your grey matter too. Research has found that alongside playing musical instruments, reading and playing board games, hitting the dance floor helps you ward off dementia.
Swimming An excellent aerobic workout, great for muscle tone and joint mobility, swimming is kind on an ageing body as your weight is fully supported. Research has found that regular and moderately intensive swimming can halt the downward decline of your key age markers, blood pressure, muscle mass, blood chemistry and pulmonary function.
Pelvic floor exercises Surprisingly, around four million British women have stress incontinence. It occurs when the sphincter muscle isn’t strong enough to withstand bladder pressure, and is common after childbirth and pregnancy. One preventative step is to shape up your pelvic floor muscles, which wrap from the front of your pelvis to your tailbone and keep all your internal organs in place. Daily Kegel exercises are a must.
Resistance training Various age-related conditions, including osteoporosis, joint immobility and, crucially, dramatic muscle loss, can be prevented or at least slowed by strengthening your muscles with resistance work. And it’s never too late to start weight-training. Studies have found that it has the potential to actually reverse muscle ageing because it improves the way muscle cells work.
First things first: don’t beat yourself up if you’re not exercising as much or as hard as you think you should.
Many people believe you have to be dripping with sweat and working as hard as you possibly can in order to make gains from a workout. But that’s not what exercise is all about.
Whatever you’re doing, as long as you commit to it and you’re consistent, you’re going to get benefits. Don’t ever think that just doing 10 minutes of something is not enough. It’s better than doing nothing.
In your 20s… Try HIIT training Short workouts that don’t need equipment or much space are a fun way to get rid of stress and boost energy.
In your 30s and 40s… Build strength Muscle and bone mass decrease from around age 30, so do strengthening exercises such as bodyweight workouts, weightlifting, Pilates and even heavy gardening.
In you 50s… Go walking Keep supporting bone health through a weight-bearing activity, such as brisk walking. It’s also great for weight management and mental wellbeing. This can be especially helpful because women can experience anxiety during the menopause.
In you 60s, 70s and beyond… Boost balance Low-impact seated or standing workouts that focus on balance, core strength and flexibility. The NHS recommends balance-supporting activities, such as tai chi, at least twice a week.
A warm-up increases your core body temperature, which helps to make your muscles more pliable. You’ll get a fuller range of movement, have more control, perform better and be less likely to get an injury.
The best way to warm up is to perform dynamic stretches, such as big arm circles and marching knee lifts, for one to two minutes – especially crucial in cold weather when muscles are stiffer.
