The Best Exercises To Live to 100 and Beyond, Trainer Reveals
Everyone has their own fitness goals for their personal health journey. Some want to lose fat, while others want to get into better shape to look and feel better. Many of my clients have another end game, choosing to start exercising and eating right because they want to live a longer, healthier life. If the latter is your pursuit, you need to start performing the best exercises to live to 100 and beyond. Follow my course, and you'll be well on your way down the road to longevity.
Beyond aesthetics, anti-aging and the ability to have a good quality of life is essential to anyone who wants to extend their lifespan. If you're looking to do the same, then you need to maintain a diet high in lean protein and vegetables, while performing cardio and strength training on a regular basis. This sounds like an easy enough plan to follow, right?
When it comes to your workouts, it's important to pick strength training movements that will build muscle, in addition to performing more interval work to improve your cardio conditioning. The reason for these particular exercises is that as you age, you lose lean muscle mass, along with anaerobic power. It's vital to do everything you can to build and maintain both.
Your strength exercises should consist of mostly compound movements, which incorporate more muscle groups and will recruit more muscle fibers. I also strongly recommend performing single-leg exercises to improve balance and hip flexibility, along with a core exercise to protect your spine. Variety is the spice of securing a long, healthy life when it comes to fitness.
If you're looking to age well and stay healthy throughout your entire life, I recommend incorporating the following exercises to live to 100 and beyond into your routine. Keep reading to learn more.
Dumbbell Goblet Squat
Kick off your Dumbbell Goblet Squats by holding one dumbbell in a vertical position in front of your chest. Keeping your core tight, push your hips back while squatting down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Rise up ¼ of the way, then back down. Drive through your heels and hips to stand back up, flexing your quads and glutes to finish. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
Related: Healthy Habits To Live to 100, According to a 100-Year-old Runner
Dumbbell Row
For the Dumbbell Row, position yourself parallel to a bench so that one hand and knee are firmly planted on the surface for balance. Grip a dumbbell with your opposite hand, and extend your arm straight down toward the floor. Then, pull the dumbbell up towards your hip, squeezing your lats and upper back at the very end of the movement. Straighten your arm back down, and get a solid stretch at the bottom performing the next rep. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
Related: The Best Fitness Habits That Slow Aging, Trainer Reveals
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Begin the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press by lying on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the weights straight up above you with your arms fully extended. Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench as you lower the weights down toward your chest. Get a good chest stretch at the bottom, then press the weights back up to the starting position, squeezing your upper pecs and triceps at the top. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
Dumbbell Walking Lunges
Start the Walking Lunges with a dumbbell in each hand. Step forward with one leg, and firmly plant your foot on the floor. Next, lower yourself using control until your back knee gently touches the ground. Walk forward with the other leg, and repeat. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
Turkish Get-Up
Begin this next exercise by lying flat on the floor holding either a dumbbell or kettlebell above you with your right hand. Bend your knee to plant your right foot on the ground. Plant your left hand on the ground 45 degrees out to the side, and extend your left leg. Then, push through your planted foot to raise the weight to the ceiling. As you extend upward, shift your body weight to the left side, keeping your arm straight overhead, and lifting your hips off the ground until they are fully extended.
Next, slowly begin bringing the right leg behind you so that your knee is on the ground and you're in a lunge position. Your right hand (holding the weight), knee, and foot should be in a straight line. From the kneeling lunge position, stand up straight with the weight overhead. Once you're standing, simply reverse the process step-by-step back to the floor while keeping your eyes on the weight. Complete 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps with each arm.
Bike Sprints
The last of these productive exercises to live to 100 and beyond will have you hopping on an exercise bike and getting in your cardio. You can perform sprints on an exercise bike with a simple interval workout by sprinting for 10 to 15 seconds, then cruising at a lower intensity for 30 to 40 seconds, and repeating for a total of 10 to 15 minutes.
