The Best Fitness Habits That Slow Aging, Trainer Reveals
When it comes to your exercise routine, most individuals have specific goals in mind. Your workout will ideally help you build muscle, become stronger, keep you toned, and provide numerous overall health benefits as well for your heart, lungs, and joints. Although the physical perks of regular activity can certainly help you keep a toned physique, increase your flexibility, and totally give a more youthful appearance, there are also specific fitness habits that slow aging. If we've piqued your curiosity, keep reading to learn more.
A few tweaks in your lifestyle and routine can help you slow down the aging process.
You'll want to check out the following advice from kuudose Celebrity Trainer and Health Expert, Joey Thurman, CES CPT CSCS FNS. Thurman explains to Eat This, Not That!, "When it comes to aging, we can't reverse the clock (yet) but we can slow it down and keep our seconds and years consistently healthy." That's right! Not only can you actually look younger, but you can also slow aging and feel younger, too, with a few tweaks in your lifestyle and routine.
"Now, you may be expecting me to talk about the craziest exercise, quick fixes, and hacks to be a better and younger you, but I'm not," Thurman says. "Instead, we need to develop habits for a healthy and vibrant life to make us move better, feel better, and of course, age beautifully."
These healthy habits from Thurman will do just that. So let's learn a few new fitness habits that slow aging. Get ready to kick up that vibrant, youthful feeling!
Related: The 5 Best Exercises To Lose Belly Fat and Slow Aging, Says Fitness Expert
Walk it out without distractions.
"I love music and a good podcast as much as anyone, but taking a walk (preferably outside) does wonders for our physical health by cutting down mortality rates tremendously and helping our mental health by decreasing signs of depression by 26%, according to a study," Thurman tells Eat This, Not That! He suggests totally embracing the benefits of walking and taking it one step further by unplugging while you do it. Walk by yourself, and take the time to reflect on your own thoughts—with no distractions. You'll benefit from light exercise and extra mental health goodness at the same time. It will work wonders for your overall well-being.
To get the most out of your strolls, Thurman suggests aiming for a solid 30 minutes of walking each day. If time is an issue, it's fine to break it up into 10-minute walks, too!
Related: The Best Workout To Slow Aging and Promote Longevity, Science Reveals
Stress yourself a little bit (exercise-wise).
While stressing yourself out might not sound like a good idea at first, it turns out that it can be beneficial when it comes to how you work out. Thurman explains, "Our mitochondria are the powerhouse to our cells giving us energy and, of course, helping keep us young on a cellular level. Adding some acute stress to the body by way of short Sprint Interval Training (SIT) at an all-out effort helps with mitochondrial biogenesis (more mitochondria) in individuals."
He adds that great ways to accomplish a bit of extra exercise stress are by sprinting, hard biking, running in place, or swimming at the fastest pace you can. Whatever you choose to do, be sure to exert effort to bring on exercise stress. He points out that a study of adults who were inactive revealed just three reps of sprints at 20 seconds each helped to increase mitochondria. Give it a try once per week or even every other week.
Sleep!
Sleeping is so important—even more important than exercise. Thuman explains the importance of obtaining regular sleep, along with maintaining consistent sleeping and waking times.
When it comes to how your nightly slumber is directly related to exercise, Thurman explains that getting Z's helps regulate the endocrine system, helps with recovery, and absolutely helps you stay young! It's important to get a good seven to nine hours of sleep every night.
