You could fork out hundreds of pounds a year on anti-ageing pills and creams, or even thousands on cosmetic surgery, laser ablation and botox, but they cannot come close to the wellness benefits attained from a regular heart-pumping, well-planned exercise routine. They say that beauty is only skin deep, but ageing isn’t and exercise benefits both the inner and outer ageing processes.
You have two ages: there’s your chronological age, which is calculated form the day you were born and the number of years you have lived; and your biological or “real” age, which means the current condition of your physiological body at the basic cellular level. So while you may have turned 30 on your last birthday, your body and mind is in its 40s due to inadequately conditioned muscles, lethargy, problems being overweight or underweight and deficient lean body mass. Being young chronologically, but way beyond your years physiologically, may also increase your risk of degenerative lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
On the other hand, you may be knocking on for 45 chronologically, but have a biological age of 25 in terms of energy, stamina, strength, mind power and pure joie de vivre. You may be lucky, and have good genes that determine your biological age. However, environment and lifestyle choices are the final predictors of the ageing process. Even good genes won’t save you from rapid internal ageing if you subject your body to stressors like tobacco, alcohol and drugs, and poor lifestyle choices like unhealthy food, lack of exercise and sleep.
So this is where exercise comes in. You can lower your biological age by having a regular fitness routine that includes some cardiovascular activity like, running, speed walking, cycling or aerobic sessions. This should be balanced with adequate strength and muscle building to really access the fountain of youth. Plus, as your flexibility decreases with age, you should keep your body limber with modalities like yoga and simple stretches. These also help to prevent pain and poor posture due to muscle imbalance. Exercise isn’t the be-all and end-all of anti-ageing wellness, but it provides the basis for other beneficial behaviours, such as a Mediterranean diet, stress-relieving techniques, adequate sleep, a strong network of family and friends, and learning new skills.
