A fitness trainer shares the number 1 exercise for a ‘longer life’: it has ‘important benefits for aging’

Starting at age 30, your muscle mass begins to deteriorate. But there are steps you can take to help avoid the negative effects.

As a personal trainer, strength training is the #1 type of exercise I recommend for living longer. Investigation It has even shown that people in their 70s with mobility problems can increase their longevity with a strength training program.

Some of the main benefits of aging include:

• Increased Bone Health: Regular strength training can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
• Muscle maintenance: It allows you to maintain muscle that would otherwise start to wear down as you age.
• Better joint mobility: He improve your range of motion and protect your joints by strengthening the muscles that surround them.
• Weight control: build muscle help increase your metabolismmaking your body more efficient at burning calories.
• Better balance: Improving your balance is essential to help prevent falls that can lead to injury.

My favorite strength training routine requires no gym or equipment. He does it every day, and the best part is that it takes less than 20 minutes.

What is it for: Lower body, core and knee, hip and ankle joints.

Squats help your body perform everyday activities as you age, like getting up from a chair or picking something up off the floor.

How to do a squat:

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and your toes facing forward.
2. Roll your hips back as you bend your knees and press your feet firmly into the ground, as if you were about to sit down. Try to squat parallel to or as comfortably close to the floor as you can.
3. Press your heels into the ground to push up and return to standing position.
4. Do 12 to 15 repetitions.

What is it for: hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes and calves

As a unilateral movement (working one side of the body at a time), lunges improve your stability and help correct muscle imbalances by strengthening each side of your body separately.

How to do a static lunge:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a giant step forward into split stance.
2. Keep your back heel off the ground as you lower your body until your knees form 90-degree angles.
3. Plant your front foot and the ball of your back foot on the mat, and return to standing position.
4. Do 10 to 12 repetitions on each side.

What is it for: glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and muscles that support the spine

Hip bridges (also called gluteal bridges) can open up the hips and increase flexibility, improving mobility and helping to prevent lower back pain or injury.

How to do a hip bridge:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Plant your feet firmly on the mat and place your arms along your body on the floor, palms down.
2. Inhale as you push your heels into the mat and lift your hips toward the ceiling.
3. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
4. Exhale as you lower your hips to the ground.
5. Do 12 to 15 repetitions.

What is it for: center

Planks help strengthen your core, improving overall functional strength. Improves balance and tones shoulders and buttocks.

How to make a table:

1. Start with your forearms and toes on the floor and your face facing the floor. Keep your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms facing forward.
2. Contract your abs by pulling them in toward your spine, while keeping your torso and hips level and parallel to the floor.
3. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds.

What is it for: shoulders, chest, triceps and core

Push-ups build upper body strength. They help improve your stamina and stability so you can be more firmly on your feet as you age.

How to do a push up:

1. Start in a high plank position with your toes on the ground and hands on the ground, arms a little wider than shoulder width apart. Keep your arms straight and keep your body upright.
2. Inhale and slowly bend your elbows, lowering your body toward the floor while keeping your core contracted.
3. Exhale as you contract your chest muscles to push up through your palms, returning to your starting position.
4. Do three to 10 repetitions.

Modified bent-knee push-up

1. Instead of starting in the high plank position, keep your arms straight but place your knees on the floor, keeping your body bent.
2. Bend your elbows to lower yourself toward the floor, then push your upper body back to the starting position.
3. Do three to 10 repetitions.

Patricia Grebas She is a certified physical trainer, corrective exercise specialist, and nutrition coach. She is the founder of StrongHer Personal Trainingthat seeks to improve the general well-being of women over 40 years of age. It is part of the Strength in Diversity Initiativea writer for HealthDaywife and mother of three daughters. follow her on instagram and LinkedIn.

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