5 Tips to Improve Longevity Through Active Ageing

Many of us share the same desire to live a long and healthy life. While genetics can play a role, lifestyle choices, especially exercise can have a significant impact on both lifespan and overall quality of life. Here are five practical tips to support active ageing and help you improve longevity through exercise. 

Focus on consistency 

Finding something you enjoy matters as it will allow you to adhere to a regular routine, more than how intense your workouts are. A regular, moderate routine is more beneficial than the occasional high burst intensity exercise. Try to fit in 150 minutes of activities like walking, swimming or cycling each week. 

Tip: Treat your workouts like appointments by scheduling them into your week, ensuring they become a non-negotiable part of your routine. For example, every morning before work at 7:00am you will walk for 30mins per day. 

Include strength training 

As we age, maintaining muscle mass becomes important to prevent age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). Strength training helps you stay active, feel stronger in daily life, maintain muscle, and reduce the risk of injuries and falls. You can achieve this by incorporating resistance exercises such as weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, or resistance band workouts twice a week. 

Tip: Focus on exercises that target multiple muscle groups such as squats and pushups. 

Flexibility and balance 

Staying mobile and preventing falls are highly important for maintaining independence as you age. Start with a few minutes of simple stretches such as bending over and reaching your toes or try balancing on one leg while waiting for your kettle to boil in the morning to improve flexibility and stability.  Yoga, pilates, or tai chi are also excellent options to enhance these areas. 

Tip: Dedicate 10-15 minutes of daily stretching or balance exercises, ideally after your workout when your muscles are warm. 

Add variety to your workouts 

Change it up regularly by adding variations to your daily exercise routine. This helps to keep things interesting but also ensures a well-rounded fitness routine. Combining cardio, strength training and flexibility exercises images different muscle groups. This helps the body to recover between sessions and avoids the risk of overuse injuries. Exploring new activities can also give an added bonus to your mental health by keeping your brain engaged. 

Tip: Try activities like dancing, hiking, group classes 

Listen to your body 

If we don’t listen to our body by paying attention to how it feels during and after exercise can put us at risk of overtaking. Ignoring signs of fatigue can lead to burnout or injury. Remember our body needs time to rest and recover too. For our body to do this we must make sure we are having enough sleep each night, stay hydrated and allow time for recovery between sessions. 

Tip: Incorporate active recovery days which are aimed to stay moving without over-exerting yourself. This may include walking, stretching or yoga. 

By staying consistent, incorporating strength and balance exercises, and keeping your routine diverse, you can create a healthy plan that supports a healthier and longer life. Remember exercise is a powerful tool for enhancing longevity and it’s never too late to start.