Did you know your biological age isn’t the same as your chronological age?
We all age at a different rate. Although you might have the same birth date as a friend, they may well be biologically ‘older’ or ‘younger’ than you. This is because our daily habits really do stack up over the years to accelerate our ageing process. The worst lifestyle offenders are – of course – poor diet and smoking, but illness also contributes to changes in our DNA which speeds up ageing. Now, however, new research has pinpointed another factor – lack of exercise and weak muscles has been shown to be a major cause of biological ageing.
A long-term study has proved a strong association between grip strength and biological age. For the first time, muscle weakness marked by grip strength (which measures overall strength capacity) and accelerated biological age have been shown to correlate. This evidence suggests that by maintaining muscle strength across our lifetime, we may be able to protect ourselves against many common age-related diseases.
In other words, to slow down biological ageing we need to prioritise strength training and exercise. It’s as important as quitting smoking or eating well for longevity and health.
So What Can You Do To Slow Down Ageing?
Start by building an exercise routine into your life, preferably one that includes strength training. So here are our tips for building muscle and beating the biological clock.
- Strength training need not involve expensive gym memberships and lifting huge weights.
- There are alternatives you can use at home, such as dumb bells, resistance bands or bodyweight resistance training.
- Strength training builds bone density as well as muscle.
- A 10-15 minute routine twice a week, like the one in the link below, can offer great benefits. The key is to keep it up!
- Click the link below for a strength training programme you can try out at home.
- Strength Training With Bands
A personalised strength training programme is also something our physiotherapist and chiropractors can advise you on, so don’t forget to book in with us for a check up.