While exercise can’t turn back time, it sure can make you look and feel younger. In fact, one research study found that participants who engaged in high levels of physical activity were biologically nine years younger than people who didn’t. Which begs the question: can you double down on specific anti-aging workouts?
When you think “anti-aging” you might think of a five-step skincare regime, but there’s so much more to aging than wrinkles. As you age, you lose mental sharpness, along with muscle mass and cardiovascular power, which can make it harder to move around and do regular daily activities without fatigue or the risk of falls. You also face the threat of age-related diseases, which include neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, and metabolic diseases, like diabetes.
If this sounds scary, don’t worry: healthy habits, like exercise, can help you age more gracefully. While it’s not an immortality elixir, exercise has many powerful anti-aging benefits that can help you live a longer and healthier life.
“Exercise is key to aging healthily, preventing disease, and maintaining a high quality of life,” says women’s health and fitness expert Melody D. “It’s increasingly important as you age due to its many physical, mental, and emotional benefits.”
How Exercise Slows Aging
1. It helps keep you strong and mobile.
PSA: You naturally lose muscle mass and bone density as you age. And unfortunately, thanks to our hormones, women tend to lose both at a faster rate than men. Your muscle mass peaks at around 30 or 35 years of age, according to the National Institute on Aging. After, it declines about 3-8 percent per decade, and even more rapidly once you hit age 60.
Meanwhile, your bone density remains stable until age 50, when it starts to decline. In particular, menopausal and postmenopausal women see huge drops in bone density because of declines in estrogen levels during this time. Exercise can help you maintain both muscle mass and bone density, improving mobility and reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, says Melody.
2. It helps preserve your cognitive and mental health.
In general, exercise is great for your brain. As you age, you naturally lose cognitive abilities—but exercising frequently can help boost your memory and thinking skills. People who work out more have more volume in the parts of the brain that control memory and thinking than those who don’t exercise, according to many research studies.
The exercise you do can also make a difference: One research study found that tai chi, a martial art that requires memorizing new movements, can potentially boost cognitive function in older adults. Boxing and Dance Cardio can also be particularly impactful, as they require you to memorize routines and activate your brain-body connection.
Working out can also reduce stress and boost your mood, which creates a domino effect. If you feel better, you’re more likely to sleep, eat and live healthier.
3. It lowers your risk of chronic disease.
Nearly 95% of adults age 60 or older have at least one chronic condition, according to the National Council on Aging. Chronic diseases usually stem from lifestyle habits, genetics, and the environment. Luckily, regular exercise can help keep many of these conditions at bay.
Case in point: your workout session can increase blood flow and oxygen in your body, which improves circulation and strengthens your heart, lowering your risk of heart disease and other heart issues. It can also lower your blood glucose levels, which can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Plus, it can boost your immune system, which can reduce your risk of cancer and other illnesses. Talk about a win-win-win.
The Best Anti-Aging Workouts
What exercises/workouts are best for slowing aging?
To slow the aging process, Melody says your workout routine should contain some form of resistance training, cardio, and mindfulness. That’s because each form of movement targets a different part of the aging process.
She recommends people get in at least two weekly strength training sessions, and a few workouts focused on flexibility. As we mentioned before, resistance training, like weight lifting and bodyweight exercises, can help preserve muscle mass and bone density. On obé, classes like Strength, Power, Pilates, Sculpt, and Barre all check the resistance training boxes.
It’s great to pair these types of classes with other anti-aging workouts that focus on flexibility and mindfulness, like yoga or tai chi, as they can “maintain joint health, improve posture, and reduce risk of falling, while also promoting relaxation and stress reduction,” says Melody.
While strength training is important, cardio, like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or walking, should also be a key part of your workout schedule, as it ensures your heart stays healthy. A recent study suggested that both HIIT and running can actually slow aging at a cellular level, by increasing the regenerative capacity of your body cells. It is actually cell death that plays a role in gray hair, wrinkles, and age-related health conditions.
Melody recommends you aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (like HIIT) weekly. Not sure what counts as moderate or vigorous exercise? Learn about the 5 heart rate zones here!
Where to find anti-aging workouts
At obé, we prioritize aging well. That’s exactly why we’ve created an entire workout collection—called Age Well—packed with the best exercises to slow aging and increase your healthspan. It includes a balance of Strength, Power, and Yoga classes designed specifically for women entering their 40s, 50s, and beyond. An extra perk if you’re in your perimenopause or menopause transition: these classes can support your changing body and offset symptoms.
(P.S. Curious about how exercise supports the 3 pillars of longevity—and what they are? Read this.)
When in doubt, you can also filter the following classes in the on-demand library to get started: Strength, Power, Yoga, HIIT, Breathwork, and Meditation.
And remember: The most important thing to maximizing the anti-aging benefits of exercise is consistency. More than any singular “anti-aging workout,” getting your movement in on a daily basis—even if it’s just 10-30 minutes a day—will make the biggest impact. Any exercise is anti-aging after all! So get those steps, take a stretch break, and show up for a workout class when you can. It all counts for something.
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