We discuss longevity a lot, but it’s important to remember that it’s not just about adding years to life. Instead, it should center around living well and healthily. Of course, you can’t truly future-proof your body—after all, life is unpredictable—but there are certainly things you can do to support your future health through movement, nutrition, and community engagement.
I recently spoke with Dr. Mohammed Enayat, a medical professional and founder of a longevity clinic in London. He shared valuable insights about how our bodies change as we age and what we can do to mitigate those changes, focusing particularly on movement.
How the body slows down with age
Dr. Enayat explained the concept of sarcopenia to me, which is essentially the loss of muscle mass over the years. He likened the amount of burpees one can do at different ages to illustrate this. “In your 20s, you might manage about 10 burpees to maintain your muscle function. By the time you hit 50, you might need to do 20 for the same effect,” he noted.
He went on to outline several ways in which our bodies become less efficient with age:
- “We produce fewer stem cells as we get older, making it harder to grow new tissue.”
- “Our cardiovascular efficiency diminishes, due to cholesterol buildup in our blood vessels.”
- “Our ability to absorb proteins decreases as our intestinal walls degrade, leading to fewer nutrients entering our bloodstream.”
- “And of course, as we age, our activity levels tend to decline, resulting in muscle atrophy.”
How to slow the aging process
But it’s not all bad news. Here are Dr. Enayat’s top three movement tips for boosting your chances of living a long and healthy life.
1. Strength training
Dr. Enayat is a strong proponent of strength training. He emphasized that, as we age, the muscles that support our joints—especially the hips—become underutilized, increasing the risk of frailty. He pointed out that one of the leading indicators of mortality is a femoral neck fracture, a serious issue that’s difficult to recover from.
To help guard against such injuries, it’s crucial to build and maintain muscle strength around the hips. “Starting this process sooner rather than later is key,” Enayat advised. Beginner strength routines can help get you started.
2. Aerobic exercise
It’s also important to keep your cardiorespiratory muscles healthy; in fact, you won’t gain much cardiovascular benefit through strength training alone. Dr. Enayat recommends engaging in aerobic activities twice a week.
Instead of specifying exercises, which can vary for everyone, he promotes understanding heart rate zones, which will help you tailor your workouts. For instance, you might want to target heart rate zones two to three for about 45 minutes, twice weekly, plus some short bursts into zone four for added benefit.
3. Stretching and breathwork
Mobility is important too, but Dr. Enayat mentions that it comes second to strength training and aerobic exercises. Engaging in stretching and activities like yoga or tai chi can greatly benefit your overall mobility and strength through controlled movements.
Moreover, both yoga and tai chi offer breathwork benefits, fostering a better connection between mind and body. This is helpful for managing stress and supporting your nervous system.
Longevity movement plan
- Monday: 30-45 min strength training (upper body), 5-10 min aerobic exercise (zone 4), 5-10 min stretching
- Tuesday: 30-45 min aerobic exercise (zones 2-3)
- Wednesday: 30-45 min strength training (lower body), 5-10 min stretching
- Thursday: Rest day with 5-10 min breathwork
- Friday: 30-45 min aerobic exercise (zones 2-3), plus some zone 4 work, 5-10 min stretching
- Saturday: 30-45 min strength training (full body), 5-10 min stretching
- Sunday: Rest day with 5-10 min breathwork
Note: Aerobic exercise in zones 2-3 could be as simple as a brisk walk or a gentle bike ride. As your fitness improves, you can gradually increase to three or four sessions a week in those zones.
