By Alex Macdonald
Nobody wants to feel old or look older than they are...
So, how can exercise make us feel and look younger?
What exactly does it do to our body, muscles and energy levels?
Exercise can make us look and feel younger in many shapes and forms. When we exercise our body releases hormones, three of these are Endorphins, Dopamine and Serotonin.
Endorphins make you feel exhilarated and happy and block any feelings of pain, whilst Dopamine is a pleasure chemical. Working out helps stimulate the production of dopamine, and increased levels of dopamine can help with feeling satisfied and prevent over eating which can lead to weight gain.
Serotonin is a chemical responsible for happiness, restful sleep, and a healthy appetite, Serotonin will increase if you work out regularly and can lead to more energy and clearer thinking. Put all these together and it will help eliminate the feelings of Stress, Fatigue and nagging aches and pains from everyday life. Working out allows us to become fitter and stronger allowing us to do more for longer.
So, which type of exercise or exercises would create the biggest difference?
Large compound exercises along with varied intensity cardiovascular exercises will help with the anti-ageing process. This training can range from steady state walking or jogging to higher intensity sprints or spinning classes. As we age, our muscle mass decreases which will contribute to a less toned look. Lifting weights can help increase and maintain muscle mass which will give our body a tighter more toned look, which will lead you to looking younger and more youthful.
As we train we want to stimulate as many muscles as we can, large compound lifts are the most functional and beneficial, these lifts will also stimulate the production of growth hormone, which is vital for cell growth and regeneration.
Squatting and Deadlifting are two of the greatest exercises that can be used, they both work a large number of muscle groups and can help form a solid base for the rest of your body, these exercises will also increase bone density and joint strength.
Having a good level of cardiovascular fitness is so important for your overall health of heart and lungs. This will keep blood pressure level and decrease the chance of getting forms of respiratory disease, and help you complete day to day tasks without getting out of breath!
Find the exercises and types of training you like to do, the more fun and enjoyable you find them, the more likely you are to keep them up for long periods and reap the rewards of being fit and healthy!