How to extend your life for years: scientists named a win-win method

Time is inexorable and after 30 years each of us begins to feel the influence of age and the body begins to get old. It is impossible to stop this process, but you can slow it down. The method is quite simple and available to everyone.

As Chronicle Live writes, it was told by British medical doctor and TV presenter Michael Mosley in his podcast Just One Thing in an episode devoted to the prolongation of youth. According to him, this method is weight training.

The need for such workouts comes from the fact that muscle mass starts to decrease after the age of 30. If maintained, it can rejuvenate the body on a cellular level and even give the brain an extra boost.

Dr. Mosley cited studies that showed that weight training can increase body muscle mass by 10 percent and strength by 150 percent in 12 weeks. "A review of dozens of studies on the effects of exercise on people over 50 years old revealed that both aerobic and weight training are good for the brain. However, it is also shown that weight training is especially good for memory and executive function, improving things like problem solving," the presenter told the audience.

He added that strength training has another positive effect, as it improves sleep. For example, recent studies on the effects of physical activity have shown that those who engage in strength training sleep better and longer by almost 20 minutes each night. Such training helps with weight loss as well.

One of the studies that Dr. Mosley described in more detail was conducted at Harvard. Its participants were more than 10,000 men for 12 years. In their experience, they found that strength training burns belly fat better than cardio. That's important because belly fat that passively produces chemicals that can have a bad effect on blood sugar levels.

"Muscle cells, on the other hand, have a positive effect. When you exercise, they absorb blood sugar like a sponge. In fact, one study showed that every 10 percent increase in your skeletal muscles reduced your risk of developing pre-diabetes by 10 percent," the medical professional added.

So, along with improving your appearance, building muscle mass can also make you feel younger and even add years to your life. For example, a recent analysis reported by Mosley showed that 30 to 60 minutes of strength training per week reduces the risk of death from heart disease and cancer by up to 20 percent.

What exactly happens to muscles as we get older was explained by podcast guest Abigail McKay, a muscle health researcher at the University of Copenhagen. According to her, there is a loss of muscle fibers as we age.

As the scientist told us, these organs begin to lose their connection to nerves over time. And if this connection is weakened because the muscle fibers have never been used, then eventually it will not just weaken but completely disappear. Then such muscle fibers die off.

However, she added that it's never too late to start working on your body with weight training. "It doesn't matter how old you are. Still, I think it's also showing now that if you're active throughout your life, you slow down some of these negative changes that happen as you age. You can even prevent them completely," she shared.

However, Dr. Mosley urged those who have never exercised and now wish to start to consult with their doctor first. After all, due to certain health conditions, it may be necessary to start slowly, avoid certain exercises and increase their intensity gradually.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told how the habit of sitting on the floor can prolong life.

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