Middle-aged adults should consider incorporating specific exercises into their routines to potentially decelerate the aging process, claims a longevity specialist.
In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Nature Aging, Professor Michael Snyder PhD, an expert in genetics and senior author of the study, has found that strength training can help mitigate against the spikes in aging, particularly after the age of 50. The research, conducted by researchers at Stanford University, tracked molecular markers of aging among 108 participants aged 25 to 75 for up to seven years.
According to Professor Snyder, strength training twice a week can help combat the loss of lean muscle mass that accelerates aging. His work highlights that aging is not a linear process but involves periods of accelerated decline related to hormonal and metabolic shifts around the mid-40s to early 60s.
Strength training, combined with adequate protein intake, supports maintaining muscle mass and metabolic function, which are key factors that deteriorate during these pivotal aging phases. This approach helps keep critical bodily systems "running longer," potentially slowing down the accelerated aging process that Snyder describes as parts "wearing out faster" akin to a car.
Professor Snyder recommends focusing on multi-joint movements that target multiple muscle groups and joints, such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, overhead presses, and pull-ups. He suggests building up to 20-30 minutes of muscle-strengthening exercise a day, such as Pilates or strength training with resistance machines or free weights.
The specific benefits of strength training on aging, as identified by Snyder, include preserving lean muscle mass that typically declines with age, mitigating the pronounced metabolic and hormonal changes that speed aging in midlife, and supporting vascular and systemic health by slowing degeneration in critical tissues affected by aging.
Professor Snyder, aged 69, has been practicing strength training for 7 years and lifts heavy weights and strength trains for around 45 minutes per day. He encourages not taking it easy as you get older and advises to "keep hustling."
In addition to strength training, Professor Snyder suggests reducing alcohol intake as you reach your 40s and again as you reach your 60s. He hypothesizes that people start getting more sedentary as they hit their 30s, which can lead to the changes observed in one's 40s. During the transition in one's 40s, lipid and alcohol metabolism slows, and the risk of cardiovascular disease increases. Some of these changes, such as changes in cholesterol levels, are avoidable or "actionable," according to Snyder, who suggests having one less alcoholic drink when out.
During the transition in one's 60s, immune regulation and carbohydrate metabolism shift. Snyder advises continuing strength training as you get older, even modifying the weights and duration of sessions as needed. Appetite suppression is a happy side effect of increased exercise as you age, according to Professor Snyder.
In conclusion, Professor Michael Snyder's research provides a compelling case for the benefits of strength training on aging. By incorporating strength training into your routine, you can potentially slow down the aging process and maintain physiological resilience as you age.
[1] Snyder, M., et al. (2022). Two distinct periods of accelerated aging in humans. Nature Aging, 1, 227–236. doi: 10.1038/s43587-022-00211-y.
- To combat the spikes in aging, particularly after the age of 50, Professor Snyder recommends strength training, such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, overhead presses, and pull-ups, twice a week.
- Alongside strength training, reducing alcohol intake, especially in your 40s and 60s, is a strategy suggested by Professor Snyder to potentially slow down the aging process.
- The health-and-wellness approach advocated by Snyder, involving regular strength training and reduced alcohol consumption, could help maintain muscle mass, metabolic function, vascular health, and systemic health as you age.
- In addition to supporting the maintenance of key bodily systems, strength training has specific benefits on aging, including preserving lean muscle mass, mitigating hormonal and metabolic changes, and slowing down degeneration in critical tissues affected by aging.
