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I’m a doctor — this is the best exercise you can do to live longer

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I’m a doctor — this is the best exercise you can do to live longer

Quad almighty!

Dr. Nick Pappas, a board-certified hand surgeon in the New Orleans area, is sharing the exercise he believes will help you live longer — squats.

“If there’s one exercise you should try to do consistently, I would make it squats,” Pappas captioned a Wednesday TikTok. “Don’t skip leg days, and you might just live longer… or at least be healthier.”

Dr. Nick Pappas, a board-certified hand surgeon in the New Orleans area, believes squats will help you live longer. Nick Pappas MD

Pappas pointed out that after 35, people tend to lose 1% to 2% of muscle mass per year, a phenomenon known as sarcopenia.

That’s why preserving muscle mass is crucial as we age. Squats, Pappas argues, primarily work three of the largest muscle groups in the lower body — gluteus maximus, quadriceps and hamstrings.

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Squats, Pappas says, primarily work three of the largest muscle groups in the lower body — gluteus maximus, quadriceps and hamstrings.
Squats, Pappas says, primarily work three of the largest muscle groups in the lower body — gluteus maximus, quadriceps and hamstrings. Getty Images

Cleveland Clinic reports that squats can strengthen the core, burn calories, improve posture and enhance stability and balance.

Megan Roup, celebrity trainer and founder of the Sculpt Society, demonstrated proper squat form to Well+Good:

  • Get your feet nice and wide
  • Keep your chest proud as you shift back into the weight of your heels
  • Ignite your glutes and squeeze back up

Common squat mistakes include hunching your back and overextending your hips.

“Squats can be done with or without resistance (bodyweight is OK if you have hip, back, or knee problems),” Pappas explained. “However, resistance is better for building and maintaining muscle.”

If you have knee pain, The New York Times recently gave some suggestions for squat modifications, including not squatting as low, turning your toes outward by about 30 degrees and adopting a wide stance.

@doctor.nick1

Friends don’t let friends skip leg day! Research suggests that increased lean muscle mass can promote longevity and improve your overall health, especially in older individuals. After age 35, on average we lose around 1 percent or more of muscle mass per year. Therefore, preserving muscle mass is something we should all be working on, especially as we age. What’s the single best exercise you can do to improve lean muscle mass and strength… and potentially live longer? Squats! Why? It works 3 of the largest muscle groups (gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings) in our bodies. Squats can be done with or without resistance (bodyweight is OK if you have hip, back, or knee problems). However, resistance is better for building and maintaining muscle. So if there’s one exercise you should try to do consistently, I would make it squats. Don’t skip leg days, and you might just live longer… or at least be healthier. If you cannot do squats, walking up a treadmill on 6 degree incline or more is also an excellent leg workout. Lastly, do you know what movie this quote is from? Leave your answer in the comments. #fitness #muscle #aging #longevity #legday #squats #gym

♬ original sound – Nick Pappas MD

And if squats are not an option, Pappas proposes walking a treadmill that’s on a 6-degree incline or more.

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“Friends don’t let friends skip leg day!” he emphasized.

Fitness

New workout makes fitness more accessible for moms

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New workout makes fitness more accessible for moms

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Finding time to work out as a mom with young kids can be a challenge in itself, especially when you’re new to an area and don’t know where to start. However, a new fitness option strolled into Sioux Falls today. iStroll offers moms the chance to work out and meet other moms all while their kids can play or even join alongside them.

iStroll is a national organization that has more than 35 locations in the country but this is the first time one opened in South Dakota. It’s a full body workout that incorporates dumbbells, body weight, and jogging strollers when the weather’s nice.

“I found iStroll in Oklahoma and fell in love,” said Kelsi Supek who started the affiliate in Sioux Falls. “We made friends. It became our entire social network. The kids loved it and then we moved to Arizona during COVID. And all the moms were stuck at home. They were inside with our kids and lonely, honestly. And we were like, why can’t we start an iStroll and be out at the parks with the kids every day? And it took off.”

When Supek moved to Sioux Falls, she was encouraged by her family to start an affiliate and own it herself.

“Gym daycares did not work out for my children,” said Supek. “I would get 10 minutes into a class and then I’d have that person trying to knock outside the yoga studio going, Can I have Kelsey and her kids screaming in daycare? And it just didn’t work for us. So at iStroll they could be with me or I could be breastfeeding the baby as I was teaching in class.”

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Classes are planned to continue each Wednesday and Friday at We Rock the Spectrum and First Presbyterian Church. For a full schedule for January and February, you can look at their Facebook. The first class is also free and memberships are for the whole family.

“Letting the kids see you work out is, it’s similar to homeschooling where like, you know, how are they going to love working out if they don’t see you working out,” said Kelly Jardeleza, a stay-at-home mom of three kids. “Whereas at other gyms they put them in a room and they don’t get to watch you. And how are you going to inspire them if they’re not watching you do it?”

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Share your health and fitness questions for Devi Sridhar, Mariella Frostrup, and Joel Snape

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Share your health and fitness questions for Devi Sridhar, Mariella Frostrup, and Joel Snape

There’s no bad time to take a more active interest in your health, but the new year, for lots of us, feels like a fresh start. Maybe you’re planning to sign up for a 10k or finally have a go at bouldering, eat a bit better or learn to swing a kettlebell. Maybe you want to keep up with your grandkids — or just be a little bit more physically prepared for whatever life throws at you.

To help things along, Guardian Live invites you to a special event with public health expert Devi Sridhar, journalist and author Mariella Frostrup, and health and fitness columnist Joel Snape. They’ll be joining the Guardian’s Today in Focus presenter Annie Kelly to discuss simple, actionable ways to stay fit and healthy as you move through the second half of life: whether that means staying strong and mobile or stressing less and sleeping better.

To make the whole event as helpful as possible, we’d love to hear from you about what you find most challenging — or confusing — when it comes to health and exercise. What should you actually be eating, and how are you going to find the time to make it? What sort of exercise is best, and how often should you be doing it? Is Pilates worth the effort — and should we really all be drinking mugfuls of piping hot creatine?

Whether your question is about exercise, eating, or general wellness, post it below and we’ll put a selection to our panel on the night.

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