Fitness

Staying fit as you age isn't just about exercise. Experts say to prioritize these 4 habits

Published

9 months ago

September 1, 2024

Staying fit as you age isn't just about exercise. Experts say to prioritize these 4 habits

Dr. Bill Dorfman, a 64-year-old cosmetic dentist in Southern California, prides himself on looking years younger, a characteristic he attributes to good genes and a daily workout regimen.

Three days a week he focuses on abs and cardio; the other days are for lifting light weights at high reps.

Dorfman says he got serious about exercise following a lull during dental school when he found himself frequently in pain. That’s when he realized his fitness had taken a back seat following years as a high school swimmer and gymnast. “What I found was the more I exercised, the better I felt,” he says.

Outside of the gym, he credits his daily Words With Friends habit with keeping his mind sharp. He also makes nightly dinner plans with various friends to stay connected.

Dorfman’s wellness habits underscore that one key to a longer life is a fitness regimen—but one that incorporates mental and emotional fitness as well.

“We really need to look at the life of an older adult with a holistic lens—if they’re really happy, healthy and whole,” says Dor Skuler, cofounder and CEO of Intuition Robotics and an expert on loneliness in aging adults.

Here’s are four ways to focus on whole-body fitness as you age.

1. Exercise for the body and brain

Staying physically active can prevent injuries and help the body heal faster when they happen, plus it’s also strongly linked to good mental health and brain function.

Kirk Erickson, Ph.D., director of Translational Neurosciences at AdventHealth Central Florida, where he studies the plasticity and modifiability of the brain systems, has found physical activity to be one of the best ways to keep the brain healthy throughout its life span.

Erickson’s research shows that as we age, the brain shrinks, specifically the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory formation. Exercise can help maintain this portion of the brain and, in some cases, increase the size. There’s much to be learned about how and why this is, but Erickson says the effects are better the longer you engage in these habits, so it’s good to start young.

Of course you can still reap the benefits if you start later in life, he says. You might find that with time, you can recall memories and information more easily and have better executive function and a longer attention span when your brain is at its best, he says.

He recommends moderate exercise, like walking, five days a week for 30 minutes.

Aside from walking, Dr. Gary Small, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack Meridian Health, says strength training helps combat age-related muscle loss and can lead to a longer life span. Additionally, balance exercises can help prevent slips and falls—the leading cause of injuries in adults ages 65 and older.

Jasmine Marcus, a physical therapist at Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca, where she works with patients of all ages and physical activity levels, recommends tiptoeing into exercise if you’re new to it. She suggests starting with some kind of group fitness class like Zumba—anything that elevates your heart rate. It helps, too, if you have a partner to hold you accountable, she says.

2. Strive for mental fitness

Small also recommends doing activities that keep the brain in shape. One study showed the simple act of reading articles online and searching topics on Google offered valuable mental stimulation. Doing crossword puzzles, reading books, playing games, practicing hobbies, and daydreaming all contribute to mental sharpness.

Stress management is also a critical part of maintaining mental fitness. Just 10 minutes of meditation a day can improve mood and cognitive agility, says Small, rewiring the brain and strengthening neural circuits.

“You don’t have to go to a retreat in Nepal or India to meditate, but you can learn the skills,” he says.

3. Stay social

The U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory last year warning of the nation’s loneliness epidemic, which negatively impacts health. One study equated lack of social connection to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Other studies show social connection reduces the risk of premature death. It’s clear that social and emotional fitness is key to aging well.

Skuler, whose company makes A.I.-powered social companions for aging adults aimed at keeping them active and engaged, says major life changes, such as the death of a spouse, often trigger loneliness.

“That is by far a watershed moment,” he says. Suddenly no one is asking how you slept or what you have planned for the day. A similar problem happens with asynchronous aging, where one spouse has a decline with dementia, for example. Other events such as retiring or sending the kids off to college might have similar impacts on social well-being, Skuler says.

ElliQ, the robot companions Skuler’s company makes, is one way to help aging adults stay connected, but he encourages all people to maintain friendships and relationships with family members. Volunteering, he says, can also add purpose and connection to your life.

4. Develop good sleep hygiene

There’s a myth that seniors need less sleep as they age, but Jamie Zeitzer, Ph.D., advisor and scientific reviewer at Rise Science, says the reality is sleep becomes more difficult with age. The result is that many seniors find themselves going to bed later and rising earlier.

“Humans are programmed to stay awake 16 [hours] and sleep eight hours,” he says. “An older person’s ability to do that diminishes, so they have to work a little harder at it.”

The causes for poor sleep can be both social and physical. We become more sensitive to sounds and temperatures as we age, says Zeitzer. So the garbage truck that never woke you on its weekly route might now rouse you at 6 a.m., he says. Similarly, a bedroom that’s too hot or cold might make it difficult to sleep.

As we age we also become more sensitive to caffeine. So if you used to be able to drink a cup of coffee in the evening, you could find you now have trouble falling asleep hours later.

There’s also a major shift that happens once we retire, when the social constraints around sleep are suddenly lifted. Seniors who don’t have social obligations early in the morning might find they’re less inclined to sleep at typical hours. A nap during the day, for example, may “cannibalize their sleep at night,” Zeitzer says.

Older adults might find that sleeping too little or having a fragmented night of sleep can lead to acute problems with cognition the following day, Zeitzer adds. Poor sleep over the long term is linked to health conditions including depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

A good routine can solve some sleep problems. To start, avoid caffeine later in the day. And be mindful that you adjust the temperature in your sleep environment to encourage rest.

And he recommends finding a way to wind down before bed. While some experts warn against the use of electronics before you grab some shut-eye, Zeitzer says watching a TV show can be helpful if it means you feel more relaxed and ready for bed afterward.

“It’s always good to aspire to closing your eyes and falling asleep, but other people need more kinds of wind-down routines,” he says.

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Fitness

Fitness Coach Shares 10-Minute Workout Plan for Busy Days

Published

15 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Press Room

Fitness Coach Shares 10-Minute Workout Plan for Busy Days

Working out daily can bring countless benefits to your health. But let’s face it, there are some busy days in between which often don’t leave you with the time to hit the gym. To solve this problem, fitness coach Luke Coutinho has shared his easy and simple fitness routine for people who struggle to find the time to go to the gym. The regimen yields results and can be performed at home without using any additional equipment. In a post shared on Instagram, Luke mentioned doing three sets each of squats, pushups, planks, lunges and pull-ups. He also added mountain climbers to be performed between each set. “Simplicity is the new luxury and something is better than nothing,” Luke concluded.

He even suggested an alternative to pull-ups, mentioning that if you can’t do pull-ups, then you can start with dead hangs, where you simply hang from a pull-up bar. Other than this, Luke Coutinho also said that if you don’t have time for a full workout, you can still stay active by walking and completing your daily steps target.

Luke stated that on days you can’t do a workout, it’s important to eat mindfully to maintain a balance in your lifestyle.
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In his previous Instagram post, the fitness coach advised practising a simple yet effective breathing technique to “instantly calm your mind, reduce stress and lift your mood.” Whether you are feeling low or anxious or just need a mood lifter, Luke Coutinho added that the 4-7-8 breathing technique can help. It is “one of the most powerful and effective exercises to instantly calm your mind.”

This technique will help you get your stress and anxiety levels under control.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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Fitness

95 year old fitness instructor leads twice weekly exercise classes

Published

1 day ago

May 24, 2025

Press Room

From arm stretches to gentle pilates, a group of pensioners in Croatia are keeping active well into their later years. At the heart of it all is fitness trainer 95-year-old Djurdja Vukovic — still leading the way, and showing no signs of slowing down.

Fitness

'Number 1' gym exercise that burns the most calories may surprise you

Published

2 days ago

May 24, 2025

Press Room

'Number 1' gym exercise that burns the most calories may surprise you

Exercise is essential for many reasons, but particularly when it comes to burning calories.

Burning more calories than you consume leads to weight loss(Image: Getty)

The top calorie-burning exercise has been revealed. Engaging in physical activities that burn calories is essential for weight management, heart health, and overall wellness. They promote weight loss by creating a calorie deficit, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and enhance physical and mental health.

The United States has an estimated 64.19 million gym memberships, the most of any country. California has the most health and fitness gyms in the U.S. with 5,123, while Wyoming has the least health and fitness gyms in the U.S. with 81, according to Gymdesk.

Whether you’re a gym newbie or a seasoned pro, figuring out the most effective workouts can be challenging. To help, weight loss experts at ZAVA have unveiled the exercises that burn the most calories, reports Surrey Live.

Exercises that burn the most calories

Rank

Exercise

Calories (Kcal) burned per 10 min (Male)

Calories (Kcal) burned per 10 min (Female)

Running curved treadmill, 7.0 to 7.9 mph

184

155

Skipping

168

142

Rowing – stationary

168

142

Shuttle running

168

142

High-intensity interval exercises (HIIT)

168

142

Bicycling – stationary

165

139

Ski ergometer

161

135

Slide board exercise

161

135

Kettlebell swings

150

126

Therapeutic exercise ball, Fitball exercise

145

122

Stair climber

142

120

Boxing, simulated boxing round, exercise

142

120

Elliptical trainer

138

116

Jumping rope – Digi-Jump Machine

138

116

Impulse Training System

138

116

Pound

130

109

Aerobic dance

122

103

The fitness gurus at ZAVA have crunched the numbers and found that running on a curved treadmill at 7-7.9mph is the top calorie-burning exercise, torching 184 calories for men and 155 for women in just 10 minutes. This speed hits the ‘sweet spot’, as slowing down to 4-4.9mph can decrease the calorie burn by an average of 77.

It might come as a surprise, but curved treadmills outperform flat treadmills in terms of benefits. The key lies in their self-powered design, which simulates a more natural running experience, boosts calorie burn, and more effectively engages muscles like glutes, hamstrings, and calves while being gentler on the joints.

Sharing the second spot with a burn rate of 168 calories for men and 142 for women in 10 minutes are skipping, shuttle running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and rowing on a machine. Jump rope workouts are a fantastic way to incinerate calories with minimal gear, and you can easily do them at home with just a rope – 168 calories gone in 10 minutes for men and 142 for women.

A dynamic scene of a man running on a treadmill inside a modern gym

Running on a curved treadmill burns more calories than running on a flat treadmill

With this adaptable exercise, you can get your heart racing, build muscle and strength, boost endurance, and even improve balance and coordination. Jumping rope is a fantastic workout for all ages and has been proven to enhance bone density. A 2015 study involving women aged 25-50 found that those who jumped rope twice daily saw significant improvements in hip bone density after just eight weeks.

Rowing is another calorie-burning powerhouse, torching 168 calories in 10 minutes for men and 142 for women. This full-body workout enhances heart health, endurance, muscle strength, and can even correct posture.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) burns an equivalent amount of calories. This regimen involves short bursts of intense exercise and can be performed solo or in classes, featuring moves like burpees, mountain climbers, and squat jumps.

Skipping came in second place

Research shows that HIIT workouts elevate your metabolic rate post-exercise. They also increase your VO2 max – the maximum volume of oxygen your body can utilize during exercise, which is a reliable measure of aerobic capacity.

Shuttle runs are equally effective, burning 168 calories in 10 minutes for men and 142 for women. Popular among athletes and fitness enthusiasts, shuttle runs enhance acceleration, deceleration, speed, and aerobic health. The 20m shuttle run, also known as the beep test, is often used to assess physical fitness for demanding jobs, serving as an indicator of VO2 max.

While yoga and Pilates are fan favorites, they’re not the top calorie burners. In 10 minutes, men burn 35 and 43 calories, respectively, and women shed 30 and 36. Despite their lower calorie-burning stats, these workouts are cherished for their ability to enhance core strength, flexibility, and mental well-being.

Remember, what works for one may not work for another. If you have any fitness-related queries, don’t hesitate to consult your doctor.