There are so many dilemmas when it comes to exercise: quantity versus quality, volume versus intensity, high impact vs low impact. But when we factor in ageing well and maintaining beautiful, radiant skin is added in as a factor, the choices suddenly become clearer.
If you want your skin to look great, don’t worry about clocking up more hours in the gym. There’s a way to efficiently do what’s necessary for your body – and it doesn’t involve excessive exercise, which can actually do more damage than good.
The next question, of course, is how? Join us in delving into this anti-ageing topic with three experts: a doctor, a personal trainer and longevity specialist. Here’s what they have to say…
How excessive workouts and stress cause cellular ageing
One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to working out is thinking that more activity always guarantees more benefits. However, poorly structured workouts with too much exercise or moves that are not well planned can lead to unnecessary wear and tear on your body (including your skin).
This increases the risk of injury and results in chronic fatigue, which is counterproductive in the long term.
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“The ideal approach is to create a structured, optimised exercise plan that stimulates key biological markers (or indicators) associated with living a long and healthy life – but without placing undue stress on the body,” explains longevity expert Gonzalo Ruíz Utrilla. “What truly makes a difference [with exercise] is the type of physical challenge the body receives and how it adapts to it.”
If we overdo exercise past a certain age, we combine the stress of sport with a high allostatic load. The allostatic load is the wear and tear the body experiences as it responds to demands – not just physical, such as exercise, but also life stress. When these loads become too heavy, they can over-activate your sympathetic nervous system.
“This excessive activation triggers chronic stress,” says the expert. “This stress not only impairs your body’s ability to repair itself but also decreases your metabolism’s flexibility, promotes continuous systemic inflammation and causes cells to age more quickly.”
Excessive workouts can cause us to look older than we are
The skin benefits: How moderate exercise boosts collagen and oxygen
How does working out affect blood circulation and tissue oxygenation, and what specific benefits does moderate exercise offer as far as skincare?
Dr Sofía Ruiz del Cueto, co-director of Madrid’s Mira+Cueto aesthetic clinic, states that, “When you boost blood circulation, the skin receives a greater supply of essential oxygen and vital nutrients.
“This process allows the skin to renew itself by forming necessary collagen and elastin, and repairing damaged cells while also boosting hydration. It’s also effective at speeding up the removal of waste and toxins, which stops the kind of inflammatory reactions that cause premature ageing.”
In the right amount, exercise helps boost blood circulation, helping your body form necessary collagen and elastin
According to the doctor, “Exercise also modulates cortisol levels (a hormone related to stress), which helps prevent premature ageing.”
She advises moderate cardiovascular exercise around three to five days a week, accompanied by a sensible diet rich in protein and antioxidants, as well as adequate hydration.
Is too much exercise making your skin look older?
You may be wondering if there are certain types of exercise that should be avoided because of the potential negative impact on your skin’s appearance. “You should avoid overdoing your workouts, because too much exercise speeds up cell damage (oxidation) and increases inflammation in the body,” says the doctor.
The expert also has one big “Do” and a big “Don’t”:
Do stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise – it will keep your skin from being dehydrated, too.
Don’t exercise during peak UV exposure hours or in high temperatures.
Too much exercise speeds up cell damage and increases inflammation
Impact training vs. strength training: Which is better for longevity after 50?
You may have also heard the notion that impact training accelerates ageing. According to CrossFit expert and personal trainer Jesús Valor, it’s crucial to understand precisely what “impact training” means, especially after the age of 50.
“By impact training, we don’t mean those group classes where jumping is the main feature of the workout, but rather exercises that make the bones, tendons and joints truly feel that they’re being engaged,” the expert says. “This is best achieved through strength training, which is highly recommended over 50 because, particularly for women experiencing menopause and a subsequent drop in oestrogen, they need to focus on it more than ever.”
“There is no scientific evidence that impact training, in moderation, accelerates skin ageing,” says Crossfit expert Jesús Valor
Muscle is an endocrine organ that sends internal messages. For this reason, he believes, impact workouts (adapted to individual needs) are beneficial in every sense. “There is no scientific evidence that impact training, in moderation, accelerates skin ageing,” says Valor.
He advises that as time progresses, the body’s adaptation to stimulus and recovery naturally slow down, so the quality of your workout is paramount during midlife.
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Strength exercises are the most highly recommended for delaying ageing, including for your skin. We’re not talking about lifting huge amounts of weight, but about properly moving your body – it’s a win-win.
I’ve been working out for years and I can do sit-ups in my sleep—but I still struggle to activate my core.
I’ve always found it difficult to build strength in this area, until a trainer recommended trying a standing exercise called the Pallof press.
The move primarily targets your core muscles, but trainer Monty Simmons says it’s a full-body exercise.
“You’re actually integrating your arms and shoulders—along with your hips and your legs, because you’re standing on them—so it becomes a full-body exercise,” Simmons explains.
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“It’s training your body to resist something that’s trying to pull you off balance and make you unstable. The benefit is that it trains your core to be able to resist rotational force.”
Simmons explains that building this kind of rotational strength will translate to everyday movements, such as lifting things and turning to put them on a counter.
How to do a Pallof press
How To Do A Pallof Press – YouTube
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Sets: 2-4 Reps: 8-15 each side
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Loop a resistance band around a fixed point and stand side on to it.
Hold the resistance band in both hands in front of your chest with your elbows bent and pressed into the sides of your ribs, then sidestep away from the anchor point until there’s tension in the band.
Press your hands forward until your arms are fully extended.
Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.
My experience doing the Pallof press for six months
I added the Pallof press to my workouts in the summer and I’ve noticed huge improvements in my core strength and my ability to engage these muscles.
At first, I couldn’t feel my core switch on when doing the Pallof press, because I was allowing my upper body to move too much.
When I focused on keeping my torso strong and steady, I felt this move immediately in my abs and obliques.
I mainly do this movement at the gym using the cable machine, but I’ve found it can be done at home with a long resistance band looped around a fixed point, too.
Shop resistance bands
Theraband Resistance Bands Set (easy)
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Theraband Resistance Bands Set (medium)
Gaiam Restore Resistance Training Bands
I perform it as slowly as possible to increase the time my core muscles are under tension.
It doesn’t feel as challenging as crunches, but it has helped me learn how to recruit my core muscles, which has helped me perform other moves like squats and deadlifts.
Having done the move for six months, I can confidently say my core strength has also improved. I can do more repetitions of the Pallof press now and I find other core moves like the plank easier.
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I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to engage and strengthen their core.
For most of us, the way to increase your chances of living for longer in good health is pretty straightforward.
Strength training, cardio work and flexibility routines can all improve your longevity, but according to trainer Eloise Skinner, there’s something else that’s fundamental to aging well: body awareness.
“A big part of longevity—living well for a long time—is the ability to be connected to your body and to be present within your body, because that can help you spot when something is wrong,” says Skinner, who is also a Pilates and yoga instructor.
“If you’re getting sick or you’re getting an injury, it’s the people who can stay checked in with their body that can respond to that, adjust things and take care of themselves.”
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That’s why she prioritizes doing exercises that encourage mind-muscle connection, like the three moves below.
According to Skinner, working through these moves with intention and aligning your breath to the movement is best for boosting mind-body awareness.
This might mean just being conscious of your breathing during the move, or connecting your exhale and inhale to specific parts of the exercise.
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1. Roll-down
Pilates Spinal flexion Roll down – YouTube
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Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent and arms relaxed by your sides.
Slowly nod your chin toward your chest, then roll your spine down one vertebra at a time.
Let your shoulders, arms and head hang down as you continue rolling toward the floor.
Stop when you’ve rolled down as far as you can, take a breath, then slowly roll back up.
2. Plank
Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and fingers spread apart.
Step your feet back so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels.
Engage your core by pulling your belly button gently toward your spine.
Hold for 20 seconds or longer if possible, while maintaining a steady breath.
3. Cat-cow
Cat Cow – Exercise Library – YouTube
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Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Inhale as you drop your belly, and lift your tailbone, chest and head.
Exhale as you round your spine, tuck your tailbone and bring your chin toward your chest.
The Norwegian 4×4 workout has been touted as the ultimate longevity-boosting workout, credited for significantly improving aerobic fitness scores over just eight weeks.
Popular among runners and developed by researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), it involves performing four sets of four-minute cardio intervals at 85-95% of your maximum heart rate, followed by three minutes of light recovery.
Emmanuel Ovola, an expert running coach, physiotherapist and Technogym ambassador, is currently using it in his training.
“I’m trying to do that three times a week for 12 weeks, which the research shows is really effective for increasing VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise,” Ovola tells Fit&Well.
I’ve tried it—once—and I’m in no hurry to try it again. While the NTNU says the workout is suitable for any fitness level, Ovola agrees it’s far from beginner-friendly.
So, I asked how he’d adapt the protocol for a more entry-level audience—like me.
Beginner interval running workout
A better beginner-friendly option, he says, would be to perform 6-10 intervals of 400 meters, with 60-90 seconds of recovery between reps.
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But, rather than running those intervals flat out (or at 85-95% of maximum heart rate), Ovola suggests a different approach.
“I think it’s important to pace yourself and work on controlled running,” he says.
He recommends warming up thoroughly (this five-minute running warm-up is a good place to start), then running the first 400m at around a six or seven out of 10 RPE (rate of perceived exertion).
Time how long this first 400m takes, then aim to match that pace for the remaining intervals, which will get harder as fatigue sets in.
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Benefits of this interval workout
As with the Norwegian 4×4 method, this interval training approach should make your legs more resilient so you’re better able to, according to Ovola, “run hard on heavy legs” over longer distances.
“I coach people who have shaved 30 to 60 seconds off their 5K times in just 6-8 weeks by following the Norwegian method,” he adds.
If you’re a relative beginner, this kinder version should deliver similar improvements, but you should always listen to your body because running fast puts more stress on your muscles and joints.
If your body is able to cope with these sessions, Ovola suggests performing this routine 2-3 times per week, with ample rest between each session, and not neglecting slower, longer runs to build overall running efficiency and aerobic endurance.
