Author: Admin

“Exercise is the closest thing we’ve found to a magic pill for combating the effects of ageing,” says Dr. Linda Fried, dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health

 

It’s official: exercise helps both your mind and body age better! This does not come from fitness gurus trying to draw you into their gyms, but from scientists and healthcare experts who have engaged in conclusive research that proves the far-reaching benefits of exercise on the human mind and body, especially in helping both your brain and brawn fare better as you age. 

• Experts claim the best way slow down physiological changes is through CONSISTENT exercise

• A study, cited below, found older adults who were avid cyclists had immune systems that resembled their younger counterparts

• Research also shows that moderate or intense exercise may slow brain ageing by up to 10 years

 

We do not know if you’re the optimistic kind but to those of a milder disposition, this is all fairly good news! For most of modern life, humans have accepted ageing as something that just happens. As the proponents of the modern Internet phrase YOLO (You Only Live Once) will have you believe, life is to be lived once so you better do all that the heart desires and not worry about consequence. Now steady on…we do not discourage indulging in guilty pleasures every now and then. We encourage you to live life to the fullest. Have that bar of chocolate with your niece once in a while. And savour the feeling while you do that. But here’s what we’d like you to believe:

 

Ageing DOES NOT have to be burdensome

 

AND…

 

Just cuz the clock is ticking, it DOES NOT mean you accept pains, 

aches, and the slowing down of your body

 

BECAUSE…

 

By making smarter lifestyle choices, RESEARCH tells you 

that you can stay healthier, fitter, happier for longer

 

And we say this because there’s a goldmine of credible scientific evidence that confirms these claims. We’ll break down some of that evidence for you in this article today. As for the proclamations made above, instil them in your mind. Or write them with butter on your mirror. Yes, you can lick some of that butter off your finger, it won’t hurt, it’s delicious. Anyway, the point is do not forget these proclamations, for they’re true. We’re here to help you see the long-term benefits of exercise on your health so you can start slow and gradually build up while keeping consistent. 

 

So what are the long term benefits of exercise?

Exercise Boosts Immunity

 

The human body’s immune responses get slower as we age, which makes older adults more susceptible to respiratory conditions as well as problems in breathing. But a study done at the UK’s King’s College London and the University of Birmingham found that older adults with consistent, high intensity exercise routines had immune systems that replicated those of much younger age. The participants of the study were all recreational cyclists and aged between 55-79 years.

“An organ called the thymus, which makes immune cells called T cells, starts to shrink from the age of 20 and makes less T cells. In this study, however, the cyclists’ thymuses were making as many T cells as those of a younger person,” a media release from the University of Birmingham says.

 

Exercise Works to Slow Down your Biological Clock

 

An exercise science professor at the Brigham Young University examined data of roughly 6,000 adults, ranging from the age of 20-84. The BYU professor concluded that adults who ran for a minimum 30-40 minutes, five days a week, almost had a nine-year “biological ageing” advantage over adults who led sedentary lifestyles. Now running for that duration five times a week may not be easy but who can not be motivated by the advantage of feeling nine years younger than your actual age? The idea here is to understand there is an advantage to our health if we are able to not just start exercising but to also increase our capacity to exercise as we go. There is a wealth of exercise videos on the Longlive app. The best is, we have exercises for all levels. Check those out to start at a level comfortable for you and then work your way up.

 

Exercise Keeps Your Mind Fresher and Younger

 

Renowned neuroscientist and author Wendy Suzuki says exercise is “the most transformative thing you can do for your brain today.” She also says exercise equips a person with better mood, better energy, better memory, and better attention. But does exercise also slow ageing in the brain? A study conducted by the American Academy of Neurology showed that moderate to intense exercise may slow ageing in the brain down by 10 years. The study included 876 people with an average age of 71. Over a period of time, participants who either didn’t exercise at all or got a minimal level of exercise experienced a greater mental decline than those who engaged in moderate or intense physical activity.

 

Is It Ever Too Late?

 

We know what you’re thinking. Most of the research cited here showed improvements in older adults, sure, but weren’t they also the special few who had been engaging in exercise in the long term? Will it have the same impact on me if I start now? Scientists say while much of the research focuses on adults with long-term fitness habits, it’s NEVER too late to start reaping benefits of physical activity. Ageing is a process that can be delayed or accelerated depending on the action we take. In your case, you find you find yourself reading this on an app that is there to help you reach your well-being goals. 

 

We’ll see you in the exercise videos section of the Longliveapp!

 

Remember how our mothers used to tell us certain foods were for certain body parts? Well they weren’t wrong! Scientists are proving how our mothers have been right all along (in more ways than one). Well, guess mothers do know best. 

The ageing process takes a toll on our body not just physically but mentally as well. Our memory and cognitive abilities may not be the same as they used to ten years ago. Studies have shown that including certain foods in your diet can prevent cognitive decline. Include the following foods in your daily diet to get the best results are the following:

Green leafy vegetables:

Leafy greens like kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli are full of minerals like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene that are good for the brain. These plant-based diets may reduce cognitive decline, according to research.

Fatty Fish:

Fatty fish is a great source for omega-3 acids, studies show that healthy unsaturated fats are linked to lower blood levels of beta-amyloid—the protein that forms damaging clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Berries:

A natural plant pigment called flavonoid not only gives berries their beautiful colour but they also help improve memory. According to a study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard, women who eat two or more portions of strawberries and blueberries each week can delay memory loss by up to two-and-a-half-years. 

Tea and coffee:

Your daily cup of coffee or tea may provide benefits beyond just a temporary improvement in focus. Participants in a 2014 study that was published in The Journal of Nutrition performed better on assessments of mental function. According to previous research, caffeine may also aid in the consolidation of fresh memories. Participants were instructed to see a sequence of photographs before taking either a placebo or a 200-milligram caffeine tablet, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The next day, more people who had consumed caffeine were able to correctly identify the pictures.

Dark chocolate

Flavonoids, caffeine, and antioxidants are among the brain-boosting ingredients found in dark chocolate and cocoa powder.A dark chocolate bar has a cocoa content of at least 70%. Regular milk chocolate, which contains between 10 and 50% cocoa, does not offer these advantages.A class of antioxidant plant chemicals known as flavonoids.The flavonoids in chocolate concentrate in the parts of the brain that are involved in memory and learning. These substances, according to researchers, may improve memory and prevent age-related mental deterioration.

The conclusion

Numerous foods can support brain health.Antioxidants found in some meals, including the fruits and vegetables on this list, tea, and coffee, assist in preventing brain damage.Others, like nuts and eggs, have nutrients that help with brain and memory development.By deliberately incorporating these items into your diet, you may support the health of your brain and improve your alertness, memory, and mood.

This article will try and convince you that…

 

Exercise doesn’t have to be boring and neither should it feel like a punishment for your body. You have every right to make it fun!

 

Setting short-term, achievable goals is wiser.

 

Tracking your progress and including others in your activities will reap rewards…

 

We get it. It’s not always easy to summon the drive to exercise. If you’re busy, exhausted, or suffering from aches and pains, exercising may be the last thing you wish to do. The young and old suffer from mustering the motivation to exercise alike BUT there are steps you can take to make it fun and easy for you to at least get started.

Picture Caption: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older men and women—even those with arthritis and other chronic conditions—can benefit from regular exercise. 

Here are 5 tips for you to get started with exercise…

1. Exercise HAS to be fun: 

We understand. Walking on the treadmill or peddling the gym bike every day can get boring. Our advice is to mix it up. The treadmill and gym bike do have their advantages but try changing your routine every now and then. Some alternatives to consider can be…

1. i) Taking a Zumba or dance class with a friend
2. ii) Walking a natural trail while taking plenty of pictures for your friends and family

iii) Strolling around the mall while window shopping

1. iv) Riding a bike around town
2. v) Or taking your dog or a friend’s dog out for a walk (pets are often the best companions)

 

2. Invite Company

A 2018 study found that people who regularly walked with friends were more likely to keep at it than those who walked alone. Working out with a partner isn’t just fun; it can also help you stay committed. You can even do ‘virtual workouts’ by setting up your phone or laptop on a table and workout with your friends without leaving the comfort of your house.

3. Visualise a happier, stronger you

Let’s be honest. You did make a little progress with that one exercise session that you did. Imagine where you would be if you stayed consistent. Visualisation, a simple yet powerful technique, can help you draw on your inner motivation. 

4. Set Manageable Goals

When you feel a boost of motivation it’s easy to set unrealistic expectations from yourself. Curtail the urge to do so. Set short term, manageable goals that you can start by ticking off easily. Getting from no activity to 30-minutes of exercise every day may sound great but may not always be achievable. Make sure you set specific objectives. For example, make a commitment to walk rather than ride the elevator during the week. Or make a commitment to walking for 10 minutes every day. 

5. Track Your Progress

We live in a world where everything is getting ‘smart’ so you should by no means limit yourself. You have already made the right choice as you have Longlive’s SmartWatch around your wrist. SmartWatches track your progress for you automatically without you having to worry about noting them down in a journal. When you see you were able to hit the small goals you made for yourself, you will only be spurred on to go the full mile. 

Remember to reward yourself every time you hit your goals!

 

Read on if you are looking for…

Reasons backed by scientific research to spend time in nature

Evidence that spending time in nature can do wonders for your mental health

Proof that an hour spent in nature can help the mind cope with stress

We are sure you have often been told to take a walk in the park to deal with stress. It almost sounds like a cliche. We can understand how you believe the stress won’t go away unless the external factors that are upsetting your mind subside, such as waiting on the outcome of a job interview, or the stress resulting from a tight financial situation or the loss of a loved one. However, findings from a new study by the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, published in Molecular Psychiatry, suggest a one-hour walk in nature has been discovered to reduce primary stress in the brain, which is significantly helpful for mental health. 

Living in a metropolitan area is a well-known risk factor for getting a mental disease, while being close to nature is mostly helpful for psychological health and the brain. Studies have indicated that persons who reside in rural settings have lower levels of amygdala(this part of the brain is responsible for memory, emotional responses and decision-making) activation in response to stress than people who live in urban areas, suggesting that exposure to nature may have positive health effects.

The Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare the brain activity of 63 healthy volunteers before and after they took a one-hour walk in Grunewald Forest or a shopping district with traffic in Berlin (fMRI). The study found that after the stroll in nature, activation in the amygdala decreased, suggesting that time spent in nature has a positive effect on the brain’s stress centres. Scientists demonstrate that even a short exposure to nature, such as a stroll of an hour, might have a beneficial effect on stress-processing brain regions. This helps us comprehend the ways in which our everyday surroundings have an impact on our cognitive and emotional well-being.

Doing things like taking a stroll in the woods can help protect you from developing mental health issues and mitigate the negative effects of urban living. Considering the current rate of urbanisation, these findings may prompt planners to prioritise the development of easily accessible green spaces and the modification of urban surroundings in ways that are favourable to the mental health of city dwellers. Based on these findings we recommend you to spend an hour in parks and green spaces close to you every now and then to help your state of being.

These findings provide support for the idea that getting out into nature for a walk can have beneficial effects on areas of the brain associated with stress, suggesting that this practice may serve as a protective measure against both mental stress, and consequently other common diseases.