To live and continue to live a more youthful life, to appear younger and slimmer, you need correct posture, apart from your regular diet and exercise. Eat well and exercise regularly as you turn an adult, if you intend to look ahead for long term benefit.
Good posture will do more to keep you looking youthful as the years go by. The benefits of maintaining your bone health are much more than skin-deep. Although a stooped posture may seem to go hand in hand with old age, you can help prevent the characteristic rounding of the spine that is often caused by osteoporosis and the destruction of the vertebrae in the upper and middle spine.
According to research, from the age of 25 we all suffer from sarcopenia – the disintegration of muscle mass. On an average we lose one fifth of a pound of muscle each year.
The main problem is a weakening of abdominal muscles caused by years of sitting in a hunched position, which places uneven pressure on the discs in the lower back, says Carolyn Hewison, physiotherapy manager for the Nuffield group of hospitals.
‘If you look around, you see many people over 50, particularly women, who are starting to develop this stance,’ she says. ‘By middle age we have often developed such poor postural habits that our body and brain have simply forgotten where things should be.’
Ms Hewison suggests standing up straight several times a day with your back to a wall, heels against the skirting board and your shoulders and head touching the wall to encourage better posture.
‘Try to maintain the position as you walk away,’ she says. ‘The more often you do this, the more accustomed your abdominal and back muscles become at providing the necessary support.’
There is no means of preventing sarcopenia completely, but the latest research suggests the best preventative measure you can take is regular weight training to keep up musclestrength.
‘Muscle function can improve with resistence training, even after the onset of sarcopenia,’ says Robert Wolfe, professor of geriatrics at the University of Arkansas. ‘It’s far more effective to begin it before the process gains momentum and to start at the age of 40. It’s never too late.’”
Want to stay younger, for longer? Yoga can help get you there – starting with these six anti-aging poses.
To live and continue to live a more youthful life, to appear younger and slimmer, you need correct posture, apart from your regular diet and exercise. Eat well and exercise regularly as you turn an adult, if you intend to look ahead for long term benefit.
Good posture will do more to keep you looking youthful as the years go by. The benefits of maintaining your bone health are much more than skin-deep. Although a stooped posture may seem to go hand in hand with old age, you can help prevent the characteristic rounding of the spine that is often caused by osteoporosis and the destruction of the vertebrae in the upper and middle spine.
According to research, from the age of 25 we all suffer from sarcopenia – the disintegration of muscle mass. On an average we lose one fifth of a pound of muscle each year.
The main problem is a weakening of abdominal muscles caused by years of sitting in a hunched position, which places uneven pressure on the discs in the lower back, says Carolyn Hewison, physiotherapy manager for the Nuffield group of hospitals.
‘If you look around, you see many people over 50, particularly women, who are starting to develop this stance,’ she says. ‘By middle age we have often developed such poor postural habits that our body and brain have simply forgotten where things should be.’
Ms Hewison suggests standing up straight several times a day with your back to a wall, heels against the skirting board and your shoulders and head touching the wall to encourage better posture.
‘Try to maintain the position as you walk away,’ she says. ‘The more often you do this, the more accustomed your abdominal and back muscles become at providing the necessary support.’
There is no means of preventing sarcopenia completely, but the latest research suggests the best preventative measure you can take is regular weight training to keep up musclestrength.
‘Muscle function can improve with resistence training, even after the onset of sarcopenia,’ says Robert Wolfe, professor of geriatrics at the University of Arkansas. ‘It’s far more effective to begin it before the process gains momentum and to start at the age of 40. It’s never too late.’”
Want to stay younger, for longer? Yoga can help get you there – starting with these six anti-aging poses.
