Stay youthful with this fitness routine – Clinically Proven!

A recent article asserts that reversing your biological age is possible through regular physical activity. This has been demonstrated by Dr. Michael Roizen, the 78-year-old Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic, who has successfully reversed his biological age by an impressive 20 years. Dr Roizen is a renowned author and longevity expert who shares his disciplined fitness routine.

It’s important to realise that physical fitness can turn many aspects of your life into something positive and productive, whether it's looking bolder or feeling younger. Regular exercise or physical activity can help you achieve your fitness goals and maintain overall health. Before we dive into Dr. Roizen’s fitness routine, let’s understand the difference between your age and what refers to your biological age.

Chronological Age vs Biological Age

Chronological Age

Chronological age defines how long a person has lived or the actual age of the person. It is linear and can never be changed, marked by the passage of time. As much as some people may want to change their chronological age, it is impossible to do that.

Biological Age

Biological age, also known as physiological age, describes how old a person appears based on various factors. It reflects the condition of an individual’s physical health and overall well-being.

How do you measure your biological age?

Biological age can be measured through various signature molecular markers that reflect the body’s physiological status. These include:

1. Telomere Length: Present as the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes telomeres shorten with cell divisions. The shorter they become, the older you are.
2. DNA Methylation: It is also known as epigenetic clocks. The patterns of your DNA change with age; therefore, they reflect your biological age.

Factors that influence biological age

1. Physical Fitness: Your cardiovascular health, muscle strength and flexibility determine your overall physical fitness.
2. Metabolic Health: Levels of your hormones, cholesterol level, blood glucose indicate biological ageing.
3. Lifestyle: Your diet, sleeping pattern, and regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce biological ageing conditions.
4. Health Conditions: Chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension affect your biological age.
5. Environmental Exposures: Prolonged sun exposure and pollution can accelerate wrinkles on the skin, eventually resulting in ageing.

A fitness routine for age reversal

Dr. Roizen states that a disciplined physical fitness routine has helped him achieve the status of reversing his biological age and reducing it to 20 years. Let’s explore the benefits of each activity in depth.

Cardio Workout

Roizen is committed to cardiovascular workouts. He spends around 48 minutes on a treadmill or a spinning bike three times a week. He has cardio on Wednesday evenings, Saturday and Sundays, with some variation depending on his social engagements.

Benefits of Cardio:

• Improves Heart Health: Cardiovascular workouts strengthen your heart muscles and blood vessels, reducing the risk of heart diseases.
• Boosts Lung Capacity: Cardio exercises can enhance the capacity of the lungs, making breathing easier and more effective.
• Aids in Weight Management: Cardio is effective in burning calories, reducing body fat, and preventing obesity.
• Enhances Mood and Mental Health: It also helps in the production of endorphins, which fight stress, anxiety and depression.
• Increases Stamina and Endurance: Cardio exercises also improve overall endurance, so your daily activities will be less of a strain.
• Regulates Blood Sugar: Cardio helps you control blood sugar levels and, therefore, avoid type 2 diabetes.
• Improves Sleep: Cardiovascular exercises also improve sleep quality and help regulate sleep patterns.

Strength Exercise

Roizen particularly emphasises the importance of incorporating resistance training to build muscles and age gracefully. This is supported by a 2022 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which established that 30 to 60 minutes of weekly resistance training could decrease the risk of dying from any cause by 17%, cardiovascular events by 18%, and cancer by 9%.

Benefits of Strength Training

• Builds Muscle Mass: Muscle strength training increases the size of the muscles, which is helpful for metabolism and weight regulation.
• Strengthens Bones: Weight-bearing workouts also help in the development of bones and, therefore, reduce the likelihood of the person developing osteoporosis.
• Improves Joint Health: Strength training strengthens bones and joints, hence reducing the chances of an individual getting an injury.
• Enhances Posture and Balance: Exercising the muscles of the abdomen, back and pelvis helps improve posture and balance.
• Improves Functional Strength: Strength training enhances the ability to perform day-to-day tasks with less difficulty.
• Reduces Risk of Chronic Diseases: Strength training exercises are also effective in preventing chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.

Regular Walking

With regular cardio and strength training, Roizen aims to take at least 10K steps daily. He uses several techniques to achieve this goal; for instance, he uses a treadmill desk at his workplace and parks his car a mile away from his workplace. This ensures that he exercises throughout the day and gets his steps in regardless of his daily activities. A study published in GeroScience 2022 also advocates for walking, confirming that thirty minutes of brisk walking five days a week reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, improves mental health, and extends life expectancy.

Benefits of Daily Walking

• Improves Cardiovascular Health: Walking is beneficial for the heart and the circulatory system and helps prevent heart disease and stroke.
• Aids in Weight Management: Walking can also help burn calories, aid in weight loss, or even maintain a healthy weight.
• Strengthens Muscles and Bones: Walking engages the muscles of the lower limb and the trunk and helps in the building of bone mass, thus preventing osteoporosis.
• Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Walking, especially in nature, lowers stress and allows the person to relax due to the release of endorphins.
• Boosts Mood: Walking as a form of exercise can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• Promotes Better Sleep: A daily walk, especially in the morning or afternoon, can also aid sleep disorders and enhance sleep.
• Enhanced Longevity: Research has found that walking for an average of 30 minutes daily is linked with reduced incidence of chronic diseases and increased longevity.