your health
With just a few simple tweaks you can get stronger and keep your mind sharp
Sadly it’s a fact of life that as we get older we lose muscle mass, our bones can weaken and cognitive function decline, but the good news is that, with some small, easy-to-implement changes, you can keep your body and brain feeling younger for longer.
KEEP YOUR BONES STRONG
Women in particular need to look after their bones as they age. “Bone density decreases with age and females are particularly at risk as the hormone oestrogen plays a role in maintaining bone density and, typically, oestrogen levels are lower after the menopause,” says personal trainer Claire Davis.
The good news is that strength training, using weights or body weight exercises, can help you improve your bone density. “Resistance training working every muscle group twice a week will really help,” adds Claire.
CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTS
When it comes to maintaining bone density, Claire Davis says supplements and dietary tweaks can also help. She explains, “From a nutrition point of view, we want to ensure we are eating enough calcium, found in dairy. You should consider a supplement if you don’t get much dairy in your diet. In terms of other supplements, you may want to consider taking Vitamin D3 and K2 as these help with bone density.”
ENGAGE YOUR BRAIN
Cognitive function can decline with age so personal trainer James Davis says it’s important we engage our brains regularly. “As we age we can lose neural pathways, but one way we can maintain them is by keeping our minds active,” he explains.
“Be curious, do things like puzzles, learn new skills like playing an instrument or painting. There is a lot out there about learning new languages and how that can help brain health. We all know we should move our bodies, but we need to be exercising our brain too.”
