Strength Training for Longevity: Expert Recommends Key Exercises for a Vibrant, Disease-Free Life

This article champions strength training as crucial for longevity, aiming for a vibrant, physically independent, and disease-free life in later decades, as advocated by personal trainer Ollie Thompson. He emphasizes that resistance training offers underrated, extensive benefits beyond physical strength, impacting overall physiological health.

Key advantages of consistent resistance training include enhanced metabolic function (such as improved insulin sensitivity), better cardiovascular health (e.g., reduced blood pressure and inflammation), maintenance of hormonal balance, preservation of bone density to cut fracture risk, and a fortified immune system.

Thompson specifically recommends three gym exercises for longevity:

• Assisted Chin-up: Builds upper body strength (back, biceps, forearms, core), promotes full shoulder range of motion for optimal shoulder health, and significantly boosts grip strength—a factor correlated with longevity. This exercise is scalable to suit various fitness levels.
• Bulgarian Split Squat: Develops unilateral lower body strength and stability (hip, knee, foot), helps correct muscular imbalances, enhances balance and kinaesthetic awareness (vital for preventing falls), and uniquely encourages hip extension, which is crucial for maintaining movement quality and reducing related pain.
• Farmer’s Carry: A straightforward yet potent full-body exercise that improves posture, grip strength, joint health, and hip stability. It also challenges balance, coordination, and kinaesthetic awareness, while simultaneously building strength and taxing the aerobic system.

Combining these exercises provides comprehensive physical benefits. Furthermore, Thompson stresses that cardiovascular exercise—incorporating both low-intensity Zone 2 cardio and short high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions—is essential alongside resistance training. Cardiovascular activities support heart health, mitochondrial function, reduce the risk of major diseases and cancers, enhance brain health, boost energy production, improve sleep quality, and aid in stress management.

The primary takeaway is that a well-rounded approach combining targeted strength training with regular cardiovascular exercise forms a powerful strategy for enhancing long-term health, vitality, and overall longevity.

Source: An expert trainer says these are the three best exercises for longevity, helping you ‘live better for longer’ | The Independent