A doctor who specialises in longevity claims carrying out one simple habit three times a week can slow the aging process and potentially add years to your life. Dr Vassily Eliopoulos highlighted the difference between unhealthy and healthy aging as he took to Instagram to reveal how you can boost your lifespan.
The doctor suggested focusing "less on the mirror and more on your muscle" is the key to discovering the "fountain of youth" in life. "Strength training isn't just about looking fit, it's about protecting your bones, your metabolism, your brain, your balance, and your independence, for decades longer," he suggested in a video.
While cardio workouts have their benefits, strength-training - namely weight-lifting or resistance-training - may be one of the "most single, powerful interventions" to slow aging, according to the medical professional.
Dr Eliopoulos elaborated: "It's not just about muscles, it's about longevity, metabolism, bone health, brain health and survival."
According to the expert, studies show that greater muscle mass is associated with lower all-cause mortality in older generations. Conversely, Dr Eliopoulos warned that lower muscle mass could be a sign sarcopenia, which increases the risk of frailty, falls, fractures and even death.
"Strength is more critical than size," he continued. "It's not just about how much muscle you have, it's about how strong you are."
Dr Eliopoulos added that further studies have revealed that low muscle strength doubles mortality risk, independent of muscle mass. "Grip and knee strength can be reliable indicators of longevity," he advised.
Now for the key piece of advice. The doctor added that strength training "equals younger cellular age" as he referenced telomere [a compound structure at the end of a chromosome] research that has illustrated that a 90-minutes per week of strength-training "corresponded to an almost four-year younger biological age".
Meanwhile, doubling that to 180 minutes per week could potentially "shave eight years" off your biological age," according to Dr Eliopoulos.
"You don't need to lift like a bodybuilder," he added. "You just need to start, consistently, progressively, and with purpose."
Summarising, Dr Eliopoulos suggested: "Start with sessions as little as 30 minutes each. Use progressive overload - which means to gradually increase resistance to force your muscles, ligaments and nervous system to adapt."
Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, rows and press-ups can all be beneficial in your routine and target the major muscle groups, he recommended, whilst stressing the importance of combining this with "adequate protein intake" - 1.3 to 1.8 grams per kilo per day dependent upon your age. "This helps to support muscle synthesis," the doctor said.
The NHS advises online: "When you are exercising to improve strength, the research tells us that you get the most benefit when you are putting in a lot of effort. If it's too easy, you won't get stronger.
"So, you could try doing 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions, or 3 sets of 3 to 5 repetitions. Both will work if you are putting in a lot of effort."
And it stresses: "Remember that by the time you get to the last repetition of the exercise, you should be feeling as though you need to stop. If not, consider doing more repetitions OR increasing the weight."