Photo: Anna Shvets

Which exercise makes you age faster?

After prolonged exercise, such as a 25-mile run, the body changes its metabolism, with a resulting increase in free radicals, atoms that can cause permanent damage to your cells and can also speed up the ageing process.

standard.co.uk - Can exercise age you? | London Evening Standard

Should I skip lunch to lose weight?

You may think that skipping breakfast or lunch will make the number on the scale drop quicker. The truth is that studies have shown that skipping...

Last updated Oct 17, 2018

What is the number one key to weight loss?

One of the best ways to lose body fat is through steady aerobic exercise — such as brisk walking — for at least 30 minutes most days of the week....

Last updated Mar 28, 2021

Promotion

S he may be one of the world's most glamorous celebrities but even Madonna, it seems, isn't immune to the tell-tale signs of ageing. Scenes from her flop film Swept Away - and recent snaps of her out shopping - show just how wrinkled the 45-year-old's face has become - despite all the make-up and favourable camera angles. Years of dancing, weight-training, running and astanga yoga - a very physical and punishing form - have given her the body of a much younger woman, but the same cannot be said for her face. Madonna is now one of the most advanced astanga yogis in the country - she's on the Third Series, which is the yogic equivalent of being an Olympic standard athlete. She is a keen runner (she covers around 20 miles a week, according to a previous trainer), dances and used to do weight training every day. "Doing astanga on this level is like running a marathon on a weekly basis," says one teacher. "It tends to wither people and, like anything done to excess, it will age you." After prolonged exercise, such as a 25-mile run, the body changes its metabolism, with a resulting increase in free radicals, atoms that can cause permanent damage to your cells and can also speed up the ageing process. Free radicals, which are also created by external factors such as pollutants, ultraviolet light or cigarette smoke, are highly reactive and attack nearby healthy molecules, including your collagen and DNA. Collagen damage will make your skin look older. Free radicals attack healthy molecules until they are mopped up by a radical scavenger or an antioxidant. It has been calculated that under normal circumstances, each of our 100 trillion cells gets hit by 10,000 free radicals per day. Antioxidants convert the free radicals back into a good molecules. To keep up your intake of antioxidants - sources include vitamins C and E - eat plenty of fruit and vegetables or take supplements.

Undoubtedly, we all need to keep fit, but how does too much exercise adversely affect your body?

What happens to your body when you start eating two eggs a day?

Eating eggs leads to elevated levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as the “good” cholesterol. People who have higher HDL levels...

Last updated Oct 1, 2018

What is an unhealthy weight for a woman?

If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range. If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the Healthy Weight range. If...

Last updated Dec 11, 2022

Promotion

The face

Long-distance runners traditionally look gaunt, and a number of plastic surgeons believe that running is the biggest cause of premature wrinkles after smoking and sunbathing. "Running is not good for the facial tissues," says plastic surgeon Laurence Kirwan. "All that pounding up and down causes shearing forces of the skin against bone and loosens everything, so you get the slack neck and jowls that Madonna has now. I see a lot of New Yorkers who run five to six days a week and I tell them to use bikes instead, because otherwise they won't just end up with saggy breasts, they'll get a slack face." Personal trainer Matt Roberts says you'd need to run at least 25-30 miles a week to cross the fine line between running making you look younger (improved muscle tone and circulation) and looking older. Kirwan advises casual exercisers to limit sessions to two runs a week.

The bones

Weight-bearing exercise is linked to increased bone strength, but do too much and it can have the opposite effect - intensive aerobic training has been linked to a fall in bone density in women, as a result of low oestrogen levels. This is a particular problem for child gymnasts and ballet dancers, where intensive training and low body fat in childhood delay the onset of periods, or in athletes who train to the extent that their periods stop. At milder levels the reduction in oestrogen that occurs as a result of exercise is generally beneficial - leading to less PMS, and lower breast cancer risk.

The knees

We know that running can help prevent arthritis, but there's a limit. A British Medical Journal study of 2,049 Finnish athletes found that endurance and sports athletes had a higher incidence of osteoarthritis, as a result of increased wear and tear on their joints. The BMJ's advice? Prevent premature osteoarthritis by treating injuries. So if you have knee or joint pain, see a physio. Sports scientists have found "overtraining syndrome" is a problem not just in Olympic athletes, but in domestic sports people - in the US, it is said that 10 per cent of college swimmers "burn out" every year.

How did Adele lose 100 pounds?

The singer-songwriter lost 100 pounds in two years by lifting weights and doing circuit training. "So I do my weights in the morning, then I...

Last updated Apr 16, 2019

What should I eat with PhenQ?

PhenQ can suppress your appetite significantly. ... What to eat Vegetables − vegetables are nutrient-dense but not calorie-dense. ... Lean protein...

Last updated Oct 14, 2022

Promotion

"Overtraining syndrome" is a form of chronic fatigue, and is linked to intensive work and inadequate rest periods ( sprinters are less likely to suffer from it because they train with large amounts of rest). Symptoms include depression, loss of appetite, increased anxiety and irritability, fatigue, sleep problems (in more than 90 per cent of cases) and frequent minor infections.

Overtraining raises cortisol levels and suppresses the immune system.

The advice to anyone suffering-from the above symptoms is to take a break: the only known cure is rest, but athletes who fail to do that generally find they take six to 12 weeks to recover from chronic fatigue.

The heart

Regular running can cut your risk of heart disease by 50 per cent, but do too much, too soon and it can be deadly. An American study found that heart attacks and strokes triggered by tough workouts have trebled since 1980. The key is to increase cardiovascular demands gradually - blood pressure can more than double in intense exercise, so you need to allow your body to adapt to these changes. Otherwise, the arteries are placed under immense novel pressure, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.

standard.co.uk - Can exercise age you? | London Evening Standard

Is it better to run or walk to burn fat?

If your goal is to lose weight, running is a better choice than walking. If you're new to exercise or aren't able to run, walking can still help...

Last updated Nov 24, 2018

How do you detox your stomach from fat?

Here's how to whittle down where it matters most. Try curbing carbs instead of fats. ... Think eating plan, not diet. ... Keep moving. ... Lift...

Last updated Aug 7, 2018

Promotion

Does SmartPill work?

These drugs are beneficial in treating cognitive dysfunction in patients with Alzheimer's, ADHD or schizophrenia, but it's unlikely that today's...

Last updated Jun 15, 2018

Learn More »

Promotion

What bread is good for diabetics?

The American Diabetes Association recommends choosing whole grain bread or 100 percent whole wheat bread instead of white bread. White bread is...

Last updated Oct 8, 2021