My mum is 82 years old but doesn’t look a day over 50 – the free tip she swears by to look so young
MAINTAINING a youthful appearance is about more than just your skincare routine.
An 82-year-old woman revealed the daily step she swears by for looking decades younger.
The mum was filmed by her daughter (@mondayprojectco) for a TikTok video.
In the clip, she revealed the hobby she credits for its anti-ageing results.
Dressed in a red jumper and plaid maxi skirt, the 82-year-old’s slim physique was clear to viewers.
She has often been complimented for her appearance, with many people telling her she doesn’t look a day over 50.
As well as her skincare routine, she revealed that daily exercise has helped her maintain her look over the years.
Her daughter revealed to her audience that her mum is a “daily runner.”
“My mum has run her whole life,” the TikTok user wrote in the video caption.
“She worked, raised four children, ran 30 marathons, and still runs today.”
The poster, who works as a personal stylist and shopper, praised her mum for her active mindset.
“She inspires me to make sure I huff and puff every day,” she told her followers.
Health experts at Deakin investigated whether “running is the secret to staying young.”
The research broke down the biological benefits to running on a regular basis.
They explained that running regularly can contribute to maintaining a younger body by improving cardiovascular health, muscle strength, bone density, and overall fitness.
The professionals also cited research carried out on people who run over 50 kilometres each week.
“For every nine kilometres you run each week, your bone marrow gets a year younger,” they revealed.
How much exercise should you do and when?
There are guidelines issued by the NHS and the Government regarding how much exercise people should do each day.
People should be active daily, and avoid sitting for long periods.
The NHS recommends an adults – those aged 19 to 64 – should aim for 150 minutes of “moderate intensity activity” a week.
This works out to 21 minutes a day, or 30 minutes five days a week.
Or, they could do 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, which could be less than 11 minutes per day or 25 minutes three days a week.
Adults should also aim to do strength exercises twice a week, at least.
Examples of moderate-intensity activities include brisk walking, water aerobics, riding a bike, dancing, doubles tennis, pushing a lawn mower, hiking or rollerblading.
Examples of vigorous activities include running, swimming, riding a bike fast or on hills, walking up the stairs, sports, like football, rugby, netball and hockey, skipping, aerobics, gymnastics or martial arts.
Things like lifting heavy weights, sprinting up hills, spin classes or circuit training are considered very vigorous.
What time should you exercise?
Getting exercise into your day, no matter what time is a good idea.
But you may want to be more selective depending on your goal.
A 2023 US study on 5,285 middle-aged adults showed exercising between 7 and 9 am was the best time if you’re looking to lose weight.
Researchers found that early-bird gym goers had a lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference than those working out later.
A 2022 study led by Prof Paul J Arciero, Skidmore College, New York, found that the optimal time of day to get your kit on might differ according to your gender.
Prof Arciero said women wanting to lose fat around their belly and hips would do better to hit the gym in the morning, but those seeking to gain upper body strength or simply improve their mood might see more results from evening exercise.
The results were the opposite for men.
If you struggle to get to sleep, it’s been found that exercise in the morning may help, but exercise in the evening may help you to stay asleep.
Exercise, generally, can improve sleep quality.
The investigation found that running may just slow down the deterioration of your body.
It found that “people who ran consistently showed for higher red bone marrow.”
This is the marrow that produces blood cells and creates immune cells.
According to the experts, these results applied to people who ran casually, from 20 to 40 kilometres per week and those who ran long distance, over 50 kilometres per week.
So even going for a light jog ever other day may be enough to slow the ageing process.