Not Just Years to Your Life—But Life to Your Years: The Power of Exercise

Depending on who you ask, the answers to the best form of exercises vary quite a bit. The American Heart Association swears by 150 minutes of medium intensity aerobic exercises per week.  Other fitness enthusiasts are loyal to strength training, and then there are those who find their rhythm in yoga or Pilates. Truth is, each of these exercise groups bring their own unique benefits to the table. If your goal is optimum health — not just weight loss or muscle gain — a well-rounded routine that taps into different systems of the body is key.  

So what is the optimal exercise plan for maximum benefit. 

1. Strength Training: Your Long-Term Investment 

Think of strength training as a non-negotiable. Lifting weights (or using your own bodyweight) isn’t just about looking toned — it’s about preserving muscle mass, maintaining bone density, and keeping your metabolism running strong as you age. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, which means the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. But it’s more than that — strong muscles protect your joints, improve posture, and reduce your risk of falls and injury, especially as you get older. 

And no, lifting weights won’t make you bulky unless you’re actively trying to bulk. For most people, it simply builds lean, functional strength.  

Ideally, aim for 2–4 sessions of strength training per week, focusing on major muscle groups — legs, back, chest, arms, and core. This could be dumbbells, machines, resistance bands, or bodyweight moves like push-ups and squats. Consistency is key, and progressive overload (gradually increasing weight or reps) is how you keep improving. 

 Below are some of my favourite strength training exercises- some are weighted, others use body weight. You can choose some of these or find ones that you enjoy more, but if you are doing them for the first time, watch videos to make sure that your form is correct.  

1. Chest (Pectorals): 

• Bench Press: Lie on a bench and press a barbell or dumbbells upward.  

• Push-Ups: A bodyweight exercise where you lower and raise your body using arm strength. 

2. Back (Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius): 

• Pull-Ups/Chin-Ups: Hang from a bar and pull your body upward. 

• Bent-Over Rows: Bend at the hips and pull a barbell or dumbbells toward your torso. 

3. Shoulders (Deltoids): 

• Overhead Press (Shoulder Press): Press a barbell or dumbbells upward from shoulder height. 

• Lateral Raises: Raise dumbbells from your sides to shoulder height. 

4. Biceps: 

• Bicep Curls: Curl dumbbells or a barbell from an extended arm position to your shoulders. 

• Hammer Curls: Similar to bicep curls but with palms facing each other. 

5. Triceps: 

• Tricep Dips: Lower and raise your body using your arms on parallel bars or a bench. 

• Tricep Extensions: Extend your arms overhead with a dumbbell, then lower behind your head. 

6. Legs (Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes): 

• Squats: Lower your body by bending knees and hips, then return to standing. 

• Deadlifts: Lift a barbell from the ground to hip level, keeping the back straight. 

• Lunges: Step forward or backward into a lunge position, lowering the hips. 

7. Core (Abdominals, Obliques): 

• Planks: Hold a push-up position with weight on forearms. 

• Russian Twists: Sit on the floor, lean back slightly, and rotate the torso side to side. 

2. Cardio: Heart and Metabolic Health 

 Cardiovascular exercise is great for your heart, lungs, and stamina — but not all cardio is created equal. The most effective cardio plans mix Zone 2 and Zone 4/5 training. 

Zone 2 is your “talk test” pace — you’re working, but you can still carry on a conversation. Think brisk walking, light cycling, or slow jogging. This type of low-intensity, steady-state cardio helps build your aerobic base, improves mitochondrial function (the energy powerhouses of your cells), and burns fat efficiently. It’s like maintenance for your metabolic engine. Try to get in 2–3 hours of Zone 2 cardio per week — you can even break it up into shorter sessions. This is not just for beginners- even trained world class athletes carry out most of their training in Zone 2, which helps strengthen their metabolic base. 

 Then there’s Zone 4/5 training — your high-intensity work. Examples include interval sprints, HIIT workouts, or any short bursts of activity that would push you close to your max effort. These workouts train your anaerobic system, boost your VO2 max (your body’s ability to use oxygen), and improve overall cardiovascular capacity. You don’t need a lot — even one or two 20-minute sessions a week can do the trick. Think of this as the metabolic accelerator that complements your slower, steady work. 

Together, these two styles of cardio keep your heart strong, and ensure you remain metabolically balanced. 

3. Stability, Core & Mobility: The Foundation for optimal health 

 Strength and cardio tend to steal the spotlight, but stability, core strength, and mobility work quietly behind the scenes — and they matter just as much and their importance increase as you age. Over the age of 65 years, the risk of falls with hip or femur fracture increases exponentially and carry a high risk of fatality. Even for survivors the quality of life is significantly impacted for over 50% of the cases. So, the best option is to build stability in order to avoid these injuries. 

 This is where practices like yoga, Pilates, and focused mobility training come in. They improve balance, body awareness, joint integrity, and flexibility. More importantly, they support the other forms of training — helping you recover faster and move better. 

 Yoga is amazing for lengthening tight muscles, calming the nervous system, and improving breath control. Pilates, on the other hand, is more focused on core strength, alignment, and muscle control — especially the deep stabilizing muscles that protect your spine and support your posture. 

 These practices aren’t just “nice to have.” As you age, they become crucial. Incorporating 1–2 sessions of yoga, Pilates, or functional mobility each week can significantly improve how you feel and move in your day-to-day life. 

So, What’s the Ideal Weekly Routine? 

 If you’re looking for balance, here’s a rough template to aim for: 

• 2–3 strength training sessions 

• 2–3 hours of Zone 2 cardio 

• 1–2 short Zone 4/5 sessions 

• 1–2 sessions of yoga, Pilates, or mobility work  

Of course, life gets busy, and this won’t happen every week — and that’s okay. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s consistency. Even hitting half of this is better than doing nothing at all. 

Final Thoughts 

 There’s no single best workout. The best exercise routine is the one that supports your long-term health, fits your lifestyle, and — maybe most importantly — keeps you coming back for more. A mix of strength, cardio, and stability work gives your body everything it needs to move well, feel strong, and age gracefully. 

So, find what you enjoy, start where you are, and build from there. Your future self will thank you.