{"id":536293,"date":"2026-06-15T13:04:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T13:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/536293\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T13:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T13:04:12","slug":"the-best-exercises-for-womens-longevity-by-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/536293\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Exercises For Women’s Longevity, By Age"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exercise is linked to a longer life. Strength training, for instance, is associated with up to four years greater lifespan<\/a>, while one paper found<\/a> that a combination of weight lifting and aerobic exercise resulted in the best longevity gains.<\/p>\n

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Harpal Bains, a longevity doctor and medical director at Harpal Clinic<\/a>, seemed to agree with those findings. <\/p>\n

\u201cExercise is one of the most powerful investments women can make in their future health,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key is consistency: moving regularly, avoiding long periods of inactivity and making sure exercise supports the four pillars of healthy ageing: cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n

She suggested that, for longevity, women shouldn\u2019t rely on cardio alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrength training is one of the most important things women can do because muscle supports metabolism, bone density, insulin sensitivity and long-term independence,\u201d added the expert.<\/p>\n

We asked Dr Bains to share the best exercise for women to do, by age.<\/p>\n

Best exercise for women\u2019s longevity, by age<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) 20-30<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now is the time to build a strong foundation of muscle, the doctor told us. <\/p>\n

She advised: \u201cBuild your reserve. Prioritise strength training, brisk cardio, running, cycling, swimming, Pilates or yoga and balance-based movements. This is when you build muscle and bone density that protects you later.\u201d<\/p>\n

One study<\/a> found that people whose cardiovascular health dipped between their 20s and 40s were 10 times as likely to experience heart health issues in their 60s.<\/p>\n

2) 40-50<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is where exercise becomes non-negotiable,\u201d Dr Bains advised. \u201cStrength training is key as oestrogen shifts can accelerate muscle and bone loss. Add brisk walking, intervals, cycling or swimming for heart and metabolic health, plus mobility and balance work to maintain joint range and coordination.\u201d <\/p>\n

Some experts think that downhill walking could improve menopausal women\u2019s<\/a> bones, which are more likely than usual to deteriorate during this life stage.<\/p>\n

Strength training during the menopause, meanwhile, has been linked to <\/a>better bone density and improved hormonal and metabolic levels.<\/p>\n

3) 60+<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFocus on independence,\u201d advised the doctor. \u201cWalking, swimming, cycling, light weights, resistance bands, Tai Chi, yoga and balance drills are excellent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to preserve muscle, balance and confidence, which lowers frailty and fall risk.\u201d <\/p>\n

Balance training \u2013 including Tai Chi, walking backwards<\/a>, dancing, and single-leg training \u2013 has been described as <\/a>a \u201cneglected\u201d way to help your balance and mobility as you age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Exercise is linked to a longer life. Strength training, for instance, is associated with up to four years…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536294,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[278],"tags":[5392,18,4152,525,135,19,17,1525],"class_list":["post-536293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-ageing","tag-eire","tag-evergreen","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-women"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116754269213181521","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}