You may like<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my 30s, I might have done a half marathon without much training and I\u2019d just crack on. And yeah, I felt sore after, but I definitely couldn\u2019t do that now.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, I\u2019m much more conscious of tightness, injuries, and doing too many high-impact sports like running. I notice my body getting challenged more by all that.\u201d<\/p>\n
As we get older, Higgins says we should all adapt the way we move and exercise to offset the body\u2019s natural aging process.<\/p>\n
This includes doing more weight-bearing and strength-building activities to combat the loss of bone density and muscle mass.<\/p>\n
These natural processes will only accelerate in our 50s and 60s, he adds, so the earlier we start, the better.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m conscious that speed, strength, mobility, agility, cardio, all of those [attributes] are going to start to dissipate,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it\u2019s coming and if I want to be able to play with my kids for longer, and play with my potential grandkids, I need to do as many activities as possible that will slow the aging process down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Higgins says he will continue to regularly practice yoga, which he describes as \u201canti-aging\u201d due to its low-impact, strengthening and mobilizing effects, but now he plans to add these other activities into his routine to \u201caddress weaknesses\u201d and \u201cprevent atrophy\u201d\u2014the wasting away of body tissues.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t already practice yoga, Higgins says this should also be on your list to help keep you feeling young for as long as possible.<\/p>\n
Here are the five ways that Higgins is exercising differently in his 40s to train for longevity.<\/p>\n
1. Strength training <\/p>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2vuuxKDZVAiWGHFpWm4P7n.jpg\")
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(Image credit: Getty Images \/ ljubaphoto)<\/p>\n
Higgins has started to spend slightly less time on the yoga mat and more time in the weights room\u2014or at least with his set of dumbbells at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m much more aware that I\u2019m not as strong as I was in my 30s,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m noticing more weakness in my legs. I\u2019m not as stable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now Higgins will try to hit at least two 30-minute full-body strength workouts per week, targeting all the major muscle groups of the legs, chest, back, shoulders and arms.<\/p>\n
2. Calisthenics<\/p>\n
To counter-balance all the pushing and pressing actions involved in yoga, Higgins has turned to bodyweight training to strengthen his back, biceps and grip.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do a lot of pushing activities in yoga. I do a lot of stretching, a lot of mobility, and that\u2019s great,\u201d he says. \u201cBut calisthenics has been a real eye-opener.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now he will incorporate lots of pull-ups, chin-ups, rows with resistance bands and simply hanging from a bar to balance out his physique and strengthen his pulling power.<\/p>\n
Combined, these exercises should also boost his grip strength<\/a>, which several studies suggest has a direct correlation to a longer life.<\/p>\n 3. Low-impact cardio <\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images \/ Halfpoint Images)<\/p>\n In place of high-impact running, Higgins plans to swap in more low-impact cardio like swimming.<\/p>\n \u201cSwimming is incredible for cardio, it\u2019s soft on the joints and it\u2019s also strength building,\u201d says Higgins.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a longevity piece, that\u2019s a great activity. Add to that the range of motion you get with every stroke, its benefits for breathing and the mind, and it is a real game changer.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Reaction training <\/p>\n With each passing year, Higgins has noticed himself slowing down\u2014or at least his reaction speeds slowing down.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve started to become more conscious of my weaknesses, and therefore I\u2019m having to make a more conscious effort to not let that atrophy,\u201d says Higgins.<\/p>\n Now he plays more games and sports that involve fast reactions and agility.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve thought, how can I make this fun, rather than really dry, so I\u2019ve started playing more activity games, like badminton, and I use this boxing game mounted to a wall with lights that tests your reaction speed.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. Removing roadblocks <\/p>\n Lastly, with time an ever-diminishing resource, the Hotpod Yoga co-founder has tried to make all of the above activities as frictionless as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you create your environment to suit what you want?\u201d he asks. For Higgins, that meant buying a pair of parallettes and a pull-up bar for his yoga studio so he can do more calisthenics.<\/p>\n \u201cAt home I\u2019ve done the same thing so I basically can\u2019t get away from it. That\u2019s the only way I\u2019m going to do it or else I\u2019ll get distracted by work and life.\u201d<\/p>\n Shop home pull-up bars <\/a><\/p>\n Sunny Health & Fitness doorway pull-up bar<\/p>\n![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iyUobbhwRcC7BFDmreE37D.jpg\")
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Budget<\/p>\n
![\"Centr](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/8qprtuNPyy8JNvM7smrxSA.jpg\")
Hemsworth-approved<\/p>\n