Longevity—or living both better and for longer—doesn’t have to be a complicated, supplement-spiked routine. Somtimes, the best tips are acutally quite simple. Just ask primary care doctor and longevity specialist Amanda Kahn, MD, who has a tip for bone health that she’s implemented into her own life.
“Adding a little bit of resistance to your daily routine can help when it comes to bone and spine health,” Dr. Kahn says. “I like to rollerblade with wrist and ankle weights, and in a weighted vest, too.”
And while Dr. Khan jokes she “looks totally nuts,” with all her weighted gear on, it’s worth it. Studies have shown that weight training is a way to concurrently prevent osteoporosis (bone weakening) and sarcopenia (muscle loss). Women typically are reach their peak bone mass around age 30—from there, it’s lighter, more breakable bones.
That’s where weight-bearing exercises can help. Whether you’re power lifting or just going to strength training classes, it all can help you maintian bone mass. And smaller, more calculated moves can help too (though, Dr. Khan notes, ankle and wrists weights or a weighted vest should be the cherry on top of a routine, not the entire sundae).
“It can be really hard to do daily tasks in wrist or ankle weights,” she says, adding that she’ll pop them on while doing activities like blow-drying her hair. “Longevity can meet people where they are. We want to take advantage of any moment, and this is better than nothing at all.”
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