Just two hours of effective exercise per week is enough to maintain the physiological fitness — or biological age — of a 20-year-old well into your 70s and 80s.
"An important part of quality of life is being able to keep doing the things you enjoyed in your youth — whether that’s hiking, sports, or physical work," says Jan Hoff, Professor of Medicine at NTNU. From around the age of 20, endurance and strength begin to decline by about one percent per year. But most of that decline isn’t due to aging itself — it’s due to inactivity. "Exercise or physical activity helps counteract this loss of endurance and strength," Hoff explains.
Although exercise might seem like a modern trend, the need for physical activity is timeless. In fact, three weeks of bed rest can age your body as much as 30 years.
“If you’ve experienced this kind of inactivity, only exercise can bring your body back to the biological age you want,” says Hoff. “Older adults can benefit from exercise just as much as younger people, so it’s never too late to start.”
Reduced endurance and muscle strength are closely linked to an increased risk of lifestyle-related diseases — including obesity, cardiovascular disease, COPD, type 2 diabetes, and many forms of cancer.
“The connection between endurance, strength, and lifestyle diseases is actually much stronger than with more commonly used indicators like blood pressure or cholesterol,” Hoff notes.
One of the most effective ways to improve endurance? Walking uphill until you’re out of breath. “With just two sessions of effective training per week over ten weeks, you can increase your physical work capacity by 10%, reduce your biological age by ten years, and lower your risk of disease or early death by 12 to 20%,” says Hoff.
When it comes to weight, it’s all about energy balance — the calories you take in through food and drink versus the energy you burn through activity. “If your weight is increasing, it means there’s an imbalance. To lose weight, you either need to move more or eat less,” explains Hoff.
And if your goal is athletic performance? Endurance and strength are always key.
“You’ll find the most scientifically effective training methods for both strength and endurance in the Myworkout program,” the professor concludes.
Get in touch
Resources
