Trainer's Suggested Move for Enhancing Lifespan Proven to Be Surprisingly Straightforward for Clients

Rachael Sacerdoti, a renowned personal trainer and founder of the coaching platform "It's So Simple", emphasises the importance of strength training for those seeking to age well.

Sacerdoti recommends incorporating lower-body exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts into your workout routine. These exercises target the largest muscle groups, benefiting longevity. For beginners to weight training, she suggests starting with the lunge exercise.

The lunge works the glutes, quads, and core, improves balance, mobility, and stretching. To perform a lunge, one can choose between a forward lunge or a reverse lunge. Sacerdoti advises against keeping feet in a single line when lunging, suggesting to imagine feet on a train track for balance.

To protect the knee joint during lunges, Sacerdoti advises ensuring the knee on the front leg doesn't overshoot the ankle. She also recommends thinking of the lunge movement as vertical, like a spring going down and up, to build drive, power, and control.

For best results in training for longevity, Sacerdoti recommends using the principle of progressive overload, gradually increasing weights over time. Once comfortable with bodyweight lunges, one can progress by adding weights.

Sacerdoti also advocates for training to failure, doing exercises until you can no longer do another repetition with proper form. However, she advises being cautious, ensuring you're really being challenged by the time you've completed 75% of your reps.

The concept of thinking about the lunge movement as a vertical motion is new, but Sacerdoti believes it can help build strength and control, contributing to longevity. By implementing these strength training principles, you can work towards aging well and improving your overall fitness.