Michael Mosley is urging people to take on a simple three step exercise routine in a bid to live longer, slow ageing and lose weight.
The muscle-strengthening exercises could even help boost your metabolism and boost brain function, explains the inventor of the well-known 5:2 diet. The nutrition expert suggests that the way to enjoy all the benefits mentioned above is weight training.
Speaking on his BBC Sounds podcast Just One Thing, the presenter detailed recent evidence suggesting that doing muscle-strengthening just a few minutes per day can "confer some remarkable health benefits", including helping you live longer, reports WalesOnline.
"An American study found that muscle mass is one of the strongest predictors of longevity, even more than weight or body mass index. Researchers followed 3,600 men and women over the age of 50 for a decade they found that those who had more muscle mass were at a lower risk of death from all causes", he added.
The diet guru further explained that muscle training can benefit your metabolism and waistline as well as reducing your blood sugar levels, with some evidence suggesting it slows down ageing.
Michael said: "Strength training may even reverse ageing at a cellular level. In one small but fascinating study, scientists asked 14 older people to do strength training twice a week for six months and then compared their muscles to that of younger adults. They looked at the parts of the muscle cells that generate energy, the mitochondria.
"Normally these wane with age but the older adults who had been doing strength training boosted their mitochondria levels similar to those seen in younger men and women."
There are three exercises in particular that Michael advised, with all movements easy to do at home with household objects.
Speaking to one listener on the podcast, the expert advised completing three sets of ten every day of the week, as follows:
- A bicep curl using a large bottle of milk
- Calf raises by pushing yourself onto your tippy toes using a counter top
- Weighted squats by filling a backpack with books
During the episode, guest Dr Teresa Liu-Ambrose at the University of British Columbia added that weight training has also been found to improve your memory as well as your more cognitive abilities - including decision making.
Overall, Michael described it as having "remarkable health benefits".
