Exercise is magic youth pill

This Blog is written by Dr. Kirwan’s Personal Trainer, Anel Dzafic.

Anel Dzafic is the founder and head trainer of Countdown Fitness in Greenwich CT and has been a certified personal trainer for 14 years. He was a New York State certified EMT and Firefighter. His continuing education includes; Neurokinetic Therapy, osteoporosis prevention and treatment, golf conditioning and many more. Anel specializes in working with people who want to lose weight quickly, but in a healthy and safe way. His passion is working with clients with spinal issues. Anel has trained close to 700 clients ranging from ages 10 to 90 and everything in between, including pre and postnatal clients, teens, professional athletes in the NBA and NFL, as well as celebrities. Like most people, Anel has experimented with numerous other fitness programs and practices including Crossfit, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, marathon running, and long-distance cycling. When he landed on slow burn lifting, he knew he had found his forever sport. (https://countdownfit.com).

Does exercise prevent aging?

A hundred percent.  Exercise helps maintain muscle mass and strength which declines with age. Exercise can also improve heart health and help maintain proper blood pressure and cholesterol levels. On top of that, weight-training can help maintain your bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Are there limits to how much I can improve?

No, I have been exercising my entire life and I’m always adjusting and editing my goals. I think that we should always strive for improvement no matter what age we are. Some people have limitations to what they can do due to injury but even then, there are ways to work around it and break through the plateau.

When should I start exercising regularly to maintain my physical fitness?

Exercise is a word that may have many definitions to people. For me, exercise is something that is not fun. Exercise is something that you should not be looking forward to doing. This is where your body will get stronger, leaner and healthier.  If you are excited to exercise, then it is not making that much difference in your body, but this type of exercise is important for your mental health. Everyone should be doing both.

Do I need a regular exercise program if my weight is optimal?

Yes, I call this skinny fat. You might be an optimal weight but without muscle, you may be weak and have brittle bones. In terms of longevity and potential injury, that’s a disaster waiting to happen. Exercise isn’t just about weight, it’s about strength and overall health.

 I’m 35 years old with a Body Mass Index of 22. I eat healthy and don’t smoke and just drink socially. I jog 3-5 miles at least 5 times a week. Is this sufficient to keep me fit?

Yes, in the short term this will keep you fit and lean. That said, without weight-training to support your joints, it will likely cause ligament and tendon issues in your knees in the long term. Since jogging is a forward-moving exercise, it can also lead to bad posture which can result in neck tension and lower back pain. I work with regular runners and joggers to strengthen the muscles around the knees so there is less impact on your joints while running.

Is jogging good for my body?

In the moment, jogging  feels great. You probably feel  healthy, you break  a good sweat, and it amps up your endorphins,  but if you’re a regular jogger, you may be looking at knee replacements somewhere down the line. I see this all the time with my clients. I also see a lot of chronic back pain from all of the compression in your spine. So, is it good and “healthy” for you in the long run (no pun intended)? That depends on how you counter the negative side effects of running.

Is weight training in the gym the best way for me to stay fit?

Weight training with a personal trainer is the best way to stay motivated and achieve your goals. You will have all of the equipment that you need, but what’s more important, is that you’ll have someone that can safely push you to your limits, hold you accountable, and motivate you to take it to the next level.

Which is more important? Diet or exercise?

They are very closely related and equally important in different ways. When it comes to weight-loss, however,  I will always pick diet over exercise. You can’t outrun a bad diet no matter how hard you try. There are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, and if you are one of the lucky people that can spend an hour at the gym and burn 500 calories, you will need to do that 7 days a week. If you overeat by snacking on your kid’s leftover peanut butter jelly sandwich, you are back to square one. Keep that diet in check and combine it with a safe and efficient workout regimen and you’ll be in good shape.

I walk my dog every day and my weight is stable. What are the benefits of adding an exercise program to my routine?

For starters, a weight-training program will help your balance, get better bone density, stronger joints and muscles which, in turn, will get rid of some of those aches and pains that might be lingering. And let’s be real, we all want to look great in a bathing suit. Toning your muscles makes a big difference in physical appearance.

I don’t really have time for exercise, what are my options?

Quantity is not as important as you might think. Quality workouts, even just once-a-week, can make all the difference in your long-term health and longevity. A quality workout will create a stimulus for your body to change. I have built my entire business on a 30-minute/ week full body workout that yields extraordinary results. It will for sure be the most physically intense part of your week, but it will make all the difference.

I look at my colleagues and the people I graduated with from high school and many of them seem to be aging rapidly. How do I stay healthy and avoid the tell-tale signs of aging like bad posture and loss of muscle mass?

If there is one thing you can do, I recommend strength training. Many years of poor posture will cause a domino effect. When your posture is off and hunched over, your low back muscles overcompensate, trying to correct your posture from the bottom. If you’re not strengthening them, they won’t be strong enough to do this, and you’ll begin to feel those aging aches and pains.

Your body is your temple, but if your temple is leaning too far forward, it will collapse one day. Gravity is not your friend so why help it bring you down with a bad spine. Strength training will help fix your posture and prevent structural damage.