Some of my favorite pieces of music are jazz quintets and classical string quintets. The individual instruments blend and harmonize so beautifully into a single stream of musical motion. (Think Miles Davis and John Coltrane from the 50’s and 60’s, as well as Mozart and Beethoven string quintets.) I find them more compelling than the more traditional quartets, somehow richer and deeper with that one extra voice. Yet all the instruments and parts are essential to the piece and no one instrument is more or less important than the others. Your body’s ability to move is no less beautiful, harmonious and wondrous, and every movement is also made up of 5 essential aspects that weave together in the complex symphony of muscle, tendon, bone, circulation and energy.

The 5 aspects of movement that are essential to train for to keep your health and activity at peak levels for as long as possible are 1) cardiovascular (circulatory), 2) power, 3) strength, 4) balance and stability, and 5) posture and alignment. Each one is just as important as the next and just as necessary to complete your whole, well-rounded, seamless, physical activity for a fully functional, healthy body.

As you get older, it takes a lot of training in all of these areas. By “a lot” I mean an hour or two almost every day—in addition to staying active during the rest of your day and not just collapsing on the sofa. Along with eating natural food (and not too much of it), and getting enough quality sleep, this is the best way to keep your body active and strong while lowering your risk of all-cause mortality as you get older. A major benefit, of course, is keeping your energy and independence at peak levels. This is a big, big subject, and I will revisit each area separately in future posts in more detail.

Cardiovascular (Aerobic)

Aerobic (aka cardiovascular) exercises include walking fast, hiking, biking, swimming, and other activities where you maintain a steady output of energy for a long time. This is often referred to as Zone 2 training. It is the grandaddy of all longevity exercise, and it benefits everything to do with circulation and metabolism, including your heart, lungs, brain, blood pressure, joints, and the energy-producing mitochondria in your cells. I have written about Zone 2 before and will continue to share more thoughts on this topic, as it is so important.

Power/VO2 Max

Think of power as acceleration or extra energy above the Zone 2 threshold, like climbing a hill, or a flight of stairs, or sprinting. It is anaerobic in nature, that is, it does not burn oxygen and fat but uses the limited glycogen stored in your liver and muscles. Like Zone 2, this aspect of physical training has many circulatory benefits, plus it trains the body to store more glycogen reserves for extra energy when you need it. A high VO2 Max is highly correlated with longevity and energy into your 70s, 80s, and 90s. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a proven and reliable way to increase and maintain VO2 Max.

Strength

Given the gradual but certain decline in muscle mass as we age, strength training is simply maintaining or increasing our muscle strength, which in turn supports our joints, muscles, tendons and bones. It is best accomplished not with individual muscle training, the kind a bodybuilder would do, but with full-body movements that use your body weight or added gym weights to tax the muscles enough so that they rebuild themselves. Yoga is a good way to do this, particularly to increase leg strength in lunge poses like warrior pose. (You can find photos and instructions for this pose online.)

Balance and Stability

Balance is related to strength, but you can work on it separately as well. If you try to balance on one leg for as long as you can, you will realize just how many faculties you use for balance, including strength, focus, concentration, and breathing. (Hold onto a countertop or sturdy chair, if necessary.) Balance training helps you avoid falling as you get older. That is a leading cause of disability, which increases the likelihood of other physical complications, which can take away your independence and ability to function on your own. I find that nothing beats yoga for balance training. There are many yoga poses that concentrate on balance. (A classic balance pose is the tree pose; look online for photos and instructions.)

Flexibility, Posture, and Alignment

As I’ve written about in my book and a few articles, flexibility and posture are subtle outliers that usually don’t make it into causes of mortality lists. But if we factor in quality of life and the fact that an inflexible, stooped body probably has a ton of unresolved inflammation and other issues going on, I think it should be included in all the longevity lists! All the other areas of training discussed above are affected by flexibility and posture, and training in those areas is a good way to increase your flexibility and improve your posture. Here again, yoga is a stellar way to combine different aspects, but if you prefer, individual stretching and twisting, plus body awareness and breathing, work as well.

Which One Is Most Important?

Clearly, they are all equally important. Which aspect of physical training is most important? You guessed it, all of them. Our bodies are wondrous and complex machines and need a lot of care and maintenance, especially as we get older. Remember, the goal is a fully functional, healthy body that empowers you to be strong, active, energetic, and independent—while lowering your risk of all-cause mortality.

(Much more to come on each individual aspect in future posts)