Training & longevity
- Toia Scaffino
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
The secret to looking and feeling good inside and out
I recently shared a post on social media from Mustique magazine about a King's College London study conducted on middle-aged women over 10 years. The finding? Women with greater leg strength showed significantly less cognitive decline over time. Furthermore, some women exhibited a greater volume of gray matter, a tissue crucial for functions such as memory, language, and decision-making.
Although the relationship between leg strength and gray matter may not be obvious, the study only confirms that muscle isn't just about aesthetics; it's about metabolic health, mental health, and, above all, autonomy.
For a long time, women trained from a place of scarcity: to "burn" fat, or simply to fit into an aesthetic mold. Today, the paradigm has completely changed. Training is an act of self-love and an investment in the future: it's training for longevity.
"We were taught that life is an arc: you're born, you reach your peak in middle age, and then it's all downhill. But life isn't an arc, it's a ladder. Continuing to climb rungs in strength, wisdom, and presence depends on how you take care of your temple."
— Jane Fonda
Inside Out Beauty
When we work on strength, flexibility, and conscious mobility, the body changes on the outside as a natural consequence of what's happening on the inside:
Your brain stays young: Every time your legs exert force, you release substances that protect your neurons.
Your bones and joints strengthen: Strength prevents bone density loss and keeps your joints healthy over time.
Your energy multiplies: You improve your posture, your breathing, and your ability to respond to stress.
Your skin looks radiant: Texture and color improve as a result of better and greater circulation and the elimination of toxins. Strength for real life and for the sea
Strength for real life and for surfing
It means wanting to grow old with enough agility to surf, to travel, to walk on the beach, and to enjoy nature without your body being a limitation. It's about training intelligently and consciously: combining the functional strength that supports us with the flexibility and control of movement that gives us fluidity.
"Health is the condition of the complete development of a sound body, a clear mind, and the ability to perform our daily tasks naturally and effortlessly with enthusiasm and pleasure."
— Joseph Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology
The best time to start is today.
The muscle mass and strength you build today are the "savings account" you'll use to pay for your quality of life in the coming years. Because, as I always tell you, training and good habits have a cumulative effect on your body.
"I'm in better shape now than I was 10 years ago and 20 years ago. In 10 years, I'll be in better shape than I am now."
— Lenny Kravitz recently in Men's Health magazine
I feel exactly the same as Lenny. Looking good is great, but feeling strong, agile, sharp, and ready to take on the world is unparalleled. And it depends entirely on how we choose to live each day.
If you want a smart, mindful workout designed to help you enjoy movement in and out of the water and find your best self, click below and join my community.
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