Rolling back the years

What is the skincare secret to looking younger than your age? Some women swear by skincare products, from day and night creams to serum boosters and glowing gels. They all promise anti-ageing benefits such as reducing or eliminating fine lines and wrinkles, firming, deep hydration and improving skin elasticity and sun protection.

Other women say the fountain of youth is not found in any cosmetic product. To look decades younger than your age, you must put in the work at the gym and no workout is as effective in ‘rolling back’ the years as weight lifting.

The BDLife caught up with three fitness enthusiasts who have been turning heads whenever they enter a room. They share their anti-ageing secrets through weightlifting.

“I just don’t get the anti-ageing facial creams craze. What of the rest of your skin which is your biggest organ? Or is anti-ageing only a facial issue?” Farah Esmail poses.

A month ago, the corporate lawyer celebrated her 51st birthday. But she looks at least 14 years younger.   

“Protein and muscles are the major ingredients to anti-ageing and longevity. And you can’t build muscles without lifting weights. This is why I have been urging more women to do weights. It’s the perfect recipe for anti-ageing, not the creams and gels,”  she says emphatically.

Farah who is also a fitness researcher notes that Kenyan women have been made to believe that “they will look” like men if they were to lift weights.

“The problem we have is when people make those statements. It dissuades women from wanting to do weights. It’s unfortunate because there is so much science now with the focus no longer about weight loss but muscle gain and its effects on anti-ageing,” Farah says.

She adds, “Scientific research shows that when you have muscles, it triggers the release of certain hormones into the bloodstream, slowing the ageing process even as you age. So when you tell women to do lots of cardio exercises and little to no weights, that’s the most disservice you can do to them.”

Her insistence on lifting weights is also pegged on the scientific discovery of a condition called sarcopenia.

“As we age, we lose muscle, a condition known as sarcopenia and lifting weights and eating protein to build muscle is critical for longevity and anti-ageing. This is the knowledge I would love women to grasp,” she says. 

Since 2014, Farah has been competing as a natural bodybuilder. She is a three-time national champion in the Ms Kenya Bikini Fitness category.  

“I don’t encourage women to be bodybuilders because it’s an extreme sport, super demanding, intense and a personal decision. But what I emphasise is that women should do more weights than cardio,” says Farah.

Victoria Rubadiri, a notable TV personality agrees with Farah’s sentiments. She says working out is ‘non-negotiable’ if one is to slow down ageing.

For the last eight years or so, Victoria has been incorporating a lot of strength and resistance training in her workout itinerary.

“We are in a day and age where looking young, youthful and trying to maintain your vitality is extremely important especially for women post 35. What motivated me to begin my fitness journey was a health scare in 2016. After realising how fragile the body is, I wanted to be better, get stronger and fit and weights came in handy,” the CNN correspondent says.

Whereas she agrees that weight training hugely impacts one’s aesthetic looks, for her, there is more to gain from strength training.

“Of course, you will want to look good and weights will help you achieve that body goal physique, but I also want to feel good and strong, especially in my older age,” she says.

Even though she highly encourages weight training, Vicky says it’s okay to indulge in options if lifting loads isn’t your cup of tea.

“Working out is the fountain of youth. You see people going for different procedures but for me, it’s good to keep it as natural as possible. Keep your body moving no matter what it is, it could be an evening walk, keep your body moving because, with workouts, you are healing your body from the inside. Couple that with quality food and you hit the jackpot.”

Vicky’s exercise plan combines cardio and weights with a focus on strength training.

“I do a combination of running and weights. I love to run because it is a mental release, you also get to interact with nature. And then weight training because with that you build muscle and strength and like I said for women post 35, you need to strengthen your muscles for the next phase of your life for you to be able to do what you were able to in your 20s. You have to weight lift there is no excuse around it.”

About all her life, Anne-Marie has always been active and the rewards are there to see. Even in her 50s, the entrepreneur spots a youthful look.

“I learnt first-hand that if you take care of your body, it takes care of you,” she says.

Over the years, Anne-Marie discovered that the secret to staying youthful is to stay active. Although she loves to weightlift, she is cognisant of hitting a plateau (when one is no longer improving and your workouts feel easy).

“I never plateau because I vary and switch my exercise activities regularly,” she states.

Her workouts comprise a whole lot of activities. She loves the gym as much as she does the dance floor where she sways to kizomba, bachata and salsa tunes. What she doesn’t fancy much is running.

However, Anne-Marie notes that the most important aspect to her is not the aesthetics but rather the “results of her annual health and fitness tests.”