If your goal is to look younger, excellent skin care is a given. However, there are many other ways to look and feel more youthful.
GB News spoke exclusively to a 70-year-old who is defying ageing. The septuagenarian, who works as a fitness instructor, credits her incredible appearance to regular movement.
Liz Hilliard revealed that despite her age, she is in the best shape of her life.
"I never expected to be healthier and stronger at 70 than I was at 40," she said, "but that’s exactly what happened".
'You're never too old, and it’s never too late to be powerful'
Liz Hilliard
The septuagenarian created the Hilliard Studio Method (HSM) at age 51. As explained on her website, it is a "core-centric, total-body workout described as Pilates on steroids".
Liz found that traditional exercise was no longer enough to keep her fit when she reached menopause, and this personal struggle inspired her to create her own fitness programme.
She told GB News: "I want to make women around the world aware that their bodies can change for the better in or after menopause.
"It's a total body workout that combines core-centric Pilates with strength training in a high-intensity, low-impact format. I wanted to create a fun workout, but it also had to be safe, effective, and efficient."
While many feel dictated by their age as they get older, Liz has not let turning 70 slow her down.
"You're never too old, and it’s never too late to be powerful," she told septuagenarians and beyond.
Exercise has incredible physical benefits. The fitness instructor explained that her focus on core strength "tones her waist and flattens her tummy".
Working out is also a wonderful health hack: "It protects and strengthens the back muscles and improves posture with its focus on alignment.
"In addition, the use of equipment and body weight in a low-impact way has been shown to improve bone density, mobility, flexibility, and overall strength and wellness."
Aside from these obvious benefits, the experts at Healthspan confirmed that youthful skin is an overlooked result of keeping active.
They stated: "We all know that exercise is good for our heart, waistline and overall wellbeing, but here's another reason to get active.
"Regular exercise can help your skin look younger for longer. It helps improve your circulation, pumping more blood and oxygen to your skin cells to keep them healthy and resilient."
The experts pointed to a study published in Aging Cell, which found that "moderate to vigorous exercise resulted in visibly younger-looking skin".
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Liz believes she looks better at 70 than she did at 40, 50 and 60
Liz Hilliard
They said: "It seems exercise may be able to reverse some of the skin cell changes that lead to ageing signs, including loss of elasticity. It does this by improving the metabolism of your skin cells so they function better."
An article entitled 'The Potential of Exercise on Lifestyle and Skin Function: Narrative Review', published in the National Library of Medicine, also pointed to exercise as an effective skin care strategy.
Experts stated: "Regular exercise is associated with increased blood flow to the skin, elevated skin temperature and improved skin moisture."
Liz supplements her workouts with healthy eating, starting every morning with a protein and fibre-rich smoothie packed with healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.
GB News has spoken to several women about their secret to appearing younger than their years.
A 57-year-old woman who appears decades younger shared the skin care routines that keep her youthful.
And an almost-50-year-old shared the anti-ageing "secret weapon" she's obsessed with.
