Why exercise makes you feel younger.. especially through menopause!
How Exercise Can Keep You Young: Why Quality Beats Quantity
We all age. That part is unavoidable. But how we age is far more within our control than most people realise.
Modern research in exercise physiology and endocrinology shows that the right kind of training doesn’t just make you fitter it can slow biological ageing, preserve muscle and bone, and even mimic the hormonal signals that decline as we get older.
One of the leading voices in this space is Dr Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist whose work focuses on how training can support longevity, performance, and hormonal health — particularly as we move through our 30s, 40s and beyond.
At Symmetry Studio, this science is the foundation of how we coach.
Ageing Is Not Just About Time — It’s About Hormones and Signals
As we age, levels of key hormones decline:
Growth hormone
Testosterone, progesterone and oestrogen
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)
These hormones are responsible for:
Muscle repair and growth
Bone density
Collagen production
Metabolic health
Brain function
When these signals drop, the body starts to lose tissue, strength, resilience, and speed. This is why people often feel that they “suddenly” age in their 40s and 50s — the hormonal environment has changed.
But here is the powerful part:
Exercise can recreate many of the same signals that these hormones once provided.
In other words, movement can trick the body into behaving younger.
Why Sprint Interval Training (Not HIIT) Matters
Dr Stacy Sims is a strong advocate for Sprint Interval Training (SIT) rather than long, exhausting cardio or traditional HIIT.
The difference?
HIIT often becomes moderate intensity for too long, creating stress without strong hormonal benefit.
SIT uses very short, maximal efforts followed by full recovery.
For example:
20–30 seconds of hard sprinting or cycling
Followed by 2–4 minutes of rest
Repeated 3–6 times
This type of training has been shown to:
Increase mitochondrial density
Improve insulin sensitivity
Stimulate growth hormone
Preserve fast-twitch muscle fibres
Support cardiovascular health
And crucially, it does this without the long cortisol exposure that chronic cardio or poorly programmed HIIT can create.
This is one of the most effective “anti-ageing” tools we have.
Quality Over Quantity
The biggest mistake people make as they get older is doing more, not better.
More classes.
More steps.
More sweat.
But more volume does not equal better results especially when your recovery and hormones are already under pressure.
The research is clear:
It’s not about how much you do. It’s about how well you signal the body to adapt.
Short, intense, well-timed stimulus followed by recovery is what drives:
Muscle retention
Bone strength
Metabolic health
Nervous system resilience
This is why at Symmetry we focus on:
Intentional strength work
Reformer for control and tissue quality
Sprint-style conditioning
Recovery and mobility
Everything has a purpose.
Exercise as Hormone Replacement (Without the Side Effects)
When done correctly, exercise stimulates:
Growth hormone release
Testosterone and oestrogen signalling
Anti-inflammatory responses
Collagen production
Neuroprotective pathways in the brain
This is why people who train well don’t just look younger they:
Think more clearly
Move with confidence
Recover faster
Have better energy
They aren’t “chasing fitness.”
They are training their biology.
This Is How We Coach
At Symmetry Studio, our approach is built on this exact principle:
Train to signal youth. Not to burn calories. Train quality not quantity
We don’t chase exhaustion.
We chase adaptation
We coach the people in front of us not from a script we stick to, our sessions adapt with you
Because when your training sends the right message, your body listens.
And it responds at any age.