One of the top fitness goals older clients of mine have is to not only feel younger, but to look younger as well. They want to improve their fitness in daily activities and shed fat so they can enhance their aesthetics. In order to help your body look younger, you need to lead an active, healthy lifestyle. This means consistently focusing on the basics: eating a healthy diet that's high in lean protein, fruits, and vegetables, and also getting in regular exercise. (After all, exercise has been attributed to glowing skin, better sleep, enhanced flexibility and posture, and high metabolism.)

And when it comes to your exercise program, you not only want to do regular cardio workouts, but also strength training. This is because as we grow older, we lose muscle mass, and that lowers our metabolism and makes us age faster if we don't maintain it.

So, if a goal of yours is to look younger through fitness, you should focus on compound exercises that build muscle. Below are four of the best exercises you can add to your workout regimen to help you look younger. Read on to learn more, and next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

To perform this exercise, you'll want to grab a pair of dumbbells and have them in front of you. Keeping your chest tall and knees soft, push your hips back while dragging the weights down your thigh. Once you get a nice hamstring stretch, drive your hips forward, squeezing your glutes to finish. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Related: Over 40? These Exercises Will Make Your Body Look 10 Years Younger, Trainer Says

For this exercise, you'll lie flat on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold them straight up above you with your arms fully extended. Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench as you lower the weights down toward your chest. Get a good chest stretch in, then press the weights back up to the starting position, squeezing your pecs and triceps at the top. Perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Start this exercise by holding one dumbbell in each hand. Step forward with one leg, and firmly plant your foot. Then, lower yourself under control until your back knee gently touches the floor. Then, walk forward with the other leg, and repeat. Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps on each leg.

Position yourself parallel to a bench so one hand and knee are firmly planted on the surface of it for balance. Grip a dumbbell with your opposite hand and your arm extended straight down toward the floor. Then, begin the motion by pulling the dumbbell up towards your hip, squeezing your lats and upper back at the very end of the movement. Straighten your arm back down, and get a nice stretch at the bottom before performing the next rep. Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps for each arm.

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