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In the midst of a heart-pumping workout, you’re probably not contemplating the long-term consequences of every single burpee and plank jack on your body. If you’re like me, you’re focused on maxing out your workout so that your post-sweat snack and shower feel extra deserved. (Oh, and PS: There’s actually a scientific reason why you love to feel the burn).

But here’s the thing: Sooner or later, you might start thinking about your future and the role your fitness routine plays in living your happiest, healthiest life. According to Baxter Bell, MD and certified yoga teacher Nina Zolotow, authors of Yoga for Healthy Aging, discovering the secrets to healthy aging, like so many of life’s dilemmas, begins with unrolling your yoga mat.

“Our bodies are quite sophisticated in telling us when we’re getting into trouble, and our job is noticing it and actually paying attention, and doing something about it.” —Baxter Bell, MD

Not to be confused with longevity—a major wellness trend of the moment, which involves elongating your time here on Earth through biohacking everything from your coffee to your orgasms (seriously)—Zolotow and Bell concentrate on teaching moves that’ll improve your overall quality of life throughout the years you do have. Which means—you guessed it—taking a good, hard listen to what your body has to say.

“Our bodies are quite sophisticated in telling us when we’re getting into trouble, and our job is noticing it and actually paying attention, and doing something about it,” says Bell, “I think that when a yoga practitioner becomes more in tune with their body, they’re much more interested in treating the body really, really well, and not ignoring those really clear signals.”