Dr Aparna Hegde The Age Less GP

Dr Aparna Hegde The Age Less GP Professional page of the principal GP at The Age Less Clinic and General Practice

18/06/2026

🏃‍♀️🦺 Running with a weighted vest -advanced training or too much load?

Adding a weighted vest to running is not a beginner tool - but for those with a solid fitness base, it can be a powerful way to progress load and conditioning.

⚙️ What changes:

* Higher cardiovascular demand at the same pace
* Greater bone-loading stimulus
* Increased energy cost and muscular endurance demand
* Significantly higher joint and tendon loading

💪 When it can be useful:
For experienced, well-conditioned individuals, it can be a progression tool to:

* push aerobic capacity
* challenge running economy
* increase mechanical loading for bone and muscle adaptation

⚠️ The key caution:
Because impact forces increase substantially, it needs to be:

* introduced gradually
* kept short in duration
* balanced with strength work and recovery
* avoided if there are joint, tendon, or bone stress concerns

🧬 Longevity lens:
More load isn’t automatically better BUT progressive, well-dosed load is how the body adapts and stays strong.

So yes - it should absolutely be “tried” in the right population…
but it should be treated as an advanced training stimulus, not a default upgrade.

👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

17/06/2026

😳 Seeing a chunk of hair in the shower or brush can feel alarming… but some hair loss is actually normal.

We naturally shed around 50–100 hairs a day as part of the hair growth cycle - sometimes there’s even more after washing if you don’t wash daily.

And remember - the longer your hair, the more dramatic the shedding can look. A few long strands tangled together can seem like a lot more hair than it actually is!

🚩 But if you’re noticing clumps, thinning, widening of your part, scalp showing, or increased shedding for weeks, it may be time to investigate.

Hair loss isn’t just “cosmetic” - it can reflect underlying issues like stress, hormones, iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, peri/menopause, nutrition, inflammation, scalp health, and even genetics.

✨ Did you know hair is also checked as part of your skin assessment? Your scalp and hair health can provide important clues about what’s happening internally.

Concerned about hair loss or thinning? Book in at The Age Less Clinic and General Practice with Dr. Vasanth Govindappa for an assessment to help identify the cause and discuss evidence-based treatment options.

Healthy hair starts from within. 💫

👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

17/06/2026

⏰ What is the BEST time of day to exercise for longevity?

The answer may surprise you… the best time is the time you will actually do consistently. 👏🏽

For longevity, movement done regularly beats the “perfect” workout time every single time.

That said, there are some benefits to timing your exercise:

🌅 Morning exercise
✔️ Helps create consistency and routine
✔️ Can improve energy and mood for the day
✔️ Great for fasted walks with a weighted vest, strength training, and building healthy habits

☀️ Afternoon or early evening exercise
✔️ Often when strength, performance, balance and coordination peak
✔️ You may lift heavier and perform better
✔️ Great for resistance training and higher intensity exercise

🌙 Late night exercise?
For some people, very intense sessions too close to bedtime can affect sleep quality - and sleep is one of the biggest pillars of longevity.

The real secret? A longevity exercise routine includes movement across the day, not just one workout:
🚶🏽‍♀️ Daily walking/NEAT
🏋🏽 Strength training 2–3x/week
🧘🏽 Mobility, stretching or yoga
❤️ Sprinting for heart health

The best time to exercise is the time that becomes your habit - because consistency is what builds healthspan, not perfection.

👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

16/06/2026

“Sitting is the new smoking” - while a little dramatic, there is truth to the idea that too much sitting is harmful to long-term health.

A standing desk ✔️
A walking pad ✔️
A weighted vest ✔️

These simple tools can help turn desk time into movement time and boost incidental activity - the everyday movement that adds up for health, longevity, and energy expenditure.

Why does it matter? Because one of the biggest contributors to calorie burn is NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) - the energy burned through everyday movement outside formal exercise. Standing more, walking while working, and simply moving throughout the day can make a real difference for metabolic health and weight management.

Adding a weighted vest can also help increase loading through bones and muscles, supporting strength and bone density as we age.

You don’t have to smash yourself in the gym every day. The magic is often in the small things done consistently. Think movement snacks, habit stacking, and building movement into everyday life.

Healthy ageing is not just about living longer - it’s about having the strength and energy to enjoy life.

👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

14/06/2026

💪🏼 One of the most frequently asked questions in clinic: “Should I be taking creatine… and how much?”

The short answer? For most adults - especially women in midlife and beyond - creatine monohydrate is one of the best researched supplements for healthy ageing, muscle, strength and brain health.

Why I often recommend it:
✅ Supports muscle strength and lean muscle mass
✅ Helps improve exercise performance and recovery
✅ May support bone health indirectly through better strength training outcomes
✅ Emerging evidence for brain, mood and cognitive support - particularly important as we age

📌 How much should you take?

🔹 General health / longevity:
3–5 g daily

🔹 Women in perimenopause/postmenopause, strength training, active ageing or sarcopenia prevention:
Often 5 g daily is a practical dose.

🔹 Vegetarians/vegans or intensive training:
Sometimes slightly higher doses are used, but individualisation matters.

The key? Consistency beats cycling. Creatine works by gradually saturating muscle stores, so daily use matters more than timing.

⚠️ Not all creatine is created equal.

When choosing a supplement, I recommend:
✔️ Micronized pure creatine monohydrate - finer particles dissolve better and are often gentler on the gut
✔️ No unnecessary fillers, sweeteners or proprietary blends
✔️ GMP-certified (Good Manufacturing Practice) or independently accredited products - this matters for purity, quality control and reducing contamination risk

Because when you’re taking something daily for longevity and health, quality matters just as much as dose.

As always, supplements should be personalised - especially if you have kidney disease, are on medications, or have specific medical conditions.



👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

14/06/2026

💪🏽 Want stronger bones? It’s not just what exercise you do - it’s how you load it.

When doing squats or reverse lunges, where you hold your dumbbells matters for bone density.

👉🏽 Holding weights up on your shoulders (front rack, goblet, or barbell position) places more load through the spine, hips, and pelvis - areas most at risk of bone loss causing osteopenia and osteoporosis.

👉🏽 Holding dumbbells down by your sides still builds strength, but places less compressive load through the axial skeleton.

Bone loves load, impact, and progressive resistance. The right exercise and the right technique can make a big difference to maintaining strength and independence as we age.

Strong muscles. Strong bones. Better ageing. 🦴✨

13/06/2026

Could wrinkle-relaxing injections actually help with stress? 🤔

Most people think wrinkle-relaxing injections are purely cosmetic. But the science is becoming increasingly interesting…

We know chronic stress often shows up physically:
😬 Jaw clenching and teeth grinding
😠 Overactive frowning muscles creating a tense or “resting stressed” appearance
😣 Chronic facial tension that keeps the nervous system in a constant state of “fight or flight”

✨ Masseter treatment for chronic clenching
Stress commonly drives jaw clenching and grinding, leading to jaw pain, headaches, poor sleep and facial tension. Relaxing the masseter muscles may help reduce this cycle.

✨ Relaxing the “stress face” muscles
The muscles that pull the face into a frown or tense expression can become overactive. There is emerging evidence that relaxing these muscles may influence mood, stress perception and even biomarkers such as cortisol through the facial feedback pathway - essentially reducing the constant signalling of stress to the brain.

Some studies suggest that reducing chronic facial tension may improve wellbeing, anxiety symptoms and emotional stress responses in selected patients.

No - it’s not a magic fix for burnout, high cortisol or chronic life stress. But for the right patient, it may be one useful tool in reducing the physical manifestations of stress.

Because healthy ageing isn’t just about wrinkles. It’s about how you feel too.

👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

12/06/2026

🏥 Why does accreditation matter when choosing your healthcare clinic?

At our clinic, quality, safety and evidence-based care are at the centre of everything we do.

We are proud to be a fully AGPAL-accredited General Practice AND uniquely, the only clinic in Perth combining Functional Medicine, Skin Specialist services and Acupuncture within an accredited General Practice setting.

What does this mean for you?

✔️ We meet rigorous national standards as an accredited General Practice
✔️ Your care is delivered in a medically governed, quality-assured healthcare environment
✔️ We combine conventional medicine with evidence-based holistic approaches - all under one roof

From skin health and hormones to longevity, preventative care and integrative medicine, our goal is to deliver personalised, high-quality healthcare you can trust.

Because when it comes to your health, accreditation, safety and excellence matter.

👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

10/06/2026

✨ Skin Talk at the Clinic ✨

Great skin is not just about looking younger - it’s a reflection of what’s happening beneath the surface.

At our Clinic Talk, we explored how true skin longevity comes from a holistic approach: understanding hormones, inflammation, nutrition, collagen support, sleep, stress, sun protection, skincare, and in-clinic treatments that actually work.

Healthy ageing isn’t about chasing perfection or “anti-ageing” quick fixes. It’s about supporting your skin to age well, maintain function, and help you look as vibrant as you feel.

From pigmentation and collagen loss to acne, rosacea, menopause skin and regenerative treatments - there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and asked such thoughtful questions. We love empowering our patients with evidence-based strategies to help you look, feel and move well at every age.

Because longevity is not just about living longer - it’s about living well. ✨

👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

09/06/2026

Push-ups: one of the best longevity exercises you’re probably not doing enough of 💪🏽

A good push-up isn’t just about upper body strength - it reflects functional strength, core stability, bone loading, balance and the ability to get up and down from the floor independently as we age.

And no… you do NOT need to start on the floor.

The secret? Progressive overload with good form.

➡️ Start with a wall push-up
➡️ Progress to a bench or countertop
➡️ Then a lower surface (chair/sofa)
➡️ Move to knees on the floor
➡️ Finally, build to a full push-up

The goal is simple: gradually lower the angle as you get stronger.

Quality over quantity:
✔️ Body in a straight line
✔️ Core engaged
✔️ Chest lowers with control
✔️ Elbows at ~45° (not flared)
✔️ Full range of motion

Even a few repetitions daily can build remarkable strength over time.

Longevity is about staying strong, capable and independent enough to enjoy life fully.

Can you do a push-up today? If not, start where you are. Your future self will thank you.

👩🏽‍⚕️ The Age Less GP

Address

236 Stirling Highway, Claremont
Perth, WA
6010

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 1pm - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm

Telephone

+61408888790

Website

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