Here’s what we’ll cover in this blog post:
- How exercise enhances longevity
- Which exercises are best for longevity
- How to build a sustainable exercise plan
We all know that exercise is one of the most powerful tools in our longevity toolkit. But with so much conflicting information available, it can be difficult to settle on an exercise routine that’s right for you.
The truth is that there’s no one-size-fits-all exercise plan that works for everyone’s health goals. Each type of exercise offers unique benefits that may or may not fit your health goals. The key is to diversify our exercise plans and consistently push our limits.
So then, what is the best exercise for longevity, and just how much exercise do we need to live a longer, healthier life? Here’s what the latest science has to say.
Why Do We Exercise?
Lifestyle modifications like exercise directly impact our health and lifespan, allowing us to take control of our health simply by choosing activities that are good for us.
Everything from diet and exercise to healthy sleep and stress management helps keep us physically and mentally fit. They also help keep our risk for age-related diseases low. By addressing modifiable lifestyle risk factors, we can significantly reduce our risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
If we can think of exercise as a part of our longevity toolkit, exercise would be the hammer or screwdriver–an indispensable part of our health journey. Without exercise, it would be very difficult to optimize our health to live healthier, longer. Exercise has many diverse longevity benefits, including improved heart strength, stronger muscles, healthier weight, lower blood sugar levels, improved bone density, and improved heart and lung function.
A multitude of studies show that physical activity contributes to greater longevity. Exercise forms the basis of healthy lifestyle choices that directly influence how long we live and how long we stay healthy.
But exercise doesn’t just help people lower their risk of disease. Exercise also helps manage existing chronic diseases and age-related conditions, making it an even more indispensable part of our everyday health.
It’s clear that we need regular exercise to live longer and healthier. The question then becomes, what’s the best exercise for longevity?
Best Exercise for Longevity
All exercise is healthy, but not all exercise has the same kind of health benefits. For example, strength and resistance training may have the biggest impact on symptoms of depression, while aerobic exercises like running may have a better impact on lung capacity.
Here’s what science tells us are the best types of exercises for longevity.
Walking
Taking over 12,000 steps daily is associated with a 65% decrease in all-cause mortality, when contrasted with individuals who manage only 4,000 steps or fewer. Remarkably, the advantages of additional steps do not plateau until reaching around 17,000 steps, at which point the maximal longevity benefits are observed. Walking can also increase our cardiovascular fitness and reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease as it helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels.
Endurance & HIIT
Endurance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) stand as pillars in the architecture of a diversified exercise regimen. Each offer distinct advantages for enhancing physical and mental health.
Endurance exercises, including activities like jogging or engaging in sustained zone 2 training (or a comfortable effort you could sustain for a longer time without exhaustion), lay the foundation for improved cardiovascular resilience, fostering enhanced stamina and robust heart health. This form of training meticulously conditions the body to efficiently utilize oxygen, supporting sustained physical activity and promoting a hearty circulatory system.
HIIT is characterized by brief bursts of intense activity followed by periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. This method is not only effective in bolstering cardiovascular fitness, but also plays a crucial role in cognitive health.
Together, endurance and HIIT training sculpt a comprehensive fitness approach. By marrying the steady, enduring beat of endurance workouts with the sharp spikes of HIIT, you’re building a synergistic workout routine that fortifies the heart and muscles while keeping the brain agile and responsive.
Sprinting & Resistance Training
Sprinting triggers fast-twitch muscle fibers that play a crucial role in enhancing the body’s insulin sensitivity, which contributes to healthier blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of diabetes.
On the other hand, resistance training fortifies this approach by growing and preserving muscle mass. As we age, maintaining muscle mass becomes an increasingly vital factor in sustaining a robust metabolism. Muscle tissue is a significant consumer of glucose, and by engaging in resistance exercises, we ensure that our bodies remain proficient at regulating sugar levels, staving off the insidious creep of metabolic syndrome.
Together, sprinting and resistance training offer a complimentary effect. While sprinting addresses the efficient use and disposal of blood sugar, resistance training builds the muscular infrastructure necessary for metabolic health. This combination not only serves as a preventative measure against age-related decline, but also enhances overall vitality, ensuring our bodies remain resilient against the challenges of aging.
Yoga & Stretching
Incorporating stretching exercises into our fitness regimen brings an essential dimension of flexibility and equilibrium to our exercise portfolio.
Yoga elongates the muscle fibers, which helps maintain mobility throughout life. This practice not only prepares the body for more strenuous activities, but also aids in recovery, ensuring that we can maintain a consistent exercise schedule. Additionally, the meditative aspects of yoga enhance mental clarity and stress relief, contributing to a well-rounded approach to combat aging.
Yoga and stretching exercises are the perfect counterbalance to more intense exercises. Yoga complements the benefits of other exercises by emphasizing postural alignment and balance, which are crucial for everyday movements and long-term joint health.
Building a Sustainable Exercise Plan
Even if exercise is the screwdriver of our longevity toolkit, we have to remember that there’s more than one kind of screwdriver, and not all are perfect for the task at hand. If we want to improve our flexibility, for example, then strength training may not be the right choice. On the other hand, stretching might not have the same impact on our metabolic health as running.
No matter what exercise we choose, it’s important to keep a diversified routine and consistently push your personal bests. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, which equals about 30 minutes of exercise for 5 days out of the week.
It’s easy to jump into a high-intensity fitness regimen, assuming that will get you the best results. But finding an ideal balance with manageable activities that challenge you is the best strategy for living a longer, healthier life.
Note: The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.