It’s been said that regular physical activity translates into a longer life expectancy. Numerous studies support this, showing that when people undertake regular physical activity, their risk of developing chronic conditions (such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis) decreases. So does this mean you have to be an Olympic swimmer, runner and cyclist to experience the benefit? According to research from the US Department of Health and Human Services, the average adult only needs to exercise between 1.25 and 2.5 hours each week – much less than the total weekly training time of any professional athlete.
So how do you go about experiencing these benefits – apart from putting the required amount of hours in? In this blog, we clear up some of the issues surrounding the relationship between exercise and increased life expectancy.
Does It Matter What Exercise I Do?
There’s no definite link between what exercises one does and the certainty of increased life expectancy. In a recent study, sports such as tennis and badminton were shown to positively affect one’s life expectancy more than swimming, running, cycling or gym exercise.
Should I Do It Alone?
Activities like running and weight-lifting have numerous health benefits, including improving your strength and cardiovascular health. To achieve real longevity benefits, however, one must be prepared to supplement one’s running or gym exercise with activities that nurture connections and facilitate social interactions – in other words, activities like tennis, soccer and badminton. The social aspect of exercise has its benefits, too.
Do I Have To Lose Weight To Benefit?
Research has shown that leisure-time exercise and activity is associated with an increase in life expectancy – no matter one’s body weight. You’ll benefit, even at low levels of activity.
Martial Arts And Longevity Martial arts has the double benefit of combining social connection with physical exercise. It’s well-suited for ensuring long-time health benefits that are linked to increased life expectancy and can help you to lose weight and reach any other fitness goal you have. With that said, getting a semi-private instructor is beneficial. An attentive instructor limits the potential for injury as he/she will monitor one’s progress, ensuring one follows and masters the correct forms, techniques and movements. Contact us to learn more.
