A Balanced Exercise Routine: The Key to Longevity?
In fitness, there’s an age-old debate that goes along these lines: cardio or strength training? Well, Dr. F. Perry Wilson from Yale School of Medicine might have some answers for us. Drawing insights from a juicy new study, he pontificates on how a mixture of both cardio and muscle-strengthening workouts could be the formula to longevity. Now, there’s no one-size-fits-all routine, but it seems that breaking more than a bead of sweat here and flexing some muscle there could potentially make us live healthier and longer. So, lace up those sneakers, and let’s dive deeper!
Cardio, Strength Training, Or Both?
Cardiovascular or aerobic exercises have been the golden child of the exercise world since the ’80s and the ’90s. From cancer to cognitive functions, the health benefits are endless. However, hiding in its shadow, muscle-strengthening exercises have also been revealing their silver linings. Not only do they amp up your strength, they can reduce visceral fat, increase anaerobic capacity and muscle mass, and even your basal metabolic rate. Yes, fit people, your bigger muscles help burn more energy at rest, making you a lean, mean, energy-burning machine!
So, the million-dollar question is: should you opt for cardio, strength training, or both? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests busting some serious sweat for at least 150 minutes per week (how about a fierce 30-minute workout for five days a week?) and strength training at least twice in a week. The World Health Organization (WHO) roots for the same regimen too, but says you can crank up the intensity if you’re feeling gutsy.
What Does The New Longevity Study Say?
Dr. Wilson explored a recent study featured in JAMA Internal Medicine with over 500,705 participants partaking in a decade-long survey. The investigation discovered six categories of moderate physical activity (MPA), four for vigorous physical activity (VPA), and two for muscle-strengthening activity (MSA). Across these combinations, people’s health outcomes differed remarkably.
What’s fascinating is that the data reveals an interesting correlation between exercising and lifestyle habits. It turns out; people who exercise more tend to also exhibit healthier drinking habits. Smokers, however, no need to panic! Although the data initially suggested that people who exercise more smoke more, it was merely a false alarm and a typo.
The Need for A Critical Eye on Longevity
While these results are intriguing, keep in mind that correlation doesn’t always mean causation. What we see might just be healthy exerciser effect in action: folks who exercise more probably also practice other healthy habits. But this by no means negates the potential positive impacts of a well-rounded exercise regimen.
The Bottom Line: Mix It Up
From the study, it’s clear: don’t just sit there! Any form of physical activity is better than nothing. Pushing into the vigorous zone helps, but so does sprinkling some muscle-strengthening exercises into the mix. So, put on your warpaint (or, you know, your workout gear) and get moving! Amid the hustle and bustle of getting healthy, don’t forget the ultimate goal: to enjoy a vibrant and vibrant life by staying consistently active, one sweat session at a time.
Key Takeaways:
- Varying your workouts with a mix of cardiovascular and strength training may potentially lead to a healthier, longer life.
- Exercising is associated not just with physical, but with cognitive benefits too.
- The CDC and WHO suggest a combination of moderate to vigorous workouts for at least 150 minutes per week and muscle building activities twice a week.
- According to recent research, people truly immerse in workouts also tend to have healthier lifestyle habits overall.
- While observational studies offer important insights, remember that they don’t prove causation, and individual fitness strategies may vary.
Source Article: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/994976
