The Longevity Lifestyle
By Ann Tyndall, Ph.D.
If you were
willing to do only one thing, and one thing only to help you live longer and
better, what would it be? Research
overwhelmingly supports that the single most important thing you can do for health
and longevity is to get regular exercise, which is 30-50 minutes of activity at
least five days a week. Studies of the
longest-lived people of the world reveal that these people live in very remote
areas of the world, often mountainous, and they don’t have very good
roads. They walk several miles a day as
part of their regular routine. Active in
their eighties, nineties and even one hundreds, they are walking, dancing, swimming
and even riding horses. Exercise is what
keeps them young, mobile and energetic.
Regular
exercise, essential for heart health, is shown to be just as effective in
maintaining healthy arteries and cholesterol levels as cholesterol-lowering
drugs and there are no side effects. Exercise
is more effective in preventing and treating depression than drugs and it was
also shown to be preventive in diabetes and many cancers. The key is to find
something that you enjoy and will do on a regular basis. The best mix of exercise is to have at least three
sessions of cardio a week, such as power walking, Zumba, cycling or swimming
and at least two sessions of strength training (weight lifting) per week, which
also strengthens bones. Stretching every
day keeps range of motion and prevents stiffness.
Even
regular exercise is not enough if you sit too much, state the latest research
studies.
Sitting disease is now called
the new smoking as the toll it takes compares with smoking risk. If you feel a little guilty after a long TV
binge, you may be shocked to find the health hazards of sitting are a threat
even if you went to the gym today. The
average person sits for about eight hours a day, in front of a screen or behind
the wheel and this increases the risk of coronary events (heart attack, angina
or stroke) by 125% over those who move around more. Sitting increases risk for colon, breast and
endometrial cancers and muscles get mushy causing weakness, instability and
back and neck pain. Foggy brain follows
those long bouts in the chair because moving muscles are needed to pump fresh blood
and oxygen for maximum brain function.
So get
moving. Standing is better than sitting
and you can stand when you talk on the phone, have standing meetings or
walks. Work standing up and take
frequent movement breaks when you are working at the desk or watching TV. Take frequent breaks when driving and get
your muscles moving. Even a little
muscle movement helps get the circulation going to keep all systems working
optimally.
Ann Tyndall is an award winning nutritionist and the author of Prolong the Prime of Your Life: A Simple, Easy-to-Follow Program of Exercise and Nutrition.
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