We all know that regular exercise offers bags of benefits for our future selves. It keeps us flexible, strong, better able to tackle everyday tasks, and reduces the risk of aches and pains in later life. Though studies have shown that later life could be even longer thanks to a slick fitness regime.
In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers followed a group of elite runners and found they could live around five years longer than those who don’t train intensively.
Runners were selected from 28 different countries and capable of running a mile in under 4 minutes. Those who ran a mile in under 4 minutes during the 1950s lived an average of nine years longer than the general population. Those studied in the 1960s lived about 5.5 years longer, and in the 1970s lived an extra 3 years.
The research team believed that the extreme exercise regime of the elite runners had contributed to their longer lifespan.
Now, let’s get it straight, we’re not suggesting you have to run a 4 minute mile to enjoy a longer stint in old age, but there’s a lot to be said for the importance of pushing your physical limits to keep the body performing to its best.
Hitting the gym to tackle the same cardio routine every week, will keep your health in check. Though pushing your heart rate with HIIT and high performance exercise will challenge the body to make the heart even stronger.
If you’re new to fitness, strutting into the gym and going at it full pelt is likely to leave you feeling more shaken than strong. So build it up over time.
Your aim is to strengthen the heart, lungs, blood vessels, muscles and ultimately, your immune system. You’ll recover more quickly from injury and be better able to perform everyday tasks as you age.
Ok, so let’s take a look at a few regular activities you can level up to ensure you see a few more birthdays.
WALKING
Walking packs a punch for cardio health, toning, plus a dose of fresh air is great for the soul. Make your walk that bit ‘extra’ by increasing the intensity over time.
Begin with brisk walking for an hour, then start to increase your duration and speed. Soon enough, you’ll be power walking your way through a 90 minute treadmill sesh.
Next step, add weights. Start small and increase the weights you hold as you grow stronger. When it feels comfortable, increase your weights again.
RUNNING
If walking for 90 minutes feels like a long use of time, expend the same energy in less time with a run.
Add weights in the form of a weighted backpack to add extra intensity, and adjust the treadmill to an incline. Increase the incline once your runs start to feel less physically challenging.
HIT THE POOL
Water based workouts are often described as low impact, as they’re nice and easy on the joints. But make no mistake, low impact doesn’t mean low intensity. Swimming 2/10 of a mile can give you the same workout as running a mile. So you’re getting the extra physical challenge from the resistance of being in the water.
Add an extra level of intensity by wearing wrist or ankle weights whilst you swim. Or try water running, walking or a fitness class such as our H20Fit.
LIFT IT
Weight training boosts strength, improves posture and helps the body to perform everyday tasks much easier. So it makes sense that staying strong will see you in good stead in later life.
When weight training, focus on as many muscle groups as possible. Legs, hips, chest, back, abs, shoulders and arms.
A 2022 study of nearly 100,000 people aged 55 to 74, showed that those who lifted weights regularly had a 41% less chance of dying within the next 10 years.
Again, don’t get comfortable. Push yourself to lift heavier, or for longer to keep those muscles working. The aim here isn’t big guns or ripped abs, it’s to keep the body pushing itself to achieve bigger, longer strength.
YOGA
Yoga is often seen as a great choice for fitness newbies, due to it’s low cardio intensity and plentiful ways to modify it for a beginner. Though make no mistake, some of the more elite athletes use yoga as part of their extreme training programme.
Studies of over 65 year olds have shows than regular yoga can increase walking speed and the ability to rise from a chair – both of which are associated with longer lives.
Push it further, by adding weights to make your body work harder, and holding poses for longer. Over time, you’ll notice a significant increase in strength, flexibility and balance.
Intense fitness doesn’t need to be extreme or eccentric, it’s all about continuing to break your boundaries and keep the body beating its own personal best.
