Fitness

7 Reasons why exercise, not medication, is your best bet for longevity

Published

1 year ago

December 5, 2023

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7 Reasons why exercise, not medication, is your best bet for longevity

Choosing exercise over medication for longevity isn’t just a health trend; it’s a lifestyle choice backed by science.

This blog delves into seven reasons why regular physical activity could be your secret weapon for a longer, healthier life.

You’ll discover how exercise, more than any pill, enhances heart health, mental well-being, immune function, and much more.

Perfect for anyone aiming to improve their health, these insights will highlight the profound impact of incorporating exercise into your daily routine, showing that sometimes, the best medicine is a good workout.

7 Reasons why exercise is the ultimate longevity booster

1. Improves cardiovascular health

Integrating regular exercise into your lifestyle can lead to substantial and lasting improvements in cardiovascular health, often going beyond what medication alone can achieve. It’s a holistic approach, benefiting not just your heart but your entire body and mind.

Here’s how it fortifies your heart and circulation:

Strengthens the heart muscle

Just like any other muscle, your heart becomes stronger with exercise. Regular physical activity helps the heart pump more efficiently, reducing the strain on this vital organ [1].

Improves blood circulation

Exercise enhances blood flow, ensuring better distribution of oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. This can lead to reduced blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease.

Exercise vs. medication

Reduced dependency on medication: While medications for heart health are essential for some, regular exercise can reduce the reliance on these drugs. It can naturally lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels [1], reducing the need for medication.
Long-term benefits: Exercise offers long-term improvements in heart health without the side effects often associated with pharmaceuticals.
Holistic health: Beyond just cardiovascular benefits, exercise improves overall health, including weight management, mental health, and immune function, offering a more comprehensive approach to wellbeing.

2. Enhances mental health

A regular exercise routine can significantly enhance your mental health, offering a holistic and sustainable approach to managing stress, anxiety, and depression [2].

This natural method can work in tandem with or sometimes even replace the need for medication-based treatments, depending on individual circumstances. Here’s how it makes a difference:

Natural stress reliever

Physical activity increases endorphin production, reducing stress and promoting well-being.

Combats depression

Regular exercise has been shown to relieve symptoms of depression. It stimulates the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which play a key role in mood regulation.

Exercise vs. medication

Long-term effects: Unlike medication, which often treats symptoms temporarily, exercise can improve mental health.
No side effects: Exercise comes without the side effects commonly associated with antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication.
Holistic approach: It improves mental health and enhances physical health, creating a positive feedback loop that further boosts overall well-being.

3. Boosts immune function

Incorporating regular exercise into your lifestyle offers a comprehensive approach to strengthening your immune system.

It’s a natural, effective way to enhance immune resilience and overall health, often providing broader and more lasting benefits than medication alone. Here are the distinct advantages of exercise over immunity-boosting medications:

Enhances immune surveillance

Physical activity improves the circulation of immune cells, making the body more efficient at detecting and responding to pathogens [3].

Reduces inflammation

Regular exercise can lead to a long-term decrease in inflammation, a key factor in immune response.

Exercise vs. medication

Sustainable immune health: Unlike certain medications that offer temporary immune support, exercise contributes to lasting improvements in immune system resilience.
No adverse effects: Exercise strengthens the immune system naturally, without the side effects sometimes associated with immune-boosting drugs.
Overall health benefits: Beyond immune enhancement, exercise improves cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and more, contributing to a stronger, healthier body capable of robust immune responses.

4. Aids in weight management

Exercise is a more holistic and sustainable weight management approach than weight-loss medications.

It not only helps in shedding pounds but also builds a foundation for a healthier lifestyle. Here are the advantages that weight-loss medications often can’t match:

Burns calories

Regular physical activity increases calorie expenditure, which is crucial for weight loss and management [4].

Boosts metabolism

Exercise, especially strength training, builds muscle mass, which enhances metabolism, helping the body burn more calories even at rest.

Exercise vs. weight-loss medications

Sustainable results: While weight-loss medications may offer quick results, exercise leads to longer-lasting weight management by promoting healthy habits.
Holistic health benefits: Exercise not only aids in weight control but also improves overall health, unlike medications which can have side effects and don’t necessarily contribute to overall wellness.
Addresses root causes: Exercise tackles the underlying issues of weight gain, such as sedentary lifestyle and poor fitness, rather than just the symptoms [4].

5. Strengthens bones and muscles

Regular exercise offers long-term benefits for musculoskeletal health, mobility, and overall well-being [5]. Here are the benefits that often surpass those from medications and supplements:

Prevents osteoporosis

Weight-bearing exercises, like strength training and walking, stimulate bone formation and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures [6].

Combats muscle atrophy

Regular physical activity helps preserve muscle mass and strength, crucial for mobility and overall health.

Exercise vs. medications and supplements

Natural approach: Exercise strengthens bones and muscles through natural physiological processes, unlike some supplements and medications that can have side effects.
Comprehensive benefits: While certain medications and supplements target bone density or muscle strength, exercise improves both, along with other aspects of health like balance and coordination.

6. Improves sleep quality

Regular physical activity provides a holistic approach, addressing sleep issues without the potential downsides of medication. Here’s why it stands out as a natural alternative to sleep-aid medications:

Promotes deeper sleep

Engaging in physical activity can lead to more restorative deep sleep phases [7], crucial for physical and mental recovery.

Regulates sleep patterns

Regular exercise helps synchronize your body’s natural circadian rhythms, contributing to more consistent sleep patterns [7].

Exercise vs. sleep-aid medications

Sustainable solution: Unlike sleep medications, which can lead to dependency or have side effects, exercise offers a long-term, natural solution to sleep problems.
Additional health benefits: Exercise not only improves sleep but also boosts overall health, offering benefits that sleep medications cannot, such as improved mood, reduced stress, and enhanced physical fitness.

7. Enhances brain health and cognitive function

Exercise offers a natural, effective way to enhance brain health and cognitive function, surpassing the benefits of medication alone.

It’s a proactive approach to maintaining mental sharpness and overall brain health. It offers unique benefits compared to cognitive-enhancing medications:

Boosts brain health

Regular physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, delivering essential oxygen and nutrients that are vital for maintaining brain health. This, in turn, can lead to improvements in memory, attention, and processing speed [8].

Slows cognitive decline

Regular exercise has been shown to slow down the natural decline in brain function associated with aging, reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Exercise vs. cognitive-enhancing medications

Holistic benefits: Unlike medications that may target specific cognitive functions, exercise benefits the entire brain, improving various aspects of cognitive health.
Long-term effects: Exercise provides lasting cognitive benefits without the side effects or dependence risks associated with some medications.

What exercises are best for longevity?

Incorporating the right exercises into your routine can significantly impact longevity. Here are key activities best suited for promoting a longer, healthier life:

Aerobic exercises

Engaging in activities like walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling can enhance cardiovascular health, increase lung capacity, and improve stamina [9]. It is recommended to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week.

Strength training

Building muscle through weight lifting or bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups helps maintain muscle mass, supports metabolism, and strengthens bones.

Flexibility and balance exercises

Practices such as yoga or tai chi enhance flexibility, reduce the risk of falls, and improve joint health.

Functional fitness

Incorporating exercises that mimic everyday activities can maintain the ability to perform daily tasks, contributing to independence in later life.

Combining these exercises offers a comprehensive approach to maintaining physical health, crucial for enhancing longevity [10].

This blend ensures cardiovascular, muscular, and functional fitness, each contributing to a longer and more active life.

Closing thoughts

Embracing exercise as a key component of your lifestyle transcends mere physical fitness; it offers a comprehensive path to enhanced longevity and overall well-being.

As shown, the benefits of regular physical activity reach far beyond those of medication, positively impacting heart health, mental wellness, immune function, weight management, musculoskeletal strength, sleep quality, and cognitive health.

By choosing exercise, you’re not just investing in a healthier body, but also in a more vibrant, fulfilling life.

It’s a natural, sustainable approach that nurtures both the mind and body, paving the way for a longer, healthier future.

FAQs

Does exercise help longevity?

Yes, exercise significantly contributes to longevity. Regular physical activity improves cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles and bones, enhances mental well-being, and boosts immune function, all of which are key factors in extending lifespan and improving life quality.

Is cardio best for longevity?

Cardiovascular exercises are excellent for longevity as they improve heart health and overall endurance. However, for optimal benefits, it’s best to combine cardio with strength training and flexibility exercises to address all aspects of physical health and wellness.

How can I improve my body’s longevity?

To improve your body’s longevity, engage in regular physical exercise including both cardio and strength training, maintain a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and ensure adequate sleep and stress management. Additionally, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is crucial.

Is it better to exercise longer or more frequently?

It’s generally better to exercise more frequently rather than for longer durations. Regular, consistent exercise sessions, even if shorter, are more effective for sustained health benefits, injury prevention, and habit formation, compared to occasional, longer workouts.

[1] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercise-and-the-heart
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523821/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556592/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1402378/
[6] https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/preventing-fractures/exercise-to-stay-healthy/weight-bearing/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4341978/
[8] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110
[9] https://www.healthshots.com/how-to/practice-these-5-exercises-daily-for-a-longer-life/
[10] https://www.independentage.org/get-advice/wellbeing/living-well/staying-active-later-life

The information included in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this webpage is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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Fitness

Sports Column: Finding the time to exercise in winter is difficult – The Vicksburg Post

Published

4 hours ago

January 19, 2025

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Sports Column: Finding the time to exercise in winter is difficult

Published 4:00 am Sunday, January 19, 2025

Like a lot of people, I made a New Year’s resolution to exercise more, lose a little weight, and get into shape.

All right, “resolve” might be a strong word. Let’s call it a desire to get a little more value for my $50 a month gym membership than the once-a-month visits that became the norm in 2024.

For a while I’ve been stuck in the fitness paradox. When starting a regimen your muscles hurt after a workout so you want to rest, but the more you exercise the less they’ll hurt. Give it a couple of weeks and you’ll power through it.

It’s one of the biggest hurdles to getting into shape, and one I was reminded of again this week. I hit the pool for a modest 2,000-yard swimming workout, my first since Christmas, and had to grind hard to finish the last half of it. If I’d been in the water a couple times a week it would not have been nearly as taxing.

Time and work are big obstacles to exercising, of course. Especially this time of year. Getting home at 5 or 6 p.m. as the sun is setting and the temperature is dropping limits the neighborhood walks that are an easy way to burn calories. Covering a basketball game at Vicksburg High once a week and trekking up the hill from the parking lot in the dark isn’t going to cut it.

Another roadblock, for me at least, is other people.

I’m primarily a lap swimmer, so access to an indoor pool is the main reason I joined my gym. Unfortunately, it also means everyone else has access.

Besides other lap swimmers, that pool is used for children’s lessons and water aerobics classes.

When you lap swim you can’t see what’s in front of you — you look down, not ahead — so you’re trusting other people to watch out for you. Young kids trying to stay afloat have bigger concerns than avoiding you, so you need to develop a high level of ESP to avoid smashing into them like a torpedo into the side of a destroyer. It’s stressful.

The water aerobics folks have been nice and friendly when we’ve crossed paths — maybe a little too friendly. They tend to hang out and float for a while after their classes and get chatty. I don’t want to be rude, but also don’t want to swap life stories and recipes when I’m trying to stay on an interval and in rhythm.

The water aerobics folks have also scheduled thrice-weekly evening classes from 6 to 7 p.m., which is primetime for a post-work workout. I have to leave work early and go in the middle of the afternoon, or squeeze in a late swim and hope the gym managers don’t decide to lock up early.

Getting forgotten about and trapped in the pool overnight is a weird but not irrational fear, right?

I know there are more forms of exercise than swimming, and I probably need to explore those and stop making excuses. Hit the exercise bike or treadmill, for crying out loud. Lift a weight heavier than a 12-ounce Coke can.

Or just complain and rant. That burns calories, too.

•

Ernest Bowker is the sports editor of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post’s sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post’s sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper’s 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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Fitness

Can a

Published

12 hours ago

January 19, 2025

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Exercising regularly is important for preventing dementia. But if it’s hard to rack up the recommended amount of activity during the five-day work week (150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, like brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, like swimming), consider the “weekend warrior” approach — fitting it all into one or two weekly sessions. The approach might offer the same brain health benefits, according to a study published online Oct. 29, 2024, by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Researchers analyzed the health and self-reported activity information of more than 10,000 dementia-free people in Mexico who were followed for about 16 years. After accounting for factors that could influence the results, such as lifestyle habits, scientists found that weekend warriors were 13% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to dementia, compared with people who didn’t exercise — about the same benefit seen in those who exercised during the work week. While the study was observational and can’t prove cause and effect, it supports the idea that even less frequent exercise might help protect brain health, and it might be a more convenient option for busy people.

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Fitness

Fitness face-off – Harvard Health

Published

19 hours ago

January 18, 2025

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What’s in style? The question doesn’t just relate to fashion. Indeed, even exercise styles go in and out of vogue, echoing trends fueled by social media and other cultural drivers.

Case in point: high-intensity bursts of exercise have grabbed headlines over the past couple of years, with scientists generating an array of studies examining the health benefits of short spurts of movement lasting from one to three minutes. That might consist of jumping jacks, lunges, running in place, jumping rope, air boxing, running up stairs, or any other high-intensity activity.

Meanwhile, plenty of research continues to focus on the health advantages of moderate-intensity, continuous movement. Mainstay choices for these sessions include brisk walking, cycling, jogging, and elliptical and treadmill use.

Given the swings in popularity between the differently paced alternatives, perhaps the most pressing question is which one is better for us. It might seem certain exercise patterns might prove superior to others, but we should resist the temptation to believe that, says Dr. Meagan Wasfy, a sports cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

“There are always trends, and each one claims to be the latest and best way to move your body,” Dr. Wasfy says.

Breaking down the data

What health benefits does each approach offer? A sampling of recent studies and official health guidance weighs in.

Evidence supporting exercise bursts includes the following:

A 2022 analysis of data collected on more than 25,200 people who didn’t otherwise exercise (average age 62, 56% women) published in Nature Medicine found that those who routinely did brief bursts of vigorous activity — defined as three bouts, each lasting a minute or two — had significantly lower odds of dying or developing cardiovascular disease over the following seven years than participants who didn’t.
A 2023 analysis in JAMA Oncology of more than 22,000 people who didn’t exercise (average age 62, 55% women) suggested that even short, intermittent periods of intense movement — a minute at a time, three or four times a day — was linked with 18% lower cancer risk over the following 6.7 years, especially for cancers of the breast, uterus, or colon.

Evidence supporting longer, moderate-intensity exercise includes the following:

Adults who do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous exercise derive health benefits, including reducing their risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer, according to the CDC.
A 2022 analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine involving 78,000 people (average age 61, 55% women) found their risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature death dropped by 10% over the following seven years for every 2,000 steps they logged each day, with the benefit peaking at 10,000 steps.

Sense a theme from the findings? Regardless of intensity, it’s apparent that any movement is good for your health.

“No one comes out ahead with regards to the long-term outcomes,” Dr. Wasfy says. “What matters most is moving your body and doing more of it. The sum of movement, over the course of a year or decades of your life, is what matters.”

Exercise caveats

One clear advantage to exercise bursts — or its cousin, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) — is that any high-intensity activity enables you to fulfill recommended exercise guidelines in less time. Health organizations advise adults to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (or some equivalent combination of the two) per week. For an HIIT workout, you alternate vigorous, short sprints with brief periods of rest or lower-intensity movement.

“It’s a time-efficient way to get your recommended exercise dose in less time,” Dr. Wasfy says.

High-intensity exercise does pose a few drawbacks, however. These include a greater risk of injuries and inflammation to joints and muscles. Additionally, for people with heart disease or its risk factors, sudden bursts of exercise could be more likely to bring on new cardiac symptoms.

“If you’re writing an exercise prescription not knowing anything about someone’s health history, you’d write it for moderate-intensity, continuous exercise,” Dr. Wasfy says.

If you’d like to increase your exercise intensity but have existing heart disease — or symptoms such as chest pain with vigorous movement — talk to your doctor in advance. Older adults who’ve noticed their ability to exercise has declined should also speak up.

Ultimately, Dr. Wasfy says, you should choose a style of exercise you really like — and will do consistently — and disregard fitness trends. “If you’re healthy,” she says, “it’s really your choice.”