Should I exercise to live longer?
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Dr. Dean Ornish answered:Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger of Stanford University sent questionnaires to 16,936 Harvard alumni, aged thirty-five to seventy- four, to determine the influence of exercise on longevity. (His study is considered less precise than the Blair study, since he used self-reported questionnaires rather than actually measuring fitness levels.) Dr. Paffenbarger found that men who expended 2,000 calories per week exercising lived one to two years longer than sedentary individuals.
The problem is that over the course of your adult life, you would need to spend about one and a half years running to live one to two years longer. To run off 2,000 calories per week, you need to run three miles in 30 minutes six days a week. Since it takes another 30 minutes to go to and from the track and to get dressed, shower, and undressed, then it will require at least 1 hour six days a week, or 6 hours per week, or over 300 hours per year. If you begin exercising when you are thirty, then by the time you are seventy-five you will have spent 45 x 300 = 13,500 hours running. If you calculate that the average person spends 16 hours awake every day, then 365 x 16 = 7,940 hours per year awake. In other words, you may spend one and a half years of your waking hours running - about as much time as you lengthen your life by running.
For this reason, it may be a mistake to exercise more than walking 30 minutes a day just to live longer. If you choose to do more, then do it because you enjoy it, not just to live longer. If you enjoy running, for example, then run. Even if you don't enjoy running but you like the way it makes you look or feel afterwards, then do it for those reasons.
Fortunately, according to the studies of Dr. Blair and Dr. Leon, people who walk 30 minutes a day live longer anyway, without having to do more vigorous exercise.
Find out more about this book: Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scie...
Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger of Stanford University sent questionnaires to 16,936 Harvard alumni, aged thirty-five to seventy- four, to determine the influence of exercise on longevity. (His study is considered less precise than the Blair study, since he... More -
Barb MacGillivary answered:Many recent studies have supported the fact that a sedentary lifestyle may actually accelerate the aging process, and that adding daily exercise can make individuals biologically younger and possibly protected from age-related diseases and early death.
A UK study of identical twins, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that physical activity can actually prevent damage to the telomeres on DNA. Telomeres are the caps on the end of chromosomes that get shorter as we age, leaving the cell more vulnerable to damage and death. The study found that twins who were physically active had longer telomeres than those who were inactive. In fact, the most active study participants had telomeres the same length as sedentary individuals up to 10 years younger.
Besides living longer, daily exercise has also been shown to give individuals a better quality of life and help maintain greater levels of functioning, while managing chronic conditions.Helpful? 1 person found this helpfulMany recent studies have supported the fact that a sedentary lifestyle may actually accelerate the aging process, and that adding daily exercise can make individuals biologically younger and possibly protected from age-related diseases and early... More -
Wendy Batts - Sharecare Fitness Expert of Sharecare Fitness answered:The benefits of regular physical activity and exercise are numerous. Individuals can achieve numerous health-related benefits from modest amounts of moderate-intensity exercise, and even greater benefits from vigorous-intensity exercise, or a combination of both. Engaging in regular, sustained physical activity over the lifespan is one of the most reliable predictors of death and disability. In fact, research has confirmed that an individual’s cardiorespiratory fitness level is one of the strongest predictors of morbidity and mortality. In other words, performing more cardio increases your chances of living longer and without disease.
According to the most current public health guidelines on physical activity, the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, for health benefits, adults should accumulate 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week or an equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.
The benefits of regular physical activity and exercise are numerous. Individuals can achieve numerous health-related benefits from modest amounts of moderate-intensity exercise, and even greater benefits from vigorous-intensity exercise, or a... More -
National Academy of Sports Medicine answered:Everyone ages, and nobody lives forever, however, exercise has been shown to slow the effects of aging. You won’t become younger age-wise, but you will feel healthy, be vibrant, and have a lower risk for disease – all attributes of youth.
Everyone ages, and nobody lives forever, however, exercise has been shown to slow the effects of aging. You won’t become younger age-wise, but you will feel healthy, be vibrant, and have a lower risk for disease – all attributes of youth. More
