Wanting To Live For Longer?

Wanting To Live For Longer?

Here’s something to get you up and moving. When it comes to wanting to live for longer, experts say fitness is more important than what you weigh. According to a new study of over 14,000 male subjects, those who improved their fitness level were less likely to die from any cause (including heart disease) – even if their weight stayed the same, or went up, compared to men who’s fitness levels went down over time.

We all know that it’s difficult to maintain our weight over the years. This research points out to increased endurance as perhaps a more attainable goal that might just bring some pretty impressive dividends.

Based on this study, weight changes is less important than changes in your fitness level according to researcher Duck-chul Lee, PhD who is an exercise physiologist at the University of South Carolina. He suggests, based on the study findings, that you worry less about changes in your weight, focus more on either maintaining or improving your level of fitness.

The research assessed men’s fitness levels using treadmill tests. After 11 years, those who either got more fit, or kept their level of fitness stable were less likely to have died form heart disease, stroke or any disease then those who got less physically fit over the years. Even a little bit helped, and every increase in endurance level brought a lower risk of dying.

The male subjects who didn’t stay fit were more likely to die from any cause, regardless in any changes in what they weighed. The average age of the men in the study was 44 years old, and the subjects were mostly white, middle or upper class people. Nearly all, 90%, of the participants were normal weight, so it’s hard to know if the same results would be found in obese men. Normal weight women might see the same benefits.

The latest findings validate earlier work on the benefits to health of being fit according to American Heart Association spokesman Richard Stein, MD. He believes that fitness is a much greater prediction of death than weight. So putting your effort into endurance fitness is clearly a powerful predictor of living longer.

If you’re significantly obese, you need to work with a fitness pro and create an appropriate program so you can get the benefits of workouts without hurting yourself.

If you’re thin, don’t be fooled and think you’re fit because you’re small. If you don’t do any exercise, you are no more fit than an overweight or obese person. Being inactive is not okay, no matter what the scale says.

Inactivity… comfortably sitting all the time increases your risks of…

- Heart disease

- Stroke

- Colon cancer

- Diabetes

- High blood pressure

- Gaining weight

- Weaker bones, muscles and joints

- Increased chance of falls in older people

- Arthritis pain

- More severe anxiety and depression

- More hospitalizations, visits to the doctor and medications

The best thing of all – being active doesn’t need to be strenuous to be good for you. Regular, moderately intense activity is best. This might be a half hour of brisk walking, five or more times each week, which could help you live for longer.