A study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has reported that even 5 minutes a day of cardiovascular exercise can extend your life by several years.
While we used to think that marathoners and high-performance runners would see the most improvements, that’s not necessarily true. The study found that any amount of jogging or cardio, like rowing, is better than nothing. It also found that the minimum healthy dose of exercise is much less than people may think.
Research also shows that brisk walking has positive implications for health, too. The bottom line is, if you engage in virtually any form of regular exercise, you will add years to your life. It could be walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or even dancing.
Whether you’re running marathons or doing a slow and steady jog, you can expect to add more years to your life.
Improving Your Overall Well-Being
While exercise can reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, it doesn’t eliminate it. Instead, lifestyle, diet, and genetics combined will significantly decrease someone’s risk for cardiovascular and other diseases.
More exercise doesn’t guarantee immunity, but it does equate to better health. So you will be more fit and can increase your longevity and improve your quality of life with more exercise.
A Journal of the American College of Cardiology study evaluated a group of more than 55,000 men and women. They ranged in age from 18 to 100, and about one-fourth were runners. The study followed them for 15 years to track their running habits.
The study found that those who ran just 50 minutes a week or less at a moderate pace were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and other causes than those who didn’t run.
Another Denmark study suggested a “sweet spot” for those wishing to live longer by running. According to that study, the target for maximum longevity is about 2.5 hours of running or other cardiovascular exercises per week.
The bottom line is that regular exercise can help you feel good daily. Routine exercise is scientifically proven to elevate moods and improve quality of life. Brisk walking, rowing, and biking are other great types of cardiovascular exercise that can help you feel refreshed and release endorphins.
Preserving the Long-Term Benefits of Exercise: A Holistic Approach
The body responds well to training, but exercise is only one component. Moreover, it’s essential to understand the value of healthy lifestyle habits as a big picture. That means eating a clean diet, getting adequate sleep, finding healthy ways to cope with stress, and exercising regularly.
It would help if you also tried incorporating active rest days into your workout schedule. Active rest means you alternate high and low-intensity activities. So, for example, on low-intensity days, you could choose exercises such as walking, stretching, or foam rolling. Active rest days can be more beneficial than going hard seven days a week. Doing so also allows you to keep up your fitness momentum and promote better muscle recovery.
In addition to active rest, restorative treatments can be highly beneficial to our physical recovery. For example, chiropractic treatments and massage therapy are great ways to help the body repair and heal itself. Both can help de-stress, relieve pain, and improve your overall body balance, which is essential to preserving the benefits of exercise in the long haul.
Rooted Living
Visit our website for more information about adopting a holistic health approach that focuses on relaxing and addressing your body from a broad perspective.
