Exercise and Longevity: One Perk You Can Bet Your Life On

Exercise comes with many perks. It helps you feel more confident, perform activities of daily living and fit into your jeans. If these benefits aren’t enough to get you in the gym, maybe this will: There’s a proven connection between exercise and longevity.

“Research has found over and over that regular exercise helps you live longer,” says Dr. Cory Messerschmidt, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists. “Since most people like the idea of reducing their risk of premature death, this is really good news.”

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How Exercise Promotes Longevity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the top causes of death in America include:

• Heart disease and stroke
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Various types of cancer

Though these are all very different diseases, they have something very important in common.

“Exercise can help prevent every one of them,” Dr. Messerschmidt says.

Exercise can reduce your risk of some of the most common causes of death. The National Cancer Institute states that getting plenty of physical activity may help lower the risk of cancers of the breast, bladder, colon, kidney and stomach, among others.

Exercise offers all these perks by doing the following:

• Enhancing your immune system’s ability to function
• Improving your ability to obtain and maintain a healthy weight
• Increasing your muscle strength, balance and mobility (which also helps you maintain your independence)
• Lowering the levels of specific hormones in your body that are linked to cancer growth
• Reducing inflammation in your body, which can cause cancer and other unwanted diseases
• Strengthening your heart and lungs so they’re less likely to develop health issues

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What Kind of Exercises Help You Live Longer?

“Any type of exercise that gets your body moving and your heart beating faster offers some benefit to your health,” Dr. Messerschmidt says. “However, for longevity benefits, you need to do the right types of physical activity.”

Research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that those who changed their routine the most experienced a 19% lower risk of premature death compared to people who did the same thing day in and day out.

So, if you want a longer life, rotate through different activities. Try running, bicycling, playing tennis and swimming. If you fear you’ll fall into a routine of doing the same thing, Dr. Messerschmidt offers a simple solution.

“Schedule different activities on different days of the week, and then do those activities on their prescribed days,” the surgeon and sports medicine specialist says. “Add in as much variety as often as you can. It’s a way to stay engaged in your routine and reduce your early mortality risk.”

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Frequent, Intense Exercise Leads to Longevity

For general health, you should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity and 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise each week. This is about half an hour of walking, running or swimming most days of the week. To maximize the longevity benefits of exercise, you’ll need to do better than meet these minimum standards.

“In most cases, more exercise yields better results,” Dr. Messerschmidt says, “especially when it comes to prolonging your life.”

Recent research published in the journal Circulation found that the connection between exercise and longevity may depend on the amount of physical activity you get. For the study, multiple groups of men and women over 30 years reported how much time they spent exercising and the intensity of their exercise.

Those who worked out two to four times longer than the recommended minimum reaped some serious benefits, such as:

• 21–23% reduced risk of death for any cause
• 27–33% reduced risk of death related to cardiovascular disease

The study found that individuals who engaged in both moderate and vigorous physical activity had a significantly lower risk of mortality. It noted that higher levels of vigorous activity were associated with reduced mortality, especially among those who did not meet the recommended levels of moderate activity. Additionally, those who are insufficiently active can greatly benefit from incorporating even modest amounts of exercise.

Guidelines for Your Routine

If the thought of so much exercise is intimidating, take heart.

“Wherever you are in your fitness journey, taking the next step forward will help prolong and improve your life,” Dr. Messerschmidt says. “Just get started and make it part of your lifestyle, and you can move toward a longer, healthier life.”

In other words, don’t wait until disease strikes to start exercising. Start today. Whether you’re in your 20s, 50s, or 80s, exercise can promote longevity. You just have to fit it into your routine. Here are some tips to help:

• Have fun — Starting an exercise routine can be difficult. It’s easier if you pick physical activities you enjoy. So, choose wisely and change things up often.
• Put it on your calendar — If you’re not careful, you’ll always be too busy for exercise. Add working out to your calendar and stick to your schedule unless you get sick or injured.
• Set goals — Whether you want to live to 100 or simply feel your best for however many years you live, write down your goals. Then post your goals somewhere that you’ll see them regularly. Read them often and let this inspire you to keep moving.
• Track your progress — Every time you work out, you’ve done your heart, your brain and your life expectancy good. Notice this success and celebrate the victories.

“It’s common for people who are busy with careers and families to put exercise on the back burner until a life-altering health event changes that,” Dr. Messerschmidt says. “Let this be your wake-up call. Start exercising today for benefits that last and extend your lifetime.”

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A Quick Look at Exercise and Longevity

Along with helping you feel better, regular exercise can help prolong your life. To make the most of this exercise and its connection to longevity, keep these in mind.

1. Regular physical activity helps protect against some of the most common causes of death in America, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
2. The strongest connection between exercise and longevity is found among those who go beyond the minimum recommendations and engage in a variety of activities.
3. Adding exercise to your daily routine takes effort. By putting it on your calendar, finding activities you enjoy and tracking your progress, you’re more likely to succeed.

Request an appointment with one of our orthopedic sports medicine specialists.