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Exercise

Free miracle cure! Reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer by up to 50%! If there was a pill with these sort of success rates people would be queuing up to buy them. But why stand in a queue? Just walk around briskly and take some exercise and that's the sort of health benefits you can expect.

As a bonus it can also improve your sleep quality, give you more energy and reduce the risk of mental health diseases such as depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s.

And it doesn't have to be pumping iron down the gym. Regular movement is just a important - so if you commute, walk quickly to the train or bus and keep adding those minutes up throughout the day. Sedentary jobs and lifestyles are a big killer.

You need a balance of regular movement as well as muscle gain (resistance training) and aerobic exercise - plenty of walking is good but you also need a couple of sessions of vigorous (i.e. make you breath hard) exercise for the biggest benefits.

Notes:

  • recreational exercise is not associated with increased osteoarthritis - but high impact forces and twisting motions do
  • Thinning of shock-absorbing cartilage is a key feature of ageing but physical activity appears to reduce this thinning

It's Never Too Late To Start Exercising

Total mortality after changes in leisure time physical activity in 50 year old men - Byberg et al
Increased physical activity in middle age is eventually followed by a reduction in mortality to the same level as seen among men with constantly high physical activity.

Did you know? The classic 10,000-steps-a-day target has no scientific basic, but instead comes from a marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer.


Read more about: Sedentary Behaviour.

Resources

Click on resource name for more details.

VAHA

Fitness mirror - your boutique fitness studio at home with live & on-demand classes

The Body’s Fuel Sources

Information on body's fuel sources, carbohydrate, protein, and fat that each play distinct roles in fueling exercise

Benefits of exercise

Reductions in heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer

23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?

Video conceived, written, and presented by Dr. Mike Evans

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)

Center that advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information

Human Kinetics

Company creating and publishing information in physical activity and health

Report launch: The longevity of sporting legends

10-Jun-2021

Online event about the impact of professional sport on longevity organized by International Longevity Centre UK.

More Exercise resources

Exercise Blog Posts

Sofa exercises mean you don't have to be sedentary while watching TV
15-Feb-2017

Sofa exercises mean you don't have to be sedentary while watching TV

Example exercises that can keep you moving without leaving your living room

Recent News

Moving around, even for a few minutes, is healthier for your heart than sitting

Independent - 10-Nov-2023

Try to replace some of your sitting time with standing or walking

Read more...

Muscle power in the golden years: age is just a number!

Live Forever Club - 01-Nov-2023

You're never too old to fight sarcopenia and muscle loss - keep up that resistance exercise training!

Read more...

Regular jogging or running could help to keep cells younger and healthier

Live Forever Club - 26-Oct-2023

Jogging or running for at least 75 minutes per week linked to longer telomeres

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Reverse the negative effects of sitting with 22 minutes of moderate exercise

Sky News - 25-Oct-2023

A daily 22-minute dose of brisk exercise can offset the health risks

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Move more, live longer: short bursts of activity can help you stay healthy

Independent - 29-Sep-2023

Short bursts of daily activity, even if brief, can greatly benefit heart health

Read more...
More Exercise News