Men: 30 minutes a day helps you live longer
/It seems aging is a lifelong battle for all of us. In particular, research has shown that men are more likely to exercise in their younger years than later in life. But a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, shows that older men who exercised at least 30 minutes a day tended to live longer.
Elderly Men and Exercise: New Research
The study analyzed the exercise habits of men in their 60s and 70s. Those who routinely incorporated 30 minutes of exercise for 6 days per week had a 40% lower risk of dying over a 12-year period, compared with men who weren't active.
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo, Norway noted that even men who are 73, physical activity still remains associated highly with life span. They also deemed that exercising 30 minutes per day had improved their health to the equivalent of quitting smoking.
This newly released research is based on the results from a previous study that evaluated over 15,000 men, born in Norway between 1923 and 1932. In 1973, each participant had a checkup which included an assessment of factors like height, weight, cholesterol , blood pressure and a history of smoking. It also included their weekly exercise or physical activity habits.
In 2000, scientists began to look deeper at the surviving men in this study, a total of 6,000. The same checkup and evaluations were monitored for the next 12 years. Men were characterized into four groups:
- Sedentary Person
- Mainly watched TV and read
- Light exerciser
- Walked or cycled for at least four hours weekly
- Moderate exerciser
- Did formal exercise or heavy gardening at least four hours weekly
- Vigorous exerciser
- Hard training or competitive sports multiple times per week
Throughout the 12-year period, 2,154 out of the 5,738 men who participated in both checkups died. Researchers concluded that even less than an hour per week of light exercise was not associated with increased life span. However, compared with men who never exercised, those who did more than an hour per week had a 32% - 56% lower risk of during, during the study. Researchers also took in other factors like weight, smoking habit and cholesterol.
Men considered vigorous exercisers (even for less than an hour weekly) were 23% - 37% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease or even other medical causes. Scientists basically were able to define that "vigorous exercise" as characterized in this study for elderly men is key. The more time spent exercising at a high intensity, the longer men will live, with those men living five years longer.
Even though this is an observational study, it's a great step forward for men's health even as they age. Researchers still need to study deeper increased life span being linked to other factors or solely to physical activity.
10 Health Benefits for Men Who Exercise
Staying active throughout your life is the single most powerful way to live a long and healthy life. Here are ten reasons to get off the couch today:
- Lowers lipoprotein (LDL) levels — this is considered the bad cholesterol
- Lowers triglycerides — a form of fat found in the blood that increases risk for heart disease
- Lowers risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack and stroke
- Reduces inflammation
- Healthier blood vessels — stiff vessels increase the risk of heart attack
- Lowers the risk of diabetes
- Fights against colon cancer —Both equal parts of exercise a healthy fiber and whole grain rich diet decrease the risk of this common cancer among men
- Strengthens bones — As we age, our bones thin leading to a higher risk of fractures. Exercise makes for stronger bones.
- Weight loss — Regular physical activity fights against belly fat, arguably the worst kind and often a proponent of many diseases including diabetes and certain cancers.
- Longevity — As we've seen in this study, exercising works to make your entire body healthy, leading to a longer life.
Start today.