Clearing Up Myths: Will Exercising Make Me Live Longer?
An interesting question came across my proverbial desk this morning from a long standing gym member. He asked will exercising make me live longer? There’s a lot of differing opinions on this matter, and like anything in the stereotypical health and fitness world, there’s a lot of speculation, a little science here and there, and very little proven results that are quantifiable one way or the other. As a longtime personal trainer in Austin, as well as a gym owner, I’ve heard this question, as well as the responses, for many years, and there is no black or white answer.
If you ask me if exercising will make me live longer, I would have to give you the vague, but honest answer of maybe. It, like most anything dealing with your health, depends upon a myriad of factors. What kind of shape are you in? I don’t mean how much can you bench press, but rather what are your cholesterol levels? How’s your heart health? How heavy are you for your frame? What does your genetic background look like? If you have a higher than desired LDL cholesterol level, yes, perhaps coupled with a new and improved nutrition plan, exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, can help you hold a potential heart attack or stroke at bay as you’ll reduce potential arterial blockages. That is only speculation, at best, since there are many more varying factors and components in our makeup.
Will exercising make me live longer if I go to the gym and build big muscles? Not likely, and perhaps one could make a substantial argument that the carrying of too much muscle mass is a strain on the heart thus resulting in a premature demise. Conversely, on the flip side of that coin, having a good amount of muscle mass is great for your bone density and health. It also allows us to be more ambulatory and complete many tasks that we may normally be unable to do as we age. Study after study has confirmed that exercising is imperative for the elderly to maintain a quality of life both physically, as well as mentally.
When someone asks me will exercising make me live longer, my usual response is that I don’t have any way of knowing that, but I can very assuredly say that it will make you live better. Genetics obviously play a huge factor in the quality, as well as the quantity of life that we have. That said, the better shape you are in, the more you can do, the less pain you will likely be in, and the more you can experience will add up to a better quality of life? Will exercising make me live longer? I have no idea. It well help you live better though!
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Andy
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