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Exercise Intensity

Those New Year’s resolutions are just around the corner.
And as usual, one of the most popular resolutions is to start exercising.

While there is a large amount of evidence that shows physical activity can prevent cardiovascular disease, it seems as if no one--or mostly no one--is listening. Most U.S. adults are not sufficiently active, and more than a quarter aren’t active at all.

Well, here’s some new information that may give you a little more motivation to stick to that resolution. New research has found that people aged 50 and older who engage in moderate or high levels of physical activity live longer and have less cardiovascular disease.

This study used data from the Framingham Heart Study, which has followed more than 5,000 Massachusetts residents for the past 46 years and has proven to be a wealth of information regarding cardiovascular disease.

The researchers found higher levels of physical activity added, on the whole, one to three years to total life expectancy.

Even just three days a week will provide benefit, and more intense exercise means greater benefit.

But that’s where the question lies- at what point does one really get life-protecting benefit from intense exercise, beyond the benefits of a better figure?

Dr, Andrew Feldman, Chief of Sports Medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital, says, “Cardiovascular health is very important. The heart is a muscle and muscles need to work, therefore you really should do some sort of a cardiovascular pump at least twenty minutes a day.”

In fact, according to new research in the latest Archives of Internal Medicine, moderate physical activity in one’s overall lifestyle led to 1.3 years more in total life expectancy among men over 50.

But, if someone engaged in high intensity activity the life expectancy was found to increase by 3.7 years.

The numbers for women were similar.

“You should probably have some sort of aerobic activity that keeps your heart rate up for some extended period of time, between 10 minutes and half an hour, rather than an activity that involves a lot of stopping and starting,” says Dr. Feldman.

The researchers also found moderate to highly active individuals spent more years without cardiovascular disease.
Another study in the same journal did find that highest intensity exercise done most frequently provides the most rewards.

These authors do say that moderate exercise for three to four days a week really does not cut it; it needs to be done on at least five days a week to achieve the fitness changes the government recommends.

Several organizations and agencies, including the CDC, and the surgeon general recommend at least thirty minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most days of the week to get the health benefits.

That means a brisk walk, for example.

“Intense exercise on a daily basis is good, not only for your cardiovascular health, but for your bones, and for your psyche and your well-being. It meshes together and you will just be healthier and happier,” states Dr. Feldman.

So, if you want to live a longer life, this time, stick to that New Year’s resolution--and do some intense exercise regularly.

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