TV, media, infomercials and advertisements will always show you the newest and next big advancement, product or service. When it comes to exercise, diet and nutrition it usually is paired with a new diet, a “magic pill” or supplement to make you more energized or a workout routine that will “revolutionize” the way you work out. No one directly states that the real quest is to live longer. Behind the media blitz is simple, do this or eat that and you will be healthy and live longer. Well according to some experts this is true.
A group of men in their 40’s were followed for one decade (1). The men that exercised over the next decade were at a 30% lower risk of all causes of death. As the study went on for more than 10 years, those men that maintained a baseline value of fitness were at a 28% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even better news was those men who improved their levels of fitness were at a 44% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The men that had passed away were found to have lower cardiovascular fitness levels, higher blood pressure values, higher cholesterol values, greater prevalence of smoking and greater prevalence of family history of heart disease.
So, how does this affect the recommendations of exercise for men? The type of exercise used in this study was aerobic exercise. The intensity of the exercise must be great enough to maintain or improve cardiovascular fitness. If you are unsure how to properly progress through a cardiovascular fitness program or would like to establish a baseline for cardiovascular fitness then feel free to contact me for a consultation.
The take home point from this post is to get moving! Find a way to incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your daily routine. You make doctor appointments, schedule meetings with friends, well now you must schedule your workout. Find a local road race, bike club or running club to spur you on to exercise. Here’s the caveat… in order to keep on running, biking, etc you must lift weights or perform resistance training. Resistance training will allow you to become more efficient at cardiovascular exercise as well as preserve muscle mass, which as we all know to men is important. Have you done your cardio today?
What is your favorite form of cardiovascular activity?
1) Ullman, K. (2011). Fitness key to longevity. Medpage Today. Retrieved from http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/ExerciseFitness/30027?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&eun=g258129d0r&userid=258129&email=brentrhartman@gmail.com&mu_id=.
2) Photo courtesy of digitalart http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2280
