By We can all fit this in every single day.
It surprises me how so many people put a healthy lifestyle as the last priority on a never-ending to-do list.
I work with many young people, and only one of them is health-conscious and exercises regularly. So it’s nice to have another person on your team who says no to free workplace junk food binges and high sugar-filled snacks.
Why exercise?
Exercise is yet another very foreign occurrence for most people — even if it’s only for a short period.
I don’t think I could be happy without doing some form of exercise. It’s good for my physical and mental well-being too.
To increase our longevity, we must make some effort regarding lifestyle choices. It’s a lot simple and easier than most people believe.
For example, you don’t have to be a gym junkie, run miles or eat vegetables daily.
So let’s end the overwhelming influx of different hogwash options you see all over social media and tone down to the basics.
I love the basics — it works every time.
Unfortunately, we tend to overcomplicate the simplest things for an easy back door exit then the going gets tough.
For years, we’ve overcomplicated health — when it’s much simpler and easier than we realised.
It doesn’t matter how old you are; we all need to exercise in some way, shape or form for at least 10 minutes daily.
So why not make that 30 minutes to one hour per day?
The statistics are shocking when it comes to adults and exercise
Adults have been known to do far less activity than recommended ten minutes daily. The problem is that when activity declines, disease markers tend to increase.
One study suggests walking for at least one hour per week benefits those aged 85. So, if you are within that age bracket (or even younger), please wear your sneakers and walk regularly.
In Korea, 7 thousand adults aged 85 or older underwent a health screening from 2009 until 2014. In addition, each person completed a questionnaire regarding leisure time, activity and exercise duration.
The pace of the duration was either slow or moderate. Cycling, brisk walking and intensive activity such as running were also added (for those who were quite fit).
The average age of participants was 87 years old.
Of the seven thousand participants:
- Seven hundred seventy-five of them did vigorous activity! That’s awesome in my book.
- Five hundred thirty-eight met the recommended guidelines.
- 2,996 people walked at a slow pace every week
- 999 did moderate or vigorously intense physical activity
Those who walked at least one hour per week had a 40–39 per cent lower relative risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
Walking was associated with less risk of dying older, regardless of whether or not they did any moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.
Identifying the minimum amount of exercise to benefit the oldest individuals is still a good idea since it can be quite challenging for less mobile people.
Only one hour broken up into 10-minute intervals is all you need
One hour of walking, broken into ten-minute slots daily, can benefit older individuals.
But there is no excuse for those who are a lot younger.
The idea here is to keep active throughout life to maintain mobility. Remember the old-fashioned, highly accurate saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it!”
If you are young, please do some form of exercise.
Ride your bike to work, get a gym membership, walk to and from work — anything and everything (although I highly recommend lifting weights).
What is your favourite kind of daily exercise?
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