Today’s Choices, Tomorrow’s Longevity
While longevity may seem like a daunting subject, our choices today have the power to shape our future health. Statistically, decisions we make and habits we foster today set us up for what our future looks like. Exercise makes us feel good in the short term, but we also know that exercise can make us more successful in the long run as well. These are things that we know as hard facts, but these concepts of health and resilience can be challenging to apply in our daily lives.
Simply put, regular exercise is proven to increase our lifespan on average. If you are satisfied with reading “exercise = longer and better life”, you can stop reading and start planning your workouts for the week. For those of you who want more research and data, here is a brief overview of what the current research tells us about specifics of volume/intensity of exercise and exercise benefits in regards to longevity:
Higher intensity exercise is associated with reduced mortality1, particularly from cardiovascular incidents.2
Higher levels of physical activity reduces years of disability and improves quality of life reports3 in older age
Alongside physical health benefits, exercise has been shown to reduce rates of anxiety, depression, and even Alzheimer’s and dementia. Exercise also improves sleep, which is a factor in improving mental and physical health!4
The U.S. Department of Health recommends 2.5-5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 1.25-2.5 hours of high-intensity aerobic exercise weekly, along with strength training 2+ days a week. More exercise means additional health benefits, with no upper limit identified in current research! Moderate-intensity exercise includes walking and yoga. High-intensity exercise can look like HIIT workouts or running.
There are so many ways to follow these exercise recommendations. Here’s one example of a weekly schedule that follows the recommended activity volume with a combination of high and moderate intensity aerobic exercise and strength training 2x/week.
Monday: 45 minute yoga session Tuesday: Strength Training #1
Wednesday: 30 minute run/jog Thursday: Strength Training #2
Friday: 45 minute walk Saturday: 45 minute run/jog
Sunday: Rest day
This post is a call to reframe the way we think about exercise! Exercise for your today-self, but also for your middle-aged self, your retired-self, and for yourself in the last years of your life. Lift the weights, walk and run those long distances, and enjoy those bike rides—your future body will thank you for the strength and endurance you’ve gifted it.
All this sounds great in theory, but what if there’s a roadblock between you and your preferred exercise routine? Back pain with deadlifting, plantar fascia pain with running, or shoulder pain while overhead pressing? We know some people who can help. No matter what stage of life you’re in, come and see us if you need a helping hand reaching your short and long term goals.
Nocon M, Hiemann T, Müller-Riemenschneider F, et al. Association between physical activity and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol. 2008;23(11):607-614. doi:10.1007/s10654-008-9236-3.
Fagard RH. Physical activity, physical fitness, and the risk of cardiovascular events: an overview of current research. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2025;32(1):10-18. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaa032.
Ogilvie D, Foster C, Rothnie H, et al. Interventions to promote walking: systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007;61(9):823-829. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.057555.
Arem H, Moore SC, Patel A, et al. Physical activity and survival among women and men in the United States. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(6):1067-1076. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.1143.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018. Available from:https://odphp.health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf.
