{"id":30162,"date":"2022-04-11T13:48:15","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T18:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/?p=30162"},"modified":"2022-11-14T13:48:13","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T19:48:13","slug":"longevity-medicine-how-much-exercise-really-makes-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/11\/longevity-medicine-how-much-exercise-really-makes-a-difference","title":{"rendered":"Longevity Medicine: How Much Exercise Really Makes A Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

People being people, they are always on the lookout for the easiest route to anything fun and worthwhile and most would rather add years to their lives by doing something simple, like taking nutritional supplements. Add healthful eating, reducing alcohol, stopping tobacco altogether, and the road to longevity gets more challenging. Start recommending regular exercise and there\u2019s the greatest challenge of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the WholeHealth Chicago new patient intake, we routinely ask about supplements, eating habits and exercise. By far, the commonest answer we hear about exercise is, \u201cNot as much as I\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But interestingly when it comes to exercise, instead of feeling guilty, better to ask two questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. How much exercise do I really need? and<\/li>
  2. What exactly is \u201cgood exercise\u201d?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s start with another issue, right up front: Do not exercise if your only goal is weight loss<\/strong><\/a>. You can blame your recent weight gain on inactivity, but if you get on the scale and in a panic renew your health club membership or start jogging, and expect the pounds to melt away, you will be disappointed. The number of times I have heard this sentence, \u201cDr. E., I am in the health club five days a week, spinning, on the elliptical, I walk everywhere, and I can\u2019t shed a pound,\u201d must now be in the thousands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This recent article from Time Magazine<\/a> showed that exercise was useful to keep you from gaining weight, but only when someone exercises to a degree of almost bodily punishment did any weight loss occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, skip the \u201cexercise for weight loss\u201d goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Instead, exercise to maintain your entire body in its best possible condition. Dozens of studies have shown that regular exercisers live longer, have fewer chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, and even cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Exercise for longevity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The next question, \u201chow much exercise?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A lot of research has gone into answering this question, and I do suggest you click to this recent<\/strong><\/a> piece in the New York Times<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The answer is: 150 minutes a week of \u201cmoderate to vigorous physical activity\u201d. Moderate exercise means those that increase your breathing and heart rate so that whatever you\u2019re doing feels like a \u20185\u2019 or a \u20186\u2019 on a scale between \u20181\u2019 and \u201810\u2019. High intensity interval training sessions are usually 15 to 20 minutes and would be classified as vigorous. But really, just about anything that gets you off your duff and moving around, especially if you do it with speed (walking to work quickly, taking the stairs quickly) can, as the NYT piece puts it, be called \u201cexercise snacks\u201d and count toward your 150 minute per week goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If I can do it, so can you<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n