The secret to health and longevity is not in sports

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Forget about a gym membership: you already have everything you need to do it.

You don't have to get on a treadmill or buy exercise machines home if you want to be healthy. Look at the most famous centenarians. These are people from the so-called blue zones - places on the planet with the highest life expectancy. They don't pull iron, don't run marathons, or go to gyms.

Instead, they live in an environment that constantly pushes them to move without even thinking about it. They tend the garden, walk a lot during the day, and hardly use the technical facilities for housework.

Routine natural movement is one of the most effective ways to increase your lifespan.

Of course, in our modern conditions, this seems unrealistic. Most people are now tied to a table and a computer screen. According to statistics, 100 years ago, only 10% of people had a sedentary job, and now this figure is about 90%.

However, there are easy ways to move more. And one of the best is active ways of moving from point A to point B. For example, take the children to school on foot, and ride a bike to the store or to visit. Ideally, it would be worth getting to work in the same way. Or at least walk to a public transport stop.

According to The positive utility of the commute: modeling ideal commute time and relative desired commute amount scientists, the best way to get to work is a 15-minute walk, but any kind of physical activity will benefit. If you don't have access to walking, set aside time for walking during the day. Compared to people who are very still, those who walk six hours a week have a lower Walking in Relation to Mortality in a Large Prospective Cohort of Older U. S. Adults risk of death from cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases and cancer. But even two hours of walking a week can help reduce your risk of illness.

Plus, walking is good for the brain as well. According to Swedish physician Anders Hansen, author of The Real Happy Pill, walking daily reduces the risk of dementia by 40%.

If long walks are not your thing, walk a little a few times a day. For example, five minutes for every hour. Make it a goal to work while standing, or at least get up and move more often throughout the day. And at lunchtime, go outside.

Our body is made to move.

This does not mean that it is imperative for health to go to the gym or torment yourself with high-interval training. The simple natural movements that centenarians constantly perform will do much more good. So follow their lead.