Age can be reduced by more exercise

You must have often seen people doing heavy workouts in parks, gyms or on social media videos. Some people keep doing intense workouts continuously for 3-4 hours and also motivate themselves for it. Although exercising is a good thing, but for this it is also necessary to increase your stamina and exercising beyond your limit can do you harm instead of benefit.

Excessive exercise can cause problems for your joints and heart, and it can also reduce your lifespan. Several studies have tried to find out the relationship between different types of exercise and their effect on mortality. It has also been told that how much exercise you should actually do.

More exercise does not get more benefits

A 2021 study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings examined the relationship between weekly exercise and mortality outcomes. Using long-term data from nearly 9,000 adults, the research found that higher amounts of weekly sports training, such as cardio exercise, ball sports and weight lifting, initially led to a larger drop in mortality.

At the same time, those people could not get these benefits, who worked hard for more than 4-5 hours every week. Although they had a much lower death rate than non-exercisers, they were still reaping less benefit from their intense workouts than those who took a measured approach to physical activity.

Heart risk from excessive exercise

A study on rats published this year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Basic to Translational Science says that too much exercise can damage the heart.

The researchers found that intense exercise in rats, which is equivalent to running for 60 minutes a day and five days a week for 10-12 years in humans, was associated with hardening and thickening of the arteries. This level of intense exercise also promoted an imbalance of enzymes that control the contraction and dilatation of the heart.

Runners are in danger

If you are a runner or want to be one, then this research is for you. In 2015, the same research group found that those who ran for 60 minutes to 2.4 hours per week had the best mortality rates. However, these benefits were reduced in those who ran more than this. The same research group also found a similar U-shaped risk curve among runners.

Their research found that the most vigorous runners, who ran at least 7 miles per hour for four or more hours each week, had the same mortality rate as adults who did not run at all. "Prolonged vigorous exercise may induce structural remodeling associated with diseases of the heart and large arteries," wrote the research team.

Do light workouts after 40

Many people take their health and fitness for granted when they are young , but this is the safest time to do intense workouts like heavy cardio training.

According to James O'Keefe, MD, cardiologist and medical director of the Dubok Cardio Health and Wellness Center at St. Luke's Mid-America Heart Institute in Kansas City, after age 40 or 45, the heart becomes less flexible, and during this time, heart-related complications can occur. The risk of problems increases more. That is why as you age, instead of doing intense workouts, you need to focus more on mild forms of physical activity, such as walking, yoga, cycling and gardening. This may cause a decline in your fitness, but your age can be longer and you can live longer.

How much exercise is right

A new research by a team at Harvard Medical School has found that the longevity benefits associated with exercise don't require working out for hours a day.

If you do 75 to 150 minutes of physical exercise, such as running, swimming, and bicycling, each week, which is equivalent to 15 to 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, you can reduce your risk of death, including heart disease. Let's cut it in half. If you prefer moderate exercise, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week will give you the same benefits.