Add Strength for Longer Life
January 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Photo by paveitapic
Strength is the new secret for longer life. Everyone knows exercise strengthens the cardiovascular system and your muscle but there are a lot more health benefits you might not know about. Exercise improves your heart and strengthens blood vessels, reduces your risk of heart attacks and heart related death.
Study
“A 19 year long study of 8,762 men age 20 to 80 conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that men with the highest levels of strength were less likely to die each year from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause.”
Each men received medical exams and fitness tests when the 19 year long study began and again after 19 years and the results were surprising.
Results
Men with greater strength reduced their risks of death from all causes by 32 percent, 50 percent from heart attack and 32 percent from cancer compared to the weakest one-third of the men.
If you’re currently doing aerobic exercise then add anaerobic strength exercise and if you’re currently doing anaerobic exercise then add aerobic, one should not be a substitute for another. Increasing your strength might make you live longer and increase the quality of your life.
Source: British Medical Journal, 337: A439 2008
