3 Activities That Lengthen Your Life
By Genevieve Cunningham
We all know that it’s important to stay active. Exercise and general activity are both good things in life. But let’s face it, with the busy lives that we all lead, we’re all looking to get the most bang for our buck. In other words, we want to get in on the exercises that bring the most benefit to our lives. And what could possibly be of greater benefit than longevity? Take a look at these three activities that research shows adds years to your life and major boosts to your health.
Swimming
Swimming is good for the lungs, muscles, joints, and your body as a whole. It requires you to use deep breathing to pump oxygen to your body underwater, and it reduces serious pressure off of your already taxed joints. It’s true that other forms of exercise, such as jogging, can also supply your body with healthy amounts of oxygen and encourage healthy lungs, but recent studies show that among fit men and women, mortality rates were lowest among the swimmers than any other form of exercise.
Biking
Biking is a tough exercise that is easy on the body. You’ll be tired. You’ll have sore muscles. And you’ll even work some of those hard to reach spots. But all of this can happen without too much pressure on the body in general. It’s a fairly low impact way to stay in shape, which means it can last a lifetime. So why does it lower mortality rates? Researchers believe that biking lowers stress levels significantly. The combination of it being rather fun, challenging to your muscles, and good for the cardiovascular system means it’s an exercise worth keeping around.
Walking
This is essential for good health. The more you walk, the longer life you can potentially lead. Years ago, people walked everywhere. But with cars and buses and other means of transportation, walking has taken a literal backseat. But the truth is that walking is incredibly low impact (meaning anyone can do it), and it keeps your body mobile and engaged. It’s low stress, both mentally and physically, and can reduce headaches, lower blood sugar, improve flexibility, and keep you feeling better overall.
In reality, there’s nothing we can do about our own mortality. When it’s our time to go, it’s simply our time. But there are definitely things that you can do to increase your health and avoid major illness caused by inactivity or poor health. Use these exercises as a guide to get you in better health and to add some quality years to your life.