Find out why exercise will
Increase your life span even if you are overweight.
Improve the quality of your longer life.
Prevent many diseases associated with old age.
AND
Why it is important to pick any exercise you think is fun.
Suppose I was to say to you that even if you are overweight bodyweight exercises will increase the chances of you living a longer and more active life.
You would probably reply – everybody knows that exercise helps you lose weight and being on the heavy side increases your chances of suffering life threatening illnesses, therefore because you will lose weight exercise will increases your chances of living longer. I would then take great delight – being the smart arse that I am – in saying you are wrong.
Because while it has been proven in countless scientific studies that exercise does increase your chances of living longer it is not necessarily because you have lost weight.
As amazing as it sounds the latest research suggests that even an obese person who exercises regularly has more chance of living longer than a thin person who doesn’t.
The logical conclusion of this new research is that it is not the weight loss that is responsible for increasing your life span but other things that happen as a result of you doing regular exercise like for example,
The hormones released when you exercise
The increased heart rate that most exercise induces
Or even perhaps the fun and challenge that many people get from exercising.
The exact reason why being a heavy or even obese person who exercises will statistically live longer than a thin one who doesn’t isn’t clear yet, but what is clear is, it is the exercise and not the weight loss that keeps you living longer.
Now for the bad news – yes you new there had to be some didn’t you?
Although it is exercise and not just weight loss that increases your life expectancy you are still short changing yourself if you don’t follow a healthy eating plan and make sure your weight stays under control. The reason is because it is beyond dispute that being overweight; especially if you are obese will definitely increase your chances of diseases such as
A heart attack or heart disease,
Your chances of a stroke,
Your chance of type 2 diabetes,
The risk of certain cancers,
The chance of fatty liver damage,
The chance of you getting arthritis,
And
Last but not least, being overweight will increase your chances of getting deep vein thrombosis.
As you can see, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that even with regular exercise your chances of living longer will increase if you keep your weight under control.
So the fact is, even if you are overweight if you exercise you are likely to live longer than a slim person who doesn’t. Enjoy this moment because it is not often that overweight or obese people have an advantage over slim people in the health department.
However the reality is, if you put the combination of regular exercise together with a healthy eating plan that keeps your weight under control such as a Mediterranean diet of fish, fresh vegetables, nuts and whole grains, you have a winning combination which is likely to increase your life expectancy considerably.
You never know if you are really unlucky you might be around long enough to see the last ever series of the X factor – ever wondered why all the good singers didn’t just turn up in the first series and get it over with, its crossed my mind but maybe that’s just me –
Anyway, now that you are going to follow a regular exercise and healthy eating plan to keep your weight under control. You should live a longer life but are there any other benefits of such a life style?
The answer is yes! Not only should you live longer but most importantly it will also increase the quality of your life. After all, what is the point in living for eternity if you are struggling with all kinds of illnesses and lack of mobility?
I think you will agree it doesn’t sound like much fun does it? But it doesn’t have to be that way because once again regular exercise and healthy eating comes to the rescue.
It has been scientifically proven that regular exercise and healthy eating helps to prevent or reduce a lot of the problems associated with getting older. The fact is if you exercise and aren’t overweight you are far less likely to suffer from all manner of illnesses such as
High blood pressure
The risk of osteoporosis
High levels of cholesterol
The chance of hear disease or heart attacks
The loss of muscle tissue
Problems with your respiratory organs
And
The chances of contracting certain cancers
Taking everything in to consideration, I think you will agree that it makes sense for everybody to both exercise and eat a diet which prevents them from becoming overweight or obese.
The chance of living a long and active life is something we should all want, after all we only get one and the more time spent with the people close to you and doing the things you love, like taking your grandson to the match or having an exotic vacation with your mature but beautiful wife is priceless.
Conclusion,
I think it is great news for people who are overweight to know that the latest scientific research suggests that participating in regular exercise will help them live longer despite their weight problems. Having said that, common sense suggests that we should all try to control our weight with the exercise we do and the healthy eating plan we follow.
However, I think the most important ingredient to take into consideration when choosing your exercise routine is to choose one that you enjoy. If you find the training you do fun you are far more likely to stick with it for the rest of your life.
I personally like to challenge myself with intense bodyweight exercises and cardio that includes exercises such as press ups and pull ups but I realize that this is not everyone’s cup of tea, so choose the exercise that you most enjoy. Anything from dancing, tennis to simply walking is fine as long as you do it regularly and enjoy it.
Remember you only get one life so have fun with it and that includes the exercise you do.
Good Luck and have fun.
Learn how to have the motivation to prevent being overweight
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