6 Longevity Facts You Probably Never Heard Of

In order to be in good physical condition and therefore in good health we need to put in our daily lives some… mathematics, which will positively affect our lives both duration and quality.

The mathematics of longevity will guide us on how much and at what pace we need to walk and exercise daily in order to keep ourselves in good physical condition and protect our heart, lungs, and bones.

Also, by following these guidelines, which result from scientific calculations, based on university research, we will be able to keep our weight low, reduce the chances of getting sick from diabetes, dementia, cancer, cardiovascular and increase our life expectancy.

Mathematics of Longevity

How Many Steps Per Day

7,500 steps

Much has been said about the steps we need to take every day, mainly because walking in addition to our physical condition, strengthens our heart and lungs and protects us from diabetes and dementia.

Some scientists talk about the magic number 10,000 but others claim that even with fewer steps we can achieve positive results.

Research from Harvard University School of Medicine found that even 4,400 steps are associated with a 41% reduction in the risk of death. It is plausible that the more steps one takes, the more the risk is reduced.

Scientists estimate, however, that at about 7,500 steps the risk stops decreasing and so they believe that if we aim to do from 4,400 to 7,500 steps we are covered.

Optimal Walking Speed for Longevity

6.5 km per hour

It seems not only the distance that someone walks matters but also the speed with which these steps are walked. Researchers at the University of Leicester, in a survey of 475,000 people, found that women who walk fast, at a speed of 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) per hour, have 15 years more life expectancy than women who walk at speeds below 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) per hour.

For “fast” men respectively, expectancy increases even more, by 20 years.

Of course, scientists are not sure whether this increase in expectancy is due to brisk walking or whether it is related to the fact that people who walk fast generally have a better state of health and lower weight.

But another survey of the same University conducted this year on 412,000 participants showed that those people of normal weight who walked slowly were 3.75 times more likely to die from coronavirus than people of normal weight who walked fast.

So it seems that the more we increase the pace of our walking, the more we increase our life expectancy.

Optimal Heart Rate When Exercising

85-95% more than our highest heart rate

More and more recent research shows that poor cardiopulmonary function is just as important a risk factor as diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and obesity.

This thus understands the importance of keeping our hearts and lungs functioning well. How are we going to do it? Doing exercise that will reach 85-95% of our highest heart rate at least for 30 seconds or 1 minute at a time.

Research published in the scientific journal “British Journal of Sports Medicine” showed that this exercise improves respiratory capacity and other cardiometabolic risk factors such as diastolic blood pressure and sugar in overweight people.

As time goes by, this intense exercise also helps to improve other factors such as a decrease in the body’s fat percentage, heart rate at rest, and systolic blood pressure.

How Many Cardio Days a Week

3 times a week

Intense exercise that raises the pulse is good but needs to be done in moderation because when it is excessive it can be even aggravating for our body and body.

A recent meta-analysis of 32 studies, published in the scientific journal “International Journal of obesity”, found that it is enough 3 times a week aerobic exercise (which increases heart rate) to burn belly fat, which is what increases cardiovascular risk.

In fact, this exercise does not have to last too long at a time, 30 minutes is enough.

How Many Weight Training Days a Week

2 times a week

Our muscle tissue decreases as we age. That’s why we need to do exercises that will help us maintain and increase our muscle tissue.

For example, exercises with weights and resistances, yoga, and pilates will help us burn abdominal fat, increase our metabolism, reduce the index of inflammation and improve our balance and strengthen our bones.

A large study by Penn State College of Medicine in the US found that older adults who do exercises to increase muscle tissue twice a week have a 46% lower risk of death from any cause, a 41% lower risk of dying from a heart, and a 19% lower risk of dying from cancer.

Another research published in the scientific journal “Journal of Bone and Mineral Research” found that 2 times a week of resistance exercise contributes to good bone condition and muscle strengthening.

In fact, according to research published in the scientific journal “International Journal of Exercise Science”, 11 minutes of weight training are enough to increase the strength of our feet by 10%.

👉 Check Also: Old School New Body Training System For People Over 40 Years Old.

How Much Exercise Do You Need if You Sit All Day

3 minutes

3 minutes of exercise for every hour we spend sitting can reduce the likelihood of premature death by 30%, according to research led by Caledonian University in Glasgow.

Scientists have found that many short and frequent exercise breaks in our sedentary day can reverse the harm that makes us sit so long.

It could be a few minutes on the stationary bike, some yoga exercises, climbs and downs on the stairs, or even some walks inside the house.

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