Ever since man became aware of his own mortality, he has strived to overcome it. From ancient Egypt to the modern-day pharmaceutical industry, we remain locked in an endless quest for immortality.
Physical fitness will not just enhance the quantity but more importantly, the quality and enjoyment of your life
Immortality; can we even get our heads around the implications of such an extraordinary concept? It’s a mind-bending possibility however you look at it, but in the words of the late Freddy Mercury, “who wants to live forever?”
Unless you’re a pharoah or a big-time capitalist, you’re probably not all that interested in immortality anyway, and would be more than satisfied with just a few extra years, give or take. To live long and prosper, in whatever shape or form prosperity may come, is a long-term goal to which we can all aspire.
What better time than Christmas and New Year to reflect on what we hold dearest in life? At this time of year we exchange good wishes and heartfelt sentiments in joyful abundance.
Happiness, good health and meaningful relationships with our loved ones are all musts to enjoy a long and fulfilling life. While we muse over the ingredients of happiness over the coming days some have even prophesised as our last, researchers continue to explore the labyrinth of longevity. What on Earth can we do to add on more precious years to the time we are already given in this world?
It seems this very same question was tackled by the British Medical Journal this month. Are the answers to be found in pills, potions, or practices? Who are the champions of longevity in the games of life?
Well, according to British researchers, they are the same champions who win medals in the games themselves, the Olympic Games that is. It turns out the finely-tuned bodies of Olympians allow them to enjoy slightly longer lives than the rest of us.
Do Olympic champions rise to the top and become so because they are physically superior? Or is their physical superiority precisely a result of that same struggle? Perhaps it’s a bit of both.
Genetics might help explain why Olympians live longer but the physical exercise they engage in has turned out to be a universal determining factor across the board, applicable to any segment of the population, as the following numbers indicate.
Thousands of Olympians were considered in various studies which ultimately showed our sporting legends live 2.8 years longer than we do.
But wait a minute, pushing the limits of human capability, enduring hours of strenuous training each day, and dedicating your whole life towards winning a medal all for a bonus of just under three years? Would that even make up for the time lost? I’m not sure about that, but fret not, for there is good news.
All sports were not created equal. In terms of preparatory and competitive demands, some are quite simply harder than others.
Researchers, however, could not find any significant differences in the life expectancies of athletes engaged in high- to moderate-intensity sports like cycling or rowing, to those engaged in lower-intensity sports like cricket or golf. We can therefore already deduce that slaving away more does not necessarily guarantee greater longevity. But it gets even better.
Those 150 minutes of moderate physical activity that all competent authorities around the world now prescribe as a minimum weekly recommendation aren’t far off the mark either.
The World Health Organisation and almost all national bodies concerned with the promotion of better health now suggest a total of 150 minutes of moderate activity spread evenly throughout the week into chunks not necessarily longer than 30 minutes at a stretch. By adhering to the 150-minute guideline, you can enjoy a longer life too; indeed, almost as long as the Olympians.
While Olympians achieve far superior levels of physical preparedness than recreational physical activity enthusiasts, they tend to surpass a point of no return.
Like a battery that is burnt out too quickly, more output isn’t always better for many athletes. Putting the body through the sometimes torturous rigours of professional standard competition and training certainly takes its toll over the long term. Any serious competitive athlete even at amateur level will sympathise with the punishment athletic bodies must often endure.
Indeed, a word of warning emerged from the study concerning high-impact contact sports like boxing and rugby. The repeated collisions and resulting injuries associated with these sports essentially excludes participants from enjoying the same longevity benefits as other athletes. It was also noted that athletes engaged in power sports still enjoy increased longevity, but not quite as much as those engaged in more moderate sports.
By engaging in only moderate-intensity physical activity, research shows you are able to tap into all the wonderful benefits improved wellness has to offer, without pushing your body to and beyond its limits.
While nearly three years of extra time may not sound like all that much, remember that physical fitness in itself will not just enhance the quantity but more importantly, the quality and enjoyment of your life.
So in the spirit of the festive season, I bid you: live long, prosper and above all, exercise!
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