Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Longevity isn’t simply determined by genetics or luck—it’s fundamentally about balance. When discussing longevity, several key factors come into focus: cognitive health, cardiovascular function, cancer prevention, and metabolic stability. Metabolic diseases like diabetes are particularly concerning as they cause systemic damage throughout the body. When blood glucose reaches toxic levels, it harms every cell it contacts, often silently progressing before symptoms appear.
As Asad Hussain, Founder and CEO of OddsFitness notes, “Longevity is all about balance.” This insight explains why those who live longest typically maintain balanced lifestyles without extreme pursuits. While exceptions exist, statistical evidence suggests longevity directly correlates with a balanced approach to life.
For many Indians, diabetes is the first significant health challenge they face. Strength training offers a powerful intervention. This form of exercise provides multiple benefits: it increases muscle mass (hypertrophy), which enhances glucose storage as glycogen; improves cellular glucose uptake by enhancing GLUT4 sensitivity; and promotes glucose utilization through anaerobic glycolysis. These mechanisms help prevent dangerous glucose elevations beyond 240 mg/dL for extended periods.
The protective benefits extend beyond diabetes prevention to address other major health risks. Experts recommend at least three 30-40 minute strength training sessions weekly. Remarkably, even a single session can reduce HbA1c levels by 1.1-1.3 percent over a three-month period without other interventions.
Dr. Divya Sakhalkar from OddsFitness offers this vivid explanation: “Think of glycation as caramelizing your body from the inside out. Cutting down on sugar and moving more can help prevent it. Oxidative stress and glycation accelerate aging unnecessarily, but exercising correctly and eating smarter are the best anti-aging remedies. Imagine your body ‘rusting’ from the inside – exercise keeps it polished and running like new.
Too much sugar gums up your cells and makes you age faster, but exercise helps clean up the mess. Strength training is your best defense against glycation. Your body is like a machine—too much sugar clogs the system, but movement keeps it running smoothly.”
Many people mistakenly view heart attacks as sudden, unpredictable events caused by bad luck or uncontrollable factors. In reality, cardiovascular disease often begins developing as early as age 20, progressing slowly over decades until coronary arteries become significantly blocked.
Exercise—particularly cardiovascular training—plays a dual protective role. It promotes healthy blood vessels and improves the heart’s efficiency by increasing cardiac output. Endurance exercises specifically enhance left ventricular volume, allowing the heart to pump more blood per contraction (increased stroke volume), which reduces the necessary number of heartbeats.
For optimal cardiovascular health, experts recommend 150 minutes of zone 2 cardio (approximately 120 beats per minute) weekly, ideally split into three 50-minute sessions.
Cancer, another condition frequently attributed to misfortune, is widely misunderstood. Regular exercise contributes significantly to cancer prevention and improved survival rates by promoting:
Superior metabolic health
Reduced inflammatory states
Strengthened immune function
Overall healthier lifestyle patterns
These protective benefits demonstrate how consistent physical activity serves as a powerful preventive measure against diseases often considered beyond our control.
Research from the National Cancer Institute (NIH) demonstrates that excess body fat—particularly visceral fat—creates two cancer-promoting conditions: increased inflammation and hormone dysregulation. This combination elevates risk factors for 13 distinct cancer types.
Exercise provides multiple protective mechanisms against cancer development. Beyond regulating body composition, physical activity enhances immune function, which helps suppress tumor growth.
Exercise also improves mitochondrial health, enhancing metabolic flexibility—the body’s ability to efficiently switch between different fuel sources. This optimized metabolism prevents the buildup of biosynthetic intermediates and reactive byproducts that could otherwise create an environment favorable to cancer cell proliferation.
Regular exercise also provides protection against cancer cachexia, a condition characterized by dramatic weight and muscle loss that disrupts both metabolic and mechanical functions. This condition currently accounts for 20-30 percent of cancer-related deaths.
For comprehensive cancer prevention, experts recommend a balanced fitness routine incorporating:
At least 100 minutes of zone 4 (threshold) cardio training to improve vasculature and oxygen delivery
Three weekly strength training sessions to build muscle reserves and enhance metabolic health
Two weekly yoga sessions for mindfulness and autonomic nervous system regulation
These exercise modalities also benefit brain health by improving cerebral blood flow, brain volume, and cognitive function. Racket sports like badminton, tennis, and squash provide additional cognitive benefits by stimulating decision-making and critical thinking skills. When combined with strength and endurance training, these activities promote neurogenesis and new synaptic connections, further protecting cognitive health.
TO READ MORE, OPEN THE LINK BELOW:
https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/other/7-best-workouts-for-longevity-and-anti-aging/ar-AA1zoVHM