According to Attia, exercise’s benefits for the heart are simply undeniable—just like how eating vegetables is good for you or how smoking increases your risk of lung cancer. It’s pretty much indisputable!
“Similarly, if you look at all of the metrics that are associated with longevity, there are none that even come within the same ZIP code as having a very high cardiorespiratory fitness,” he says.
Research echoes this statement, showing that participants who took part in 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity and 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity are more likely to live longer, compared to those who don’t. Another study shows frequent exercise promotes cardiovascular health1 by lowering blood pressure, increasing insulin sensitivity, and creating a favorable plasma lipoprotein profile.
And yet another study showed that one or two weekly sessions of moderate- or vigorous-intensity leisure/recreational activity were all that was necessary to reduce the risk of dying2 from cardiovascular disease (40%), cancer (18%), or something else (30%) compared with inactive individuals. We could go on and on; the link between exercise and longevity is well documented.
