May has got to be the perfect month to get up out of your chair and get going. Whether or not it’s sunny, it’s LIGHT and generally warmer – definitely a great time to do something physical. The link between longevity, good physical and mental health, and exercise is absolutely beyond question. So how come so many of us still seem to do so little about it?
Okay, we know the answer. It can be difficult and time-consuming and if you don’t find an activity you’re passionate about, downright boring. However, last month, a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine claimed that taking regular aerobic exercise could help turn back our biological clocks and delay ageing by up to 12 years.
‘Aerobic’ exercise always sounds particularly scary (redolent of aerobics classes - popular in the eighties and hard work) but actually all it means is a level of exertion ‘enough to raise the heart rate to 120 beats a minute or higher’ – which can result from as little as a brisk walk, swimming, cycling or jogging. The benefits in terms of strengthening the heart and lungs, reducing fatigue and adding to overall quality of life are impressive – you just have to do it.
As another London marathon has recently come and gone we were interested to find out how many in my primers participated in this particularly impressive event and were astounded to find that out of a total of 34,420 people who completed the marathon, 4,817 were over 50 - 160 of whom were over 70! Makes doing anything less seem, quite literally, a stroll in the park.
So next time you’re contemplating whether you can be bothered to leave the car behind and walk, or whether to get someone in to mow the lawn, just remember these figures. There’s obviously no automatic reason why we have to slow down physically over 50, so if you haven’t been as active as you might of late, resolve to make May the month you change your habits. You will reap the benefits in terms of reduced stress, depression and likelihood of developing a range of problems including diabetes, heart disease and muscular and skeletal ailments.
