Exercise helps prevent illness and prolong life. A heart study in the city of Copenhagen found that people who exercised 2.6-4.5 hours a week were 40% less likely to die in the next 25 years than those who were less active (Mayo Clinic Minutes, August 17, 2021). Participants were 8697 healthy adults who recorded time in leisure sports activities such as tennis, cycling, swimming, jogging, gymnastics, health club activities and weight lifting. Surprisingly, those who exercised more than 10 hours a week lost some of their benefits, but were still in better shape than those who were less active. Another recent study that followed 2110 people for almost 11 years found similar results (JAMA Netw Open, 2021; 4 (9): e2124516). Those who took at least 7,000 steps per day had a 50-70% lower mortality rate than the sedentary group, but beyond 10,000 steps per day, the benefits did not increase.
Neither of these studies do anything to measure the level of fitness achieved by the exerciser, so I don’t think it gives the big picture. They only looked at the time and steps they spent exercising. A large study at the Cleveland Clinic, which used the treadmill stress test to classify fitness levels, found that the healthier a person was, the less likely he was to die (JAMA network open, October 19, 2018; 1 (6): e183605). The study followed more than 120,000 patients over a period of up to 27 years, and there was no limit to the increased benefits of improved fitness. Elite athletes (top quartiles) had an 80% reduction in mortality risk during the study period compared to the group with the lowest fitness levels (bottom quartiles).
The more you have, the better
There may be an upper limit to the amount of exercise people need to stay healthy. According to a study by the Karolinska Institute, people who tried to train hard almost every day damaged mitochondria (Cell Metab, March 13, 2021; S1550-4131 (21): 00102-9). The Million Women Study found that women who tried to exercise hard every day were at increased risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart disease (circulation, February 16, 2015; 131: 721–729). Some people are at high risk of heart attack due to lifestyle factors such as pro-inflammatory diet and genetics, and strenuous exercise and inadequate recovery from previous exercise sessions can lead to unstable arterial plaques. It can be removed and cause a heart attack.
Most athletes know that they shouldn’t train hard every day. One day you train harder, the next day you feel pain, and then you go at a slower pace until your muscles are fresh again. If you have no heart problems, you probably need to do the same. Compared to exercising at the same relaxed pace every day, you can train with a little more intensity one day, feel muscle pain the next day, and then slow down for the required number of days to exercise more. You will be healthy. Your muscles to recover.
(Shutterstock)Why non-athletes need to exercise daily
40% of North Americans die of a heart attack. One of the common causes of arterial damage that precedes a heart attack is an increase in postprandial blood glucose. Most North Americans have too high a blood sugar level because they are constantly rising after eating and have lifestyle-related problems. Resting muscles do not remove sugar from the bloodstream, while contractile muscles quickly remove sugar from the bloodstream and can do so without the need for insulin. This effect is strongest during exercise and disappears about 17 hours after you stop exercising. If you want to use exercise to control your blood sugar, try to do it daily.
If you are just starting out, spend at least 6 weeks at a slow pace until your activity is comfortable. Then you’ll be ready to alternate between more intense days with easier training.
My recommendations
I think any healthy person should exercise every day. You can get a much higher level of fitness with “stress and recovery”, where you exercise harder one day, feel pain the next day, move slowly until the pain is gone, and then increase your pace again.
Caution: Vigorous exercise can cause a heart attack in sensitive people. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program or increasing the intensity of your current program. If you experience any unusual discomfort or pain, stop training immediately. If you experience chest pain, excessive shortness of breath, or other severe symptoms, call 911, or if the pain subsides in a few minutes, check with your doctor before exercising again.
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