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Aerobic exercise and weight training have health benefits on their own, but when combined, they may have even greater benefits in terms of disease prevention and early mortality risk.
People who lifted weights once or twice a week and did recommended cardio had a 41% lower risk of early death, according to a study published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. .
The researchers collected self-reports and health information from nearly 100,000 men and women who participated in a prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening trial that began in 1998 and followed participants through 2016. We created our findings based on. A participant completed his 2006 questionnaire. Examining exercise habits over the past year, the authors of this latest study looked to see if these participants had developed cancer or had died by her 2016.
Older adults who did weight training without aerobic exercise had up to a 22% reduction in the risk of premature death from any cause. The risk was 14% lower for him, and the more weight he lifted, the greater the benefit.
Participants who did aerobic exercise had up to a 34% lower risk compared to those who didn’t do any weight training or aerobic exercise. However, the lowest risk was for her, 41% to 47%, meeting the weekly recommended aerobic activity (see below for guidance) and lifting weights once or twice a week. were compared with those who were inactive. The authors did not find a lower risk of dying from cancer.
Participants’ education, smoking status, body mass index, race, and ethnicity did not affect the findings, but gender did. Researchers found that the association was more pronounced in women.
“While the results of this study are predictable, it is important that the authors provide expected results for older data,” says Haruki Monma, a lecturer in sports and exercise medicine and science at Tohoku University in Japan. said. on mail. Mother was not involved in the study.
“This is one of the most important points of this study,” Mama added. “Research to date in older adults is limited.”
The findings support the joint benefits of muscle-strengthening activities via weight training alongside aerobic exercise in amounts that are broadly consistent with current physical activity guidelines, the authors said.
The World Health Organization recommends that older adults (65 and older) get at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75-150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week. Aerobic exercise includes walking, dancing, running or jogging, cycling and swimming.
According to guidelines, strength exercises should be done at least twice a week if possible. These help prevent falls and related injuries, as well as loss of bone health and performance.
Weight training exercises that can be done in 30-60 minutes include dead lifts, overhead dumbbell presses, and dumbbell lateral raises. Dumbbell lateral raises involve using your back and shoulder muscles to lift light dumbbells so your arms and body are in his T shape.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you experience pain while exercising, stop immediately. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
The authors had no information about the specific weight training or aerobic exercise the participants did.
“As the authors stated, there was no information on training intensity, training load, volume (sets and repetitions),” Mama said. on mail. “Thus, the optimal prescription for regular muscle-strengthening exercise to prevent death remains unclear. However, this limitation is not limited to this study. Studies of muscle-strengthening exercise epidemiology are prone to this limitation.” is.”
But researchers had some ideas about how exercise might help prevent illness and early death.
Weight training can improve body composition and lean muscle mass. It was previously shown to be highly effective in preventing premature death from all causes and cardiovascular disease.
Having leaner muscle and less body fat helps regulate balance, posture and cholesterol levels, Dr. Nika Goldberg told CNN in March. Goldberg, an associate professor of clinical medicine at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, was not involved in the study.
“Obese people are known to be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, glucose intolerance, and some cancers, so improving their (health) profile is beneficial,” Goldberg said. “People who participate in regular activities have a healthier outlook and are likely to have other healthier lifestyles.”
Dr. William Roberts, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota, told CNN in March that a well-balanced regimen more closely mimics the lifestyles of our ancestors. he added.
Additionally, muscle aids in endocrine and paracrine function, which the authors say is involved in hormonal and cellular communication, respectively. That’s associated with longevity, the researchers added.
The authors noted that there may be measurement errors associated with participants’ recall of their exercise habits, and because most of the participants were non-Hispanic Caucasians with an average age of 71 years, this study was not suitable for people of color or He pointed out that it may not be applicable to young people.
Future studies that are more varied, longer, and more carefully conducted over time will be beneficial in understanding the relationship between these exercises and early mortality risk, the authors said.
But for now, mom said seniors who do either exercise should incorporate the other into their routines.
“Physical activity is better than no activity at all,” Mom said. “Because there are individual differences in the physical fitness level and chronic diseases of the elderly, please move your body as much as your physical strength and physical condition allow.”
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