moving toward fitness . . .
New research findings suggest that all of us should be less focused on calorie counting and weight loss efforts and more focused on improving and maintaining fitness, if we want to live better and live longer.
Dr. Duck-chul Lee and his associates at the University of South Carolina in December of 2011, published online at Circulation a study looking at how fitness and BMI, body mass index, affected cardiovascular disease and all causes of death. During the all-male study conducted over eleven years, men who became or remained fit had a 47% and 48% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to men who remained unfit. Becoming normal weight did not appear to have any benefit in terms of reducing the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death. Furthermore, becoming overweight did not appear to increase the risk of mortality.
Basically,” Dr. Lee continued, “to increase or maintain fitness levels, physical activity is the most important factor that people can modify.”
In other words, one very significant key to living a long life appears to be continuing to move–walking, gardening and yoga. And, don’t forget dancing!
For a full text see www.circahajournals.org.