Some good news for people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who exercise and are fit: A long-term research study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that the more fit you are during your midlife years, the lower your risk of developing chronic diseases in old age. This holds true for both men and women. Although the effects of cardiovascular fitness on health are well documented, this is the first study to correlate fitness in middle age with the development in old age of ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and colon or lung cancer. To do this, researchers took baseline health data from more than 18,000 healthy volunteers with an average age of 49 years and classified them into one of five fitness levels.
For the next 26 years, the researchers followed these volunteers to determine which of eight chronic conditions they developed. After adjusting for individual differences such as body mass index, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol level, smoking, alcohol intake and fasting blood glucose level, a clear correlation emerged between the fitness level in middle age and chronic diseases that developed in later years. In fact, the risk of developing a chronic disease in the least fit group was almost double the risk of the fittest group. Fitness in middle age did not extend life. Fit and non-fit individuals died at about the same age. But those people who were fit in middle age had, on average, a better quality of life in old age. They remained healthier longer and spent less time in decline before death. A successful fitness program includes a solid plan and the determination to stick with it. The more enjoyable the regimen, the more likely you will be to follow it. Let us help you plan for future good health by developing a comprehensive, well-balanced exercise program today.
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