Are You Still Sitting on that Sofa?

Running is a great way to enhance your cardiorespiratory health!

In case you haven’t gotten the message yet—that being fit truly is good for you, especially if you’re a baby boomer or older adult—here’s another study that brings the message home. These particular headlines grabbed my attention in the past few days — “Higher Cardiorespiratory Fitness Predicts Lower Mortality” and “Being Fit: More Important Than Smoking and Diabetes!”

Wow, those are some pretty bold claims, so let’s peel back the details.

This study, published last week in the JAMA Network Open, evaluated the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of 122,007 patients, average age 53.4, between 1991 – 2014. Exercise treadmill testing was used to determine CRF, to answer the following question: What is the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and long-term mortality?

Bottom line: Patients with the highest CRF score had the lowest risk for death. Conversely, the mortality risk was highest in the least fit groups, and that indicator surpassed other risk factors such as coronary artery (heart) disease, smoking, and diabetes.

To better understand these findings, here are some definitions:
Cardiorespiratory fitness is an important parameter for predicting chronic disease, overall health and quality of life, and mortality. It is usually measured by something called V02 max, the capacity of the heart, lungs, and blood to transport oxygen to the working muscles, and the muscles’ oxygen usage during exercise. CRF is usually measured in a lab while you’re running on a treadmill until exhaustion. The higher your VO2 Max, the better your CRF, the more fit you are.

Mortality risk is the risk that a patient will live a shorter life than expected. In this study, higher levels of CRF benefit people in middle age by predicting lower mortality (i.e., they live longer).

Limitations of the study:
The results show an “association” between fitness and longevity, not a cause-and-effect relationship.
Although exercise is the main way to improve CRF, the study did not look at actual physical activity habits of participants.
CRF may also be inherited.

So while not the perfect study, this is certainly one that points again to the statement, “Exercise is medicine.”

Your significant take-away:
CRF is generally believed to be a modifiable health risk. That is, you can do something—engage in regular physical activity—to improve your CRF. So while growing older is a known risk factor for heart disease, it is possible to tilt the odds in your favor (extend quality years of life) by staying active.

For more ideas about improving your CRF and chances of living longer, give me a call! We can discuss some practical tips and discover if any of my programs or classes are a good fit for you.
If you’d like to schedule that call with me, just CLICK THIS LINK, and let me know in the message that you would like a 1-on-1 call with me right away and I will be in touch to schedule that—oh, and leave me your phone number in there too since email is not as reliable as it used to be!

Thanks.

Lisa Teresi Harris is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer, and author of the book Building Your Enduring Fitness. A certified Geri-Fit Instructor, she helps Boomers and seniors to regain and keep muscle strength, mobility, and energy. 
Contact Lisa to inquire about a customized, in-home fitness program for you or a loved one.

 

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