Southport Magazine

We all know that exercise and a healthy lifestyle offer numerous benefits. Some of the latest research is shedding light on many other unexpected ways that your level of fitness can directly impact and improve your life. Below are some of the surprising findings from recent research studies.

Poor Muscular Fitness may be linked to Depression and Anxiety

In a study of midlife women in Singapore, weak upper and lower body strength was associated with depression and anxiety. Researchers analyzed data from 1159 healthy women ages 45-69. Weak hand grip strength and lower body strength were associated with elevated symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. According to JoAnn Pinkerton, MD, “Strength training has been shown to lead to a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. Both strength training and aerobic exercise appear to improve depression, possibly as a result of increased blood flow to the brain or improved coping with stress from the release of endorphins such as norepinephrine and dopamine.”

Moderate Exercise Session Increases Memory Performance

University of Maryland researchers found that healthy adults ages 55-85 did better on a memory task just after a moderate exercise session than they did after resting. Measurements of brain activity showed significantly more activation in memory-related areas of the brain immediately following physical activity. “Just like a muscle adapts to repeated use, single sessions of exercise may flex cognitive neural networks in ways that promote adaptations over time and lead to increased network integrity and function and allow more efficient access to memories,” said principal investigator J. Carson Smith, PhD.

Exercise Reduces Colon Cancer Growth

Although more research is needed, new findings show colon cancer cell growth slows immediately after a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session, according to a pilot study published in the Journal of Physiology. More physical activity does appear to be linked with a lower death risk for people with colorectal cancer. Knowing this may be important for understanding the overall relationship between exercise and cancer mortality.

Fitness Predicts Longevity After 70

Most adults over 70 have multiple risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and/or diabetes, but experts note that knowing the total number of risk factors is not helpful for predicting future health. By contrast, knowing how fit a person is can be predictive according to a recent study released.

Researchers analyzed records of more than 6,500 people ages 70 and older who had taken an exercise stress test and were then tracked for an average of just under 10 years. Data analysis revealed that higher fitness levels significantly increased longevity. The most fit individuals were more than twice as likely to be alive 10 years later when compared with the least fit. On the other hand, a subject’s total number of cardiovascular risk factors was not associated with risk of death; patients with zero risk factors had a similar likelihood of dying as those with three or more risk factors.

Lead study author Seamus P. Whelton, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine stated, “We found fitness is an extremely strong risk predictor of survival in the older age group; this is regardless of whether you are otherwise healthy or have cardiovascular risk factors, being more fit means you are more likely to live longer than someone who is less fit. This finding emphasizes the importance of being fit, even when you’re older.”

This small handful of studies shows exercise can decrease depression and anxiety, increase memory function, lengthen lifespan, and decrease cancer risk. The research is in and still coming in; it is time to reap the benefits of exercise and a healthy lifestyle. I think we can agree the list of potential benefits is endless and there is an infinite amount of research out there to prove it. So do yourself and your loved ones a favor, prove the research true and commit to being fit. Start seeing your life improve in every way possible. It is never too late, begin today and keep moving forward…every day counts.

Happy holidays to you and yours…I look forward to sharing helpful insights and tips with you in the New Year to help you live a better life!

If you have additional questions regarding this month’s article or have a topic you would like to see covered in future articles, please email me.  

BrianTully@BetterTogetherFitness.com