Regular exercise is described as “the closest thing we have to a longevity drug,” according to Dr. Rhea Kotecha, a GP and longevity physician. Research demonstrates the profound impact of fitness on survival: in a 2018 study of over 122,000 adults, the least fit participants had roughly five times the mortality risk of the fittest, a risk differential greater than that of smoking. According to a 2024 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness reduces the risk of dying from any cause by 53%, while a high level of strength is associated with a 31% reduced risk of death from any cause.
Women may enjoy particular advantages in achieving longevity benefits through exercise. A 2024 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that women needed to exercise for around 140 minutes a week to reap maximum survival benefits, compared to 300 minutes for men. “What this means is that women get a far better return on investment,” according to Dr. Kotecha. As women reach menopause, exercise requirements shift due to hormonal changes. When estrogen withdraws, the protection it provides to bone, muscle, and the cardiovascular system withdraws as well, necessitating increased training investment.
Dr. Kotecha recommends six forms of movement for healthy aging: strength and resistance training at two to three times weekly (research shows maximum longevity benefit at roughly 30-60 minutes per week); functional fitness emphasizing movement patterns used in daily life; explosive power training for 5 minutes to reduce falls risk; high-intensity interval training for one to two sessions weekly to raise VO2 max; and stability and balance work most days. On the critical question of nutrition versus exercise, Dr. Kotecha notes that both are equally essential: “You cannot outtrain a poor diet and you cannot out-eat a sedentary body. How you train and what you eat are the two strongest, most modifiable levers you have on how long and how well you live, and they only reach their full power together.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://newspub.live/fitness/it-works-up-a-sweat-at-79-susan-sarandon-swears-by-this-one-surprising-exercise-for-toned-arms/