Two surprising ways you can exercise less and benefit more

We all know the importance of exercise…

It’s certainly no secret that being physically active is not optional if you want to avoid heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and even cancer.

But what kind of exercise is best?

There are so many options to choose from. Aside from considering your natural abilities and inclinations, how do you know which will give you the biggest return for your time, energy and sweat?

If that one question has you in a quandary — I have great news: You can forget about it.

If you want to make a huge impact on your health and longevity, stop worrying so much about how to exercise — and focus more on who you’re doing it with…

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Don’t exercise alone

Dr. James O’Keefe, a cardiologist at St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, is the co-author of a recent study based on data from the 8500 adults who took part in the Copenhagen City Heart Study in 1975.

The Copenhagen Study took a good hard look at the health habits of about 20,000 men and women. Exercise was one of the factors examined.

In reviewing data from the study, Dr. O’Keefe and his team found something interesting regarding exercise…

They noticed a clear correlation between social sports and longevity, as opposed to solo exercise like running or gym workouts.

For example: compared to sedentary people, those who reported playing tennis as their primary form of exercise could expect to add almost ten years to their life expectancy — while those who jogged could expect only about another three years of lifespan.

What’s more — this was true even if the person playing tennis spent less time exercising than the person who jogged.

And the reason why points to a theme that more and more research is proving…

“For both mental and physical well-being and longevity, we’re understanding that our social connections are probably the single-most important feature of living a long, healthy, happy life,” says Dr. O’Keefe. “If you’re interested in exercising for health and longevity and well-being, perhaps the most important feature of your exercise regimen is that it should involve a playdate.”

Sports like badminton and tennis are impossible to play without constant eye contact and social interaction. Even activities like cycling or swimming, when done as part of a team or committed group or club, can help keep the heart pumping and increase the social connection that reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke.

The icing on the cake

One other thing that Dr. O’Keefe took away from his examination of the Copenhagen City Study might get you even more excited about planning the perfect play date…

The reason most of us can’t stick to a regular exercise routine, is that we go at it to hard, wear ourselves out and quit. If you’re exercising like this, just stop. There’s a better way.

It turns out that a moderate to light workout, done consistently, is actually better for you than insisting on doing heavy-duty, heart-pounding, sweat-pouring exercise.

For example, jogging at a slower pace and less frequently was associated with lower mortality rates than was faster running done more frequently.

Other research supports these findings, too. A 2017 study found that active adults had a 30 percent lower mortality rate than inactive adults. The important thing to note, though, is that “active” included people we sometimes call “weekend warriors”: those who only get 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

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How to start slow

So that’s the good news. You don’t have to run marathons, or even run at all, in order to keep your heart healthy and add years to your life.

So how to get started if you don’t exercise at all?

• Take a walk after dinner. And remember to bring a friend or family member for company, for double the heart benefits.
• Join a local exercise class that suits your level of activity and ability. Swimming, dancing, or biking in a group will allow you to exercise the body and make rewarding social connections… both good for the heart!
• Try a yoga class. It lowers stress hormones and trains the body to handle stress more healthfully.