Longevity is a tricky term. It’s not just about genetics or a stroke of good luck; it’s all about balance. Many things come to mind when we speak about longevity. One would be the brain and its cognitive prowess. Then we have the heart, which is the number one killer, followed by cancer and metabolic diseases like diabetes. These metabolic diseases essentially wreak havoc on your body at a systemic level. An overload of blood glucose can reach toxic levels, thereby damaging all cells in its reach. It’s a silent killer.
According to Asad Hussain, Founder and CEO of OddsFitnes, “Longevity is all about balance. This is a curious statement as it explains why the longest-living individuals lead the most balanced lives. Their existence isn’t tilted in pursuit of anything extreme. While there are exceptions, statistically, longevity appears to be a direct reflection of balance.”The first and foremost disease that most Indians encounter is diabetes, and to help deal with it, strength training is highly recommended. Strength training not only enhances your ability to store glucose within muscle cells because of increased muscle mass (hypertrophy), where it is stored as glycogen but also makes cells more receptive to receiving glucose (by enhancing GLUT4 sensitivity) and disposing of it through anaerobic glycolysis (the mechanism involved in breaking down glucose for energy). This prevents the cells from being exposed to excess glucose, which should not exceed 240 mg/dL for prolonged periods.
Not only does this prevent cell damage, but it also reduces the risks of all the other diseases mentioned. It is recommended atleast three 30-40-minute sessions per week of strength training. Just one session is enough to reduce HbA1c by 1.1-1.3 percent over three months without any other interventions.
Dr. Divya Sakhalkar from OddsFitness elaborates: “Think of glycation as caramelizing your body from the inside out. Cutting down on sugar and moving more can help prevent it. Oxidative stress and glycation accelerate aging unnecessarily, but exercising correctly and eating smarter are the best anti-aging remedies. Imagine your body ‘rusting’ from the inside – exercise keeps it polished and running like new. Too much sugar gums up your cells and makes you age faster, but exercise helps clean up the mess. Strength training is your best defense against glycation. Your body is like a machine—too much sugar clogs the system, but movement keeps it running smoothly.”
When it comes to cardiovascular diseases, most people assume that a heart attack is a sudden and acute event that probably happens due to bad luck or factors outside our control. However, cardiovascular disease can literally begin at the young age of 20, taking decades until your coronary arteries (which supply blood to the heart) start getting blocked. Exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, not only ensures that you have healthy blood vessels but also helps the heart develop an enhanced cardiac output. Endurance-based exercises increase left ventricular volume, reducing the number of times the heart needs to contract by increasing stroke volume. A healthier heart and healthier blood vessels can be achieved through cardiovascular exercises, and 150 minutes of zone 2 (120 beats per minute) cardio per week can be divided into three 50-minute sessions.
Now, cancer, which many attribute to bad luck, is a misunderstood disease. Having great metabolic health, a lower inflammatory state, a robust immune system, and a healthy lifestyle in general—all of which can be achieved through exercise—can help prevent and also increase the chances of survival from this disease.What does the study say?According to the NIH (National Cancer Institute), excess body fat, especially visceral fat, increases inflammation in the body and creates hormone dysregulation, both of which create an environment that increases the risk of 13 different types of cancer. When it comes to cancer, exercising not only helps regulate body composition, but it also improves immunity, which helps inhibit tumor growth. Exercise enhances mitochondrial health, which boosts metabolic flexibility, allowing cells to efficiently switch between fuel sources. This optimized metabolism minimizes the excessive accumulation of biosynthetic intermediates and reactive byproducts that, if elevated, could create an environment conducive to cancer cell growth. By practicing a well-rounded fitness routine, you can ensure not only the prevention of cancer but also reduce the risk of death due to cancer cachexia, which now accounts for 20-30 percent of cancer-related deaths.Cancer cachexia is a condition where a person loses weight drastically, especially muscle mass, wreaking havoc on the metabolic and mechanical functions. It is highly recommended to exercise to maintain healthy body composition. A well-rounded fitness routine that includes at least 100 minutes of cardio-based exercises, zone 4 (threshold training) to enhance vasculature and oxygen delivery, three days a week of strength training (to build muscle reserve and improve metabolic health), and two days a week of yoga (for mindfulness and a regulated autonomic nervous system) is ideal.Lastly, regarding the brain and cognition, all the above-mentioned modalities help with brain vasculature, health, and size. Engaging in racket sports stimulates decision-making and critical thinking, thereby keeping the brain active. Racket sports like badminton, tennis, and squash, combined with a well-rounded strength training and endurance protocol, help create new synaptic connections and neurogenesis.
To sum it all up, a balanced exercise regimen that includes zone 2 (cycling, brisk walking, jogging) training for at least 130 minutes and strength training (which trains all major muscle groups) three days a week—using exercises like leg press, military press, bench press, squats, push-ups, pull-ups, and rows—helps train all major muscle groups, improving functionality. Additionally, practicing yoga two days a week ensures a long life and a better quality of life. All of these come together to reduce the risk of diseases and, more importantly, improve balance, gait, steadiness, proprioception, strength, and flexibility, making sure you not only live a long life but your best life, where all your long-term narratives require you to be a functional and disease-free individual.
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