And, greater fitness translates into better cognitive function, it seems:
This body of work has created a sense of optimism based on evidence that there are some health behaviors that amplify cognitive performance or mitigate the rate of age-related cognitive decline. In this context, we discuss the role of physical activity on neurocognitive function in late adulthood and summarize how it can be conceptualized as a constructive approach both for the maintenance of cognitive function and as a therapeutic for enhancing or optimizing cognitive function in late life. In this way, physical activity research can be used to shape perceptions of cognitive aging.
Cognitive Aging and the Promise of Physical Activity
The health benefits of regular exercise and a physically active lifestyle are indisputable – it plays a key role in improving cardiorespiratory fitness, maintaining physical function, and correcting biological risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol. But whether exercise also lengthens the lifespan is a far more difficult question to answer.
This issue of BJSM features some spirited discussion about whether exercise really is the secret to a long life in a review article1 and two editorials2,3.
We share some highlights from this discussion: The conflicting evidence between observational studies and randomised controlled trials about whether there is a causal association between higher physical activity levels and lower mortality risk; whether limitations in study design may have led to spurious conclusions; and how future research can better answer this question.
Conclusion The minimum effective dose of aerobic PA for significant mortality risk reduction was 1 hour/week of MPA or VPA, with additional mortality risk reduction observed up to 3 hours/week. For older adults, only small decreases in mortality risk were observed beyond this duration.
Looks like my every other day 1 hour and 15 minute rmuscle resistance exercise is on target. Lol
I really must speak to the younger audience here: Maybe regular exercise won’t make you live that much longer, but it certainly will improve your quality of life. You will never regret the exercise you have done, only the exercise you haven’t done. If you don’t want to be a burden to your loved ones, you must stay in reasonable shape. Better to be a caregiver to those around you.
Importantly, the increase in muscle strength of the 6x5 group was similar to the group in a previous study that performed only one three-second maximal eccentric contraction per day for five days a week for four weeks.
ECU Exercise and Sports Science Professor Ken Nosaka said these studies continue to suggest very manageable amounts of exercise done regularly can have a real effect on people’s strength.
“People think they have to do a lengthy session of resistance training in the gym, but that’s not the case,” he said.
“Just lowering a heavy dumbbell slowly once or six times a day is enough.”
Professor Nosaka said while the study required participants to exert maximum effort, early findings from current, ongoing research indicated similar results could be achieved without needing to push as hard as possible.
“We only used the bicep curl exercise in this study, but we believe this would be the case for other muscles also, at least to some extent,” he said.
"Muscle strength is important to our health. This could help prevent a decrease in muscle mass and strength with ageing.
“A decrease in muscle mass is a cause of many chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, dementia, plus musculoskeletal problems such as osteoporosis.”
It’s about 7 weeks since I began a vacation from rapamycin and things just continue to improve.
Today was my semi-annual check and my doctor, who has zero bedside manner, said: “That I was an exemplary example for someone my age.”
The only disagreement we had was over metformin. He wanted to take me off of it because my A1c levels have been consistently below the pre-diabetes range. (Yeh, because I have been taking metformin!) As I have posted before: Metformin may be the only proven life extender besides rapamycin and has other health benefits than lowering your A1c levels.
My blood pressure at the medical center was 93/60.
So, my doctor began quizzing me; Do you feel dizzy when you get out of bed or stand up after sitting for a while? Answer: No
How do I feel in general? Answer: Great.
At the gym I go to there are very few men that are as fit as I am. But I would say it’s less than 1 in a hundred. At Walmart, it’s probably less than 1 in a thousand of any age.
Fortunately, when I was young I was actively jogging and playing tennis when I could. I have been going to the gym regularly for the last 15+ years since retirement.
Rapamycin may help me live longer, but most of my results are due to:
Exercise
Diet
Metformin
Atorvastatin
Melatonin
And last, but probably not least, is the boatload of various supplements I have been taking throughout most of my life.
My points are: Rapamycin seems to continue its good works even after stopping.
It is really better to start taking care of yourself when you are young.
What I hope to be doing in my 70s and 80s (though with friends, not solo):
Will Steger says, “Expeditions have kept me young.” This spring, at the age of 77, he set off on another two-month solo canoe-sled trip above the Arctic Circle.
This year’s London marathon will have record numbers of veteran participants, with a near-doubling of the number of female runners aged 60 to 69 registering to run since 2018. As the number of veteran runners has steadily increased, performance has improved at a staggering rate.
Why I think Rapamycin will turbocharge this trend of people pushing the athletic limits at older ages: Imagine all the people identified in this thread exercising as they have been, but also taking rapamycin…
Rapamycin increases grip strength and attenuates age-related decline in maximal running distance in old low capacity runner rats
