Aerobic activity is good for the heart, though most people avoid it like the plague. The feeling of being out of breath and feeling like your heart is about to burst out of your chest can be a torturous sensation. However, while you may find aerobic activity unpleasant and even boring, new research gives you incentives for including it into your daily routine.
The Copenhagen City Heart study conducted at Dublin, Ireland, showed that a light jog a few times a week can add an additional 6.2 years of life for men and 5.6 years for women. The research has been going on since 1976 and includes data from over 19,000 men and women.
The research is headed by cardiologist Dr. Peter Schnohr, who began the research after critics argued that jogging can be counterproductive and places too much strain on the heart and muscles for middle aged people.
Schnohr’s research indicated that moderate levels of jogging can increase longevity. He recommends about one to two hours of jogging a week, divided into two to three workout sessions. He suggests going at a pace where you experience a little breathlessness, but not to the point where you are panting and gasping heavily for air.
The research also showed that jogging is actually better than resistance training for burning body fat, which poses a serious health risk. A separate study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine also concluded that regular jogging can delay aging by as much as 12 years.
If you’re like most people, you do not look forward to jogging whether it is done outside or on a treadmill. However, if a long and vibrant health means anything to you, then it is well worth it to invest a half hour two to four times a week to get your heart rate up.