Exercise
Each morning at 6 a.m., when the dew still lingers in her Roswell, N.M., backyard, Krista Foster walks out to her one-acre stretch of land. Up and down, on her feet and on her knees, she plants roses, digs, hauls soil, even harvests pecans from her trees. The 51-year-old homemaker has been gardening since she was a little girl; her grandmother -- who lived to be 92 -- taught her early on how enjoyable and rewarding it can be. "I always thought that was the one thing that kept her alive," Foster says. "Getting out there and gardening." By the time she returns indoors, her calves ache, her arms are sore, her heart races. And if she feels as though she's just had a major workout, she has -- at least from a medical standpoint.
Doctors are increasingly realizing that it's not just hard-core physical activity that benefits your health. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which analyzed the exercise habits of some 5,209 Americans over a period of 36 years, found that those who did a moderate amount lived 1.3 to 1.5 years longer than those doing very little. What's surprising is that such moderate exercise can come from a hodgepodge of activity, whether it's vigorous gardening, biking to work or taking a leisurely walk, just as long as it adds up to about an hour a day.
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In fact, the latest research says that walking briskly -- like you're really in a hurry to get someplace -- just three times a week can help your heart pump much more oxygen to the blood vessels. Good thing walking is one of America's favorite fitness activities, with 36 million enthusiasts, according to American Sports Data, a market-research company specializing in sports and exercise. But remember, not every kind of leisure counts as moderate exercise. You must get your heart rate up to get real benefits: That means fishing doesn't count.
Are you getting greedy for more years? Then quicken the pace. Those who engaged in at least 30 minutes a day of more-vigorous exercise, like running or fast swimming, lived 3.7 years longer. This type of activity can raise the "good" cholesterol level by 10%. Regular exercise can also lower insulin sensitivity -- a problem with metabolizing blood sugar that's frequently a precursor to diabetes -- by up to 80%. "I can guarantee if I didn't work out, I'd be vastly overweight and have diabetes," says Douglas Brusig, a 51-year-old consultant who frequently bikes 25 miles to work in Redmond, Wash.
As we age, we lose mass in our muscles and bones. A half hour of strength training three times a week can help slow that loss and reduce our risk for osteoporosis. Patti Nemoto, a 43-year-old graphic designer, combines her 10-pound weight-lifting routine with something called core fusion, a combination of yoga and Pilates. She follows that with jumping rope about three times a week. "I don't wake up and say, 'Maybe I'll work out today,'" says the Metuchen, N.J., resident. "It's a matter of when."
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Pages in This Report:
· Introduction
· Exercise
· Vacation
· Work Stress
· Sleep
· Diet
