Cardio? Yes, please!
Lately, I’ve been writing a lot about the benefits of strength training. It is essential and has unique advantages, notably strengthening bones and muscles. But, cardio or aerobic exercise, is equally important. Here is why:
Cardio exercise has a unique way of lowering our risk for cardiovascular disease. Aerobic exercise helps us control our blood pressure, and people who do large volumes of aerobic exercise have bigger, stronger, more elastic hearts that are good at handling high volumes of blood flow. In fact, athletes who only weight train without any cardio exercise appear to be at as much risk as sedentary people of developing chronic high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Zone 2 (somewhat easy) aerobic exercise increases the number of mitochondria and makes them more efficient at burning fuel, both glucose (sugar) and fat. Being metabolically flexible means your body can efficiently use different energy systems during exercise and rest. This is a great way to reduce your risk of diabetes, obesity, and stroke. HIIT (high-intensity interval training) which includes short bursts of vigorous exercise like sprinting or jumping is also good when it comes to metabolic health. When you engage in vigorous exercise your post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) goes up and your metabolism at rest increases. As the name reveals, cardio exercise is king when it comes to taking care of your cardiovascular and metabolic health.
While the uncontested problem of obesity is the positive energy balance (consuming more calories than we expend), aerobic exercise is key in preventing and keeping off the excess weight and this is especially true for the unhealthy organ (or visceral) fat. While weight training can help to maintain a healthy body weight by growing your energy-hungry muscles and keeping your metabolism higher even at rest, aerobic exercise will help you keep the visceral fat from accumulating which is a big risk for metabolic disease.
Moderate levels of cardio exercise can reduce the risk of contracting certain contagious diseases, such as respiratory tract infections by improving our immune system. Studies have shown that exercise increases the number of white blood cells (the guys who fight disease) and apart from lowering the risk of getting sick, people who exercise vigorously spend less time on sick leave. Similar studies in weight training have shown little or no effect on our immune system.
Cancer is still one of the scariest diseases out there but the ability that exercise has in preventing cancer is undervalued. Breast and colon cancer are the most affected by exercise. According to some estimates, women who exercise moderately have 30–40% less chance of getting breast cancer and the risk for colon cancer for both men and women goes down 40–50%. That’s huge! Estrogen especially is interesting when it comes to exercise. Apparently, women who are sedentary have 25% higher levels of estrogen in their bodies compared to women who exercise. Since estrogen, which is necessary for reproduction, induces cell division in breast tissue, being inactive increases the risk of breast cancer while exercise has the opposite effect. If you’re also obese (and have fewer pregnancies), your risk goes even higher.
If you’re at all worried about losing your cognitive faculties when you age, then exercise. There are currently no effective drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease and playing sudoku isn’t going to be enough to keep your mind sharp. How physical activity helps the brain isn’t completely clear but the suspect is a molecule known as BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). It is produced during longer and more vigorous exercise and it nourishes the brain and induces new brain cells, especially in the regions involved in memory. While some studies indicate that weight training can also help the brain, aerobic exercise is most beneficial.
All physical activity has many direct and positive effects on our brains and mental health. Exercise floods the brain with mood-altering chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, endorphins, and endocannabinoids that inhibit pain and produce positive moods. When I go for a hike or a bike ride I seem to get my best ideas when it comes to solving some work problems or any other issues that are bouncing around in my head. I don’t get the same kind of mental clarity and the ability to think clearly after doing weight training, and research supports the idea that aerobic activity, especially for a longer duration, is best to get the brain and mood-boosting effects of exercise.
One life, one body
Regardless of what we do, it is obviously possible that we die prematurely. Freak accidents and even so-called “lifestyle diseases” like stroke can take away someone because of bad genes. And even if you’ve been dealt not-so-perfect cards in the genetics game, remember that genes only help to load the gun but the environment pulls the trigger. We can all affect the way we live and age.
It is also somewhat genetic in how motivated we are to exercise. It’s definitely easier for those who intrinsically like to move and find sports fun. But those who didn’t luck out in that category should figure out a big enough external incentive to move at least the minimum of 30 minutes five days a week because exercise is the single most important determinator of longevity.
I don’t know about you but for me, life is so much more enjoyable when I’m fit. I have the energy to do and experience things I enjoy, for example, traveling to remote places for beautiful hikes and bike rides. And to be able to keep doing it way into my later years, I’ve figured I don’t want to misuse my body so it will betray me too early. Exercising on a regular basis is a small price to pay to try to increase my healthspan and lifespan. You only get one chance in this thing called life, use it wisely.
