Scientists discover exact workout routine lowering your risk of early death by 50% (1 Viewer)

[Ministry of Pain]

Scientists discover exact workout routine that lowers your risk of an early death by 50% | UK Times

Scientists discover exact workout routine that lowers your risk of an early death by 50% The exact amount of exercise needed to…

uk-times.com

Anything that starts with "Scientists Discover" usually sends red flags up especially in health and medicine
Someone read all this and tell us if it's true


@Keerock, what's normal? I doubt a lot of folks are weight lifting in here at a gym or home on a regular basis.
I would like to know how many folks can honestly say they are lifting weights 2-3x a week, the people I know in my age range that lift are infrequent with it at best.
I do play Tennis with a man in his early 70s that is in great shape, just had some skin cancer sliced right off his thigh, didn't miss a beat. He actually will go lift weights after he plays tennis for 2 hours, now that guy i believe but he is a rare bird for the healthy folks I meet around the tennis court.

 

[3C's]

I lift bro! Turn 60 next month and working towards 200 pushups (4 sets of 50). Pushups, curls, flys, shrugs, rows, along with various cardio. Plan to keep doing that until I can't.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Not many people are exercising 5-6 hours a week. It’s notable that strength training is only a minority of the exercise recommended - just enough to stave off muscle loss, I’m guessing.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Also, I don’t think it needs to be weight lifting; any strength training will probably do. I bet rock climbing qualifies, so I’m probably in the zone.

ETA I see yoga qualifies…

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I lift bro! Turn 60 next month and working towards 200 pushups (4 sets of 50). Pushups, curls, flys, shrugs, rows, along with various cardio. Plan to keep doing that until I can't.

I didn't mean like absolutely nobody does but it's far and few between IMHO, I'm happy for you 3Cs, that's awesome.
The story I linked should only back up what you probably already feel and know.
Good for you!

 

[Ministry of Pain]

There was a NYTimes article that I've mentioned many times, they measured all the sports and the people who participate, especially after 35-40 when sports like football for example are long gone for most. They looked at the cyclists, the runners, the golfers, the tennis players and you can doubt me all you want but Tennis was the #1 sport for overall fitness levels and the people who played that regularly ended up in the best shape and had the least amount of health issues.

I play quite a lot, usually 3-4x or more a week, summer time not quite as much down here in Florida but winter time I try and play almost every day when i can.
Even NFL Sundays I try and squeeze in some early morning tennis with the folks who don't go to church.
I lift but not frequently enough to where I would say it's part of my routine.
Typically I end up injuring a muscle and then I can't play tennis, anything that cuts into my tennis is 86'd pretty quick.

But I would like to be a little stronger no doubt.

 

[Terminalxylem]

The problem with tennis is, it’s very effort dependent. If you don’t run down balls, or have an inferior opponent, you can get away with good serve/strokes. This is even more pronounced in other racket sports - I used to joke the best racquetball players were the ones with the highest BMIs.

ETA Not to bad talk your effort - tennis can be great exercise.

ETA2 I think the most important aspect of being active as we age is avoiding injury.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

The problem with tennis is, it’s very effort dependent. If you don’t run down balls, or have an inferior opponent, you can get away with good serve/strokes. This is even more pronounced in other racket sports - I used to joke the best racquetball players were the ones with the highest BMIs.

ETA Not to bad talk your effort - tennis can be great exercise.

ETA2 I think the most important aspect of being active as we age is avoiding injury.

Some good points
MoP turns 50 in '24 and I am at an age where it is hard to find people to play tennis with
I'm either playing Doubles with guys that are much older than I am but they know a lot of tricks
Or I'm having to try and compete with guys half my age in Singles because very few over 50 compete in Singles at say a 4.0-4.5+ level
Doubles players like me because I cover 3 quarters of the court, they don't have to move as much, I run down everything. and leave gallons of sweat in my wake.

I use tennis to offset a lot of beer/alcohol and I can get away with a few pizza slices BUT...it's a vicious cycle sometimes. (Especially the alcohol)

-My favorite group of the week is my Saturday Mornings with 12 guys on 3 Courts, round robin style, different partner each set. We start about 7am and its a blast.

I was over 260 when I started playing tennis again, maybe a year or two before the pandemic started. When the pandemic first started tennis was not allowed where I'm at, during that time I was in the fitness thread and folks like @bostonfred encouraged me to do other things, I started walking A LOT, then biking and then when i returned to the courts I was like under 200 lbs, still 6-3 and could turn on a tennis ball like never before. Suddenly I could get to drop shots, run down lobs and be an all around headache for my opponents.

Yes, tennis is very effort dependent but I find the effort quite rewarding.

 

[kevzilla]

Avoiding injury is why I'm down to a 30-minute walk, six days a week. I miss tennis terribly, but the first time I give it the beans to go get a drop shot, something is going to go PING! and I'll be in the walking boot for six weeks again. No one has ever died from plantar fasciitis, but some have wished it.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

i lift bro

 

[beer 30]

i lift bro

What's your 40 time bro?

 

[Capella]

lol I do cardio four times a week and then lift after for about 15 minutes each time. I do think I can see a change but I’m still just as tired as ever.

 

[Terminalxylem]

The problem with tennis is, it’s very effort dependent. If you don’t run down balls, or have an inferior opponent, you can get away with good serve/strokes. This is even more pronounced in other racket sports - I used to joke the best racquetball players were the ones with the highest BMIs.

ETA Not to bad talk your effort - tennis can be great exercise.

ETA2 I think the most important aspect of being active as we age is avoiding injury.

Some good points
MoP turns 50 in '24 and I am at an age where it is hard to find people to play tennis with
I'm either playing Doubles with guys that are much older than I am but they know a lot of tricks
Or I'm having to try and compete with guys half my age in Singles because very few over 50 compete in Singles at say a 4.0-4.5+ level
Doubles players like me because I cover 3 quarters of the court, they don't have to move as much, I run down everything. and leave gallons of sweat in my wake.

I use tennis to offset a lot of beer/alcohol and I can get away with a few pizza slices BUT...it's a vicious cycle sometimes. (Especially the alcohol)

-My favorite group of the week is my Saturday Mornings with 12 guys on 3 Courts, round robin style, different partner each set. We start about 7am and its a blast.

I was over 260 when I started playing tennis again, maybe a year or two before the pandemic started. When the pandemic first started tennis was not allowed where I'm at, during that time I was in the fitness thread and folks like @bostonfred encouraged me to do other things, I started walking A LOT, then biking and then when i returned to the courts I was like under 200 lbs, still 6-3 and could turn on a tennis ball like never before. Suddenly I could get to drop shots, run down lobs and be an all around headache for my opponents.

Yes, tennis is very effort dependent but I find the effort quite rewarding.

Sounds like you’re doing it right. And I highly recommend playing with younger people - not only are they more enthusiastic, they push you more than middle agers. Just check your ego, and be careful to avoid injury.

I’m 51, and climb with people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. The drop-off in stoke becomes noticeable after 40. I ski with an older crowd, but the 40ish age cut-off still seems to apply.

 

[Ilov80s]

Need to get my intense cardio going again and step up a bit with the lifting. Right now I am at about 2 hours of lifting a week though half that time is probably resting between sets. I need just drop some weight and be way more efficient. My moderate to brisk walking is extremely high though, especially now in the simmer. Pacing at 3.5-4.5 I am hitting between 10 and 30 miles a day.

 

[worrierking]

I just turned 60 and I lift 3 days a week regularly, plus three days of cardio.

I am always battling some kind of injury, so there are frequent days/weeks off (right now I have a slight muscle tear in my forearm that limits what weight exercises I can do).

 

[Galileo]

Anything that starts with "Scientists Discover" usually sends red flags up especially in health and medicine
Someone read all this and tell us if it's true

You have good reason for skepticism. First of all, realize you are not reading the scientific research here, not even a scientifically written article. The very first line of the article is using wording that would never be claimed by legitimate science. This is not to say the research isn't good, just that the article linked is written for popular consumption and isn't very scientific. Unfortunately, the article doesn't even cite the source, so I haven't read the scientific treatment of the topic, and if I wish to do so, I would need to go find it. Sloppy journalism here in my opinion.

ETA...and it is because of crappy popular journalism like this that people end up not putting stock in science.

 

[beer 30]

Meh, do something every day to get the heart beating faster than it normally does for a half hour or more. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Humans are all built different, do what works for you. But you gotta get your lazy *** off the couch.

 

[Galileo]

Here is the published document for those interested. The excerpt below is from the Conclusion section. A far cry from "here is the exact workout routine needed"...

This cohort study demonstrated that the ideal combination of physical activity for reducing the risk of death from various causes varied. However, to lower the risk of all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality, at least some amount of both MPA and VPA as well as the recommended levels MSA were necessary. Increasing VPA while maintaining any amount of MPA and recommended levels of MSA may result in greater reduction of all-cause mortality risk, while more MPA than currently recommended, combined with any VPA and recommended MSA, may lead to lower risk of cancer mortality.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

I lift 5 days a week (most weeks), and have pretty much since my senior year of high school. I sprinkle in some cardio from time to time on the weekends (plyo workouts, 1-mile runs, sprints, run/walk/bike when it's super hot here like right now). I have probably not missed more than 3 weeks worth of weekday workouts in a year during all that time (I am 46, so nearly 30 year streak). The gym is my church and my therapy. I go during my lunch break. 30-45 min sessions. About the only thing that has kept me from getting my workout in over the years, is when I had a lunch date with a pretty girl. I take zero medicine and have had zero health problems ( :knocks on wood: ) . I work out at a university rec center and I've been asked quite a few times over the years by youngsters how I stayed in good shape. My answer is always the same. Just be consistent in getting your workouts in. Find a routine that works for you, that you don't hate, and make it a priority.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I just turned 60 and I lift 3 days a week regularly, plus three days of cardio.

I am always battling some kind of injury, so there are frequent days/weeks off (right now I have a slight muscle tear in my forearm that limits what weight exercises I can do).

People flip out on me when they see me with a tweak/slight limp, elbows a little sore, you rack up injuries but you manage the pain and you keep pushing because you like the results. I would explode to 250+ lbs if I stopped playing tennis, I try and rest my muscles when not on the court but at the same time I need to add some strength training into my routine.

I ache all the time, I'd never play tennis, go on a walk or bike ride if I were allergic to a little bit of pain. It's part of the deal

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Meh, do something every day to get the heart beating faster than it normally does for a half hour or more. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Humans are all built different, do what works for you. But you gotta get your lazy *** off the couch.

**** YEAH!!!

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Anything that starts with "Scientists Discover" usually sends red flags up especially in health and medicine
Someone read all this and tell us if it's true

You have good reason for skepticism. First of all, realize you are not reading the scientific research here, not even a scientifically written article. The very first line of the article is using wording that would never be claimed by legitimate science. This is not to say the research isn't good, just that the article linked is written for popular consumption and isn't very scientific. Unfortunately, the article doesn't even cite the source, so I haven't read the scientific treatment of the topic, and if I wish to do so, I would need to go find it. Sloppy journalism here in my opinion.

ETA...and it is because of crappy popular journalism like this that people end up not putting stock in science.

This.

The fact that people don't immediately recognize this article as utter garbage -- "written by Press Room" lol -- should be taken a sign of just how far we've slid when it comes to the quality of our media. This article doesn't even stand out as being especially bad relative to stuff that you would see elsewhere. (I get that it's a UK source. I'm using the term "our media" broadly to include at least the US, UK, and Canada).

And then there's the fact that this amazing scientific breakthrough is the finding that it's good for people to do cardio and lifting. Woah, stop the presses there Hippocrates!

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

46, if I don’t lift weights three times a week I do the equal if not more in yard work.

I would love to continue basketball, but I got a wrecked knee that I think it’s going to require surgery. I haven’t played since October.

 

[titusbramble]

What on earth is that source in the OP? I assumed initially that it was some sort of redirect link to the site of The Times, but nope, it's just some random thing I've never heard of

 

[Terminalxylem]

I just turned 60 and I lift 3 days a week regularly, plus three days of cardio.

I am always battling some kind of injury, so there are frequent days/weeks off (right now I have a slight muscle tear in my forearm that limits what weight exercises I can do).

I ache all the time, I'd never play tennis, go on a walk or bike ride if I were allergic to a little bit of pain. It's part of the deal

While minor aches and pains can come with age, I don’t think they’re a foregone conclusion. Some of the stuff you describe may be overuse injuries, or legitimate strains/sprains that demand rest to improve.

I can’t speak for the guy in his 60s, but I assure you 50-something doesn’t have to be painful, if you maintain a healthy weight, respect your limitations, and learn the difference between temporary suffering and injury.

 

[Northern Voice]

The problem with tennis is, it’s very effort dependent. If you don’t run down balls, or have an inferior opponent, you can get away with good serve/strokes. This is even more pronounced in other racket sports - I used to joke the best racquetball players were the ones with the highest BMIs.

I don't know, it's pretty hard to be a lazy squash player if you're playing against anyone with even a bit of skill. That plus the quick turnaround between points, I think its much much easier to be a lazy tennis player.

 

[Don't Toews Me]

I lift 5 days a week (most weeks), and have pretty much since my senior year of high school. I sprinkle in some cardio from time to time on the weekends (plyo workouts, 1-mile runs, sprints, run/walk/bike when it's super hot here like right now). I have probably not missed more than 3 weeks worth of weekday workouts in a year during all that time (I am 46, so nearly 30 year streak). The gym is my church and my therapy. I go during my lunch break. 30-45 min sessions. About the only thing that has kept me from getting my workout in over the years, is when I had a lunch date with a pretty girl. I take zero medicine and have had zero health problems ( :knocks on wood: ) . I work out at a university rec center and I've been asked quite a few times over the years by youngsters how I stayed in good shape. My answer is always the same. Just be consistent in getting your workouts in. Find a routine that works for you, that you don't hate, and make it a priority.

Hug Life comes first

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I just turned 60 and I lift 3 days a week regularly, plus three days of cardio.

I am always battling some kind of injury, so there are frequent days/weeks off (right now I have a slight muscle tear in my forearm that limits what weight exercises I can do).

I ache all the time, I'd never play tennis, go on a walk or bike ride if I were allergic to a little bit of pain. It's part of the deal

While minor aches and pains can come with age, I don’t think they’re a foregone conclusion. Some of the stuff you describe may be overuse injuries, or legitimate strains/sprains that demand rest to improve.

I can’t speak for the guy in his 60s, but I assure you 50-something doesn’t have to be painful, if you maintain a healthy weight, respect your limitations, and learn the difference between temporary suffering and injury.

Just came off a 10-day layoff this morning, you're right, sometimes rest is needed
And that limitations thing, they keep mentioning that on the courts, but I like to play with a heavy racket/thin beam, tiny sweet spot/head, I supply the power, most play with thick frames, light in weight, waffle pans as I call them and the racket does a lot of the work, the downside is they have far less control and spray the ball everywhere.

-I do play with a hybrid of natural gut one way and poly going the other direction, it softens a lot of the shots I hit.

 

[urbanhack]

I lift bro! Turn 60 next month and working towards 200 pushups (4 sets of 50). Pushups, curls, flys, shrugs, rows, along with various cardio. Plan to keep doing that until I can't.

:flex:

Let’s goooo!

Just turned 55. Played in a 36 disc golf tournament on Sunday. My bag probably weighs 15 to 20 pounds. Looked at my watch when I got done. 18,000 steps - almost 10 miles and 65 flights of stairs.

 

[3C's]

I lift bro! Turn 60 next month and working towards 200 pushups (4 sets of 50). Pushups, curls, flys, shrugs, rows, along with various cardio. Plan to keep doing that until I can't.

:flex:

Let’s goooo!

Just turned 55. Played in a 36 disc golf tournament on Sunday. My bag probably weighs 15 to 20 pounds. Looked at my watch when I got done. 18,000 steps - almost 10 miles and 65 flights of stairs.

You look way too good to be 55. (Don't tell furley I said that, you know how jealous he gets)

 

[jwb]

I just turned 60 and I lift 3 days a week regularly, plus three days of cardio.

I am always battling some kind of injury, so there are frequent days/weeks off (right now I have a slight muscle tear in my forearm that limits what weight exercises I can do).

I ache all the time, I'd never play tennis, go on a walk or bike ride if I were allergic to a little bit of pain. It's part of the deal

While minor aches and pains can come with age, I don’t think they’re a foregone conclusion. Some of the stuff you describe may be overuse injuries, or legitimate strains/sprains that demand rest to improve.

I can’t speak for the guy in his 60s, but I assure you 50-something doesn’t have to be painful, if you maintain a healthy weight, respect your limitations, and learn the difference between temporary suffering and injury.

Personally, early 50's were no different than my 40's.

55+... not so much. I'm 57 now, and things are different. Gave myself two hernias when I moved 2 years ago, shoulder hurts, knee, etc. Trying to keep up working out, but it would appear aches and pains are now going to be commonplace for me. A switch has definitely been flipped.

Wasn't it Wikkid who said 55 was the line, that it all changed after that? Smart man he was.

 

[johnnycakes]

Scientists discover exact workout routine that lowers your risk of an early death by 50% | UK Times

Scientists discover exact workout routine that lowers your risk of an early death by 50% The exact amount of exercise needed to…

uk-times.com

Anything that starts with "Scientists Discover" usually sends red flags up especially in health and medicine
Someone read all this and tell us if it's true


@Keerock, what's normal? I doubt a lot of folks are weight lifting in here at a gym or home on a regular basis.
I would like to know how many folks can honestly say they are lifting weights 2-3x a week, the people I know in my age range that lift are infrequent with it at best.
I do play Tennis with a man in his early 70s that is in great shape, just had some skin cancer sliced right off his thigh, didn't miss a beat. He actually will go lift weights after he plays tennis for 2 hours, now that guy i believe but he is a rare bird for the healthy folks I meet around the tennis court.

Just shoot me instead! My doctor back in Boston said all I needed was a daily walk of 30 minutes.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I just turned 60 and I lift 3 days a week regularly, plus three days of cardio.

I am always battling some kind of injury, so there are frequent days/weeks off (right now I have a slight muscle tear in my forearm that limits what weight exercises I can do).

I ache all the time, I'd never play tennis, go on a walk or bike ride if I were allergic to a little bit of pain. It's part of the deal

While minor aches and pains can come with age, I don’t think they’re a foregone conclusion. Some of the stuff you describe may be overuse injuries, or legitimate strains/sprains that demand rest to improve.

I can’t speak for the guy in his 60s, but I assure you 50-something doesn’t have to be painful, if you maintain a healthy weight, respect your limitations, and learn the difference between temporary suffering and injury.

Personally, early 50's were no different than my 40's.

55+... not so much. I'm 57 now, and things are different. Gave myself two hernias when I moved 2 years ago, shoulder hurts, knee, etc. Trying to keep up working out, but it would appear aches and pains are now going to be commonplace for me. A switch has definitely been flipped.

Wasn't it Wikkid who said 55 was the line, that it all changed after that? Smart man he was.

In my early 50s, I can say the same. While I’ve had my share of activity-related injuries, I don’t exist with daily pain anywhere.

Hopefully, 55 and beyond aren’t so bad either.

 

[Terminalxylem]

To me, the interesting thing about this study are vigorous physical activity findings - the greatest overall mortality reduction was found in those who exercised vigorously 150 minutes a week. That’s quite a bit, and in-line with findings suggesting pushing one’s VO2max is great for longevity.

Meanwhile, CV and cancer risk require a lot more moderate activity (more than 150 to 300 minutes, respectively), but modest amounts of vigorous exercise (0-75+ min).

Everybody needed 2 or more days of strength training for optimal health.

So exercising vigorously helps to live longer, while moderate exertion mainly just keeps cancer and vascular disease from killing you. I wonder what the latter group was dying from, to make up the difference in overall mortality?