Exercise and longevity: Which Type of Exercise Best Supports Longevity?
Exercising is a proven pillar of longevity-promoting lifestyles, alongside good nutrition, sleep and strong social bonds. But which kind of exercise is best? Should we be running marathons, lifting weights, doing pilates or going to some joyful dance classes? Below, we review different types of exercise and the scientific research on their benefits – particularly aerobic, endurance and resistance training – before summarising with some longevity exercise advice.
Aerobic Exercise and Longevity
Aerobic exercise has been widely recognised for its pivotal role in promoting health and extending lifespan. Including sports like running, swimming and cycling, in aerobic exercise oxygen is used as an energy source. You may be breathing heavily when doing aerobic exercise, but at its moderate intensity, you shouldn’t be too out of breath.
Research indicates that regular participation in aerobic activities leads to significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, which is a critical predictor of longevity in humans (Garcia-Valles et al., 2013; Carapeto & Aguayo‐Mazzucato, 2021; Santos‐Parker et al., 2018). Habitual aerobic exercise has been reported to improve physiological aging markers in adults, thus extending healthspan (Santos‐Parker et al., 2018). These findings reinforce the idea that aerobic exercise not only delays aging but may also mitigate age-related diseases, supporting overall health (Ungvári et al., 2023). So, if you happen to enjoy cycling, swimming or a daily jogging session, you’re in luck for healthy aging.
Endurance and High-Intensity Training
However, you may prefer more intense exercises. Endurance exercises include long-distance running, extended periods of rowing and hiking while carrying a heavy backpack, combining aerobic exercise with occasional anaerobic sprints. High-intensity training focuses on short, exercise sessions with short recovery periods in between. Examples include sprint intervals, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions, or rapid circuit training with minimal rest. This exercise type is primarily anaerobic, relying on stored energy rather than oxygen.
Endurance and high intensity exercise, especially in extreme forms such as ultra-endurance, pose a complex scenario. While moderate endurance activities are beneficial for healthspan, ultra-endurance exercise events may have mixed outcomes. High-intensity training can elevate cardiovascular fitness and promote resilience against age-related decline; however, as Vancini et al. described, more research is needed to know exactly when too much of a good thing becomes too much. For ultramarathon runners, there are risks as well as benefits from the intense endurance exercise; risks included i.a. energy deficits, musculoskeletal disorders and gastrointestinal issues (Vancini et al., 2022). Nevertheless, targeted endurance training has demonstrated an ability to improve healthspan through mechanisms such as enhanced muscle function and improved metabolic processes (Musci et al., 2019). In addition, endurance exercise’s ability to engage hormonal and inflammatory pathways suggests potential benefits against immunosenescence. Preventing this age-related gradual decline of the immune system is particularly relevant for healthspan (Domaszewska et al., 2022). This highlights the nuanced perspective that while endurance exercise promotes health and longevity, the balance between intensity and duration must be maintained; and too much of a good thing can be too much indeed.
Resistance Training and Muscle Health
What if weightlifting is more your cup of tea or you are a calisthenics fan? Resistance training has emerged as a vital component of a comprehensive healthspan-extending exercise regimen, particularly when it comes to skeletal muscle health. Studies reveal that resistance exercise helps preserve muscle mass and function, which are critical for maintaining mobility and a high quality of life in later years (Musci et al., 2019; Hesketh et al., 2020; Rebelo‐Marques et al., 2018). Resistance training can help combat sarcopenia, muscle loss associated with aging. This enables older adults to maintain functional independence for longer, preserving or improving quality of life (Garcia-Valles et al., 2013; Carapeto & Aguayo‐Mazzucato, 2021). Moreover, it has been shown that regular participation in resistance training shifts metabolic profiles, improving muscle glucose metabolism and reducing the risk of age-associated metabolic disorders, thereby positively contributing to one’s healthspan (Laranjeiro et al., 2019). These studies show how bulking up through weightlifting can benefit long-term health in more ways than one; not only does muscle mass metabolise glucose better than fat tissue, maintaining muscle mass also helps avoid frailty and preserves physical independence at a later age.
Walking and Low-Intensity Activities
Often seen as the least ‘serious’ exercise, low-intensity activities such as walking also warrant attention for their health benefits. Evidence suggests that consistent walking can mitigate risks for age-related diseases and enhance mental well-being (Ungvári et al., 2023). These gentle, regular activities contribute to a 'Blue Zone' lifestyle, recognised for enhancing longevity and quality of life, particularly among elderly populations (Ukpene, 2024). Living in walkable environments facilitates inclusion of low-intensity exercise in daily life, for example by regularly walking to the supermarket or going for a walk in the park with friends instead of driving for groceries or meeting friends for seated drinks. In this way, reducing barriers to low-intensity exercise in your daily life can contribute to healthy longevity.
Multimodal exercise
Combining multiple types of exercise may be the best approach to promote healthy aging. Multimodal exercise applies different exercise types to reap benefits from all types, combining anaerobic and aerobic exercises, high and moderate intensity training, and resistance exercise with flexibility and balance training. As Levin et al. described, this not only offers a broad spectrum of molecular and physiological benefits; it can also offer cognitive benefits, including attention, memory, processing speed and executive functions (Levin, 2017)
Conclusion: The Best Exercise for Longevity
Overall, research indicates that both moderate and vigorous activity are essential for promoting longevity and a healthier aging process. Combining these different exercise types promotes multiple benefits, including physiological, molecular and psychological ones.
So in short: just as it is wise to eat a varied, balanced diet, the best exercise to promote longevity is a varied one. Optimally, you combine a mixture of high- and lower-intensity sports for both aerobic and anaerobic exertion, together with a dash of resistance training and some balance and flexibility exercises. While the research doesn’t point to a single recommended exercise type, this also allows space for personalisation. After all, the best exercise is the one you actually do and enjoy doing.
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