Everybody wants to live long, happy, and healthy lives, but many of us aren’t quite sure how to do so. Or maybe we know, but we struggle to prioritise it during the hustle of daily life, perhaps clinging to the idea of being young forever. However, the reality remains; taking proactive measures in our youth is imperative for maximising our lifespan. One of the most important factors when it comes to prolonging your life is your fitness; a vital element that many of us overlook. From fortifying bone density to safeguarding cardiovascular health and nurturing mental well-being, fitness exerts a profound influence on our longevity. In this post, we share with you different ways that fitness can prolong your life.
Bone Strength and Density
Maintaining strong bones is essential for our health as we age, and it helps to prevent the risk of osteoporosis and the risk of fractures. Fitness, particularly weight-bearing exercises like resistance training and weightlifting, helps improve bone strength and density.
As we get older, we want to make sure that we don’t become fragile and have bones that are easily broken, which fitness helps with. By engaging in regular physical activity, it stimulates production of osteoblasts which are cells that are responsible for building new bone tissue. This leads to stronger and denser bones, and supports your overall mobility and independence in later years.
Heart Health
Fitness plays a crucial role in maintaining cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions. Regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle, improves circulation, and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Exercise also helps maintain a healthy weight, reduces inflammation, and improves blood sugar control, all of which contribute to better heart health. Without regular physical activity to support cardiovascular health, you may be at a higher risk of developing heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions, which can significantly impact longevity and quality of life.
Mental Health
As well as our physical health, fitness also plays a huge role in maintaining good mental health. Fitness has been proven to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression whilst promoting overall happiness and mental clarity. Many of us struggle with our mental health, but exercise is actually the ideal mood booster.
Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which are neurotransmitters that act as natural mood lifters, leading to feelings of happiness and relaxation. Our mental wellbeing is vital to impact our longevity, and exercise does this as a by-product.
Enhancing Cognitive Function
Exercise also plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving cognitive function as we age. Cognitive decline is very important to watch out for in older age as it can lead to diseases and conditions, therefore taking care of it from when you’re young is vital. The relationship between exercise and cognitive health is complex, involving various physiological and biochemical mechanisms.
It helps to stimulate the production of new neurons in the brain, increases blood flow to the brain, and releases nootropic factors which all help to reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. This can help to reduce the risk of dementia and alzheimers disease, and ensure that as you age you can stay independent, have good memory, and be able to make decisions.
Improving Muscle Mass and Function
Having strong muscles supports proper posture, balance, and mobility, reducing the risk of falls and injuries which is crucial as we get older. Additionally, muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it burns more calories at rest compared to fat which can help to regulate weight and reduce the risk of obesity-related health conditions.
Engaging in regular physical activity helps to build and maintain muscle mass and function, helping to keep you as strong as possible. Strong muscles help to support proper posture, balance and mobility, reducing the risk of falls and injuries which can negatively impact your longevity.
If you’re looking to boost your fitness this year in Dun Laoghaire, why not join us here at Urban Fitness? Whether you’re older and you’re looking to improve your fitness, or you’re younger and want to get as fit as possible, we welcome you. We have members from all walks of life here at our gym, welcoming everyone and anyone no matter their goals.
How you want to train is up to you, with multiple membership options to choose from. We have group training sessions, for those who want to train with motivated, like-minded individuals in a group environment. Group training sessions are super fun, exciting, and have an amazing atmosphere where you can both sweat it out and enjoy it too. Group training classes are on throughout the week at varied days and times to suit you; check out our timetable to learn more.
Or if you’d prefer a bit of tailored one-on-one attention, then why not consider personal training? This way you can work with one of our highly experienced and professional personal trainers, who will tailor a workout and nutrition plan to help you reach your personal goals. Or we offer small group personal training too, for those who want to train in a smaller group setting with more attention from our coaches.
Whichever membership option you choose, we can guarantee that you’ll get fitter, happier, and healthier when you train with us. Ready to learn more? Contact us today. Our team will be more than happy to chat with you and help you choose the right membership for you in Dun Laoghaire. Get in touch with our team by filling out our online enquiry form, or by giving us a call on 0876072441 to find out more.
