Humans have undergone a series of evolutions since the emergence of homo sapiens as a distinct species. We have come a long way to become the most developed species today.
However, it is also noteworthy that these developments did not happen overnight but took stages to get us where we are today. Regardless, there is no denying that we have come a long way indeed. One aspect that has experienced a significant change in this time is human longevity.
Longevity refers to the expected lifespan of a species, and it is calculated by the collective data of previous individuals in the specie. In other words, it is the average time a person is expected to live, and humans have seen their average life expectancy rise over the years.
Humans from the early middle ages only averaged a lifespan of 30 – 35 years, which was an upgrade at the time. Today, the human life expectancy at birth is around 70 – 75 for men and an average of 75 – 80 for women.
Factors that Influence Human Longevity
While natural evolution has a hand in the increased life expectancy in humans, it cannot be given all the credit as several other factors also play significant parts in this upgrade. Here are some factors that significantly influence human longevity.
- Lifestyle: Perhaps, one of the reasons we outlive our ancestors is that our lifestyle is a lot safer than theirs. We know how hard they had to work to survive and the dangerous conditions they had to endure. Thanks to the introduction of technology and its inventories, we no longer have to work that hard. However, lifestyle choices like smoking, excessive intake of alcohol, physical inactivity, and several other factors are still very active factors that influence lifespan.
- Access To Health Care: The early men suffered severe illnesses because of the harsh conditions they had to endure. But what made it worst was that they didn’t have access to quality health services. They relied on a trial and error system of herb medications, significantly reducing their longevity. Today, we have quality health care services at our disposal, and thanks to successful research, many seemingly untreatable diseases are now curable.
- Diet and Nutrition: Today, we know that some foods are not appropriate for specific periods when others are ideal. Hence, our diets are more controlled, and we can count on the resulting nutrition to keep us alive and healthy. This is s luxury the early men couldn’t afford due to ignorance. They ate whatever they found edible without knowing if it was ideal or not, and it duly affected their lifespan.
- Exercises: Talk about the basis for the increased life expectancy today, and you will find that healthy exercises play a keen role. Specific exercises have been found to increase the human lifespan, and they are called longevity workouts.
What is Longevity Training
Longevity training or exercise is a physical workout routine that focuses on strengthening the body to survive a more extended period. It is no news that physical health is a significant factor that defines lifespan.
But what you may not know is that some physical activities can also influence longevity. In fact, experts have identified exercising as one of the best ways to increase your chances of living to an advanced age. So how exactly is exercising connected to your lifespan?
Ideally, the benefits of exercising are pretty numerous and greatly influence physical health. Since physical health makes up a large part of general well-being, it becomes easier to trace the effects of exercising on longevity.
There is also evidence that some physical activities are psychotherapeutic, helping to rid the mind of its troubles. In essence, exercising improves mental health, which is another significant aspect of general well-being.
Best Exercises for Longevity
While exercise has been identified as a factor influencing human longevity, it is worth knowing that not all exercises are ideal for this purpose.
Indeed, regular exercises also have their effects on the body, but longevity workouts are optimized to improve the body’s resistance to major mortality risk factors. The best longevity workouts can improve the parts of your body that often get frail with age by keeping them functional for longer.
These exercises include;
- Cardio Workouts
These exercises are concerned with keeping the cardiovascular system active. The heart is one very functional body part that tends to become fragile as we age, exposing us to many heart problems.
But since the heart is made of muscles, cardio exercises can keep it stimulated and active for longer. Some of the best cardio exercises include swimming, cycling, and stair climbing.
- Strength Workouts
Strength training for longevity focuses on another body part that deteriorates with age; the bones. Specific bones in our body often get weaker as we age, making them more likely to break from slight impacts. This is the reason for the more frequent fractures experienced by older adults.
But with strength exercises, the muscles around these bones are stimulated, prompting a signal for the bones to get stronger. Typical strength training for longevity includes walking, jogging, hiking, squats, stair climbing, and weight bearing.
- Flexibility Workout
You must have noticed that older adults tend to trip or lose their footing more often. This is because the joints become less stable as we grow older, prompting a decrease in stability and balance. Lack of balance can leave you more exposed to accidents, a mortality factor affecting longevity.
Flexibility and mobility workouts strengthen your joints and make the surroundings more flexible to support stability and balance. Flexibility workouts include squats, side steps, standing march, are yoga exercises.
Longevity workouts are basically targeted at specific body parts that grow weaker with age to strengthen and prevent them from falling short. However, they can also help you keep fit, promote good health, and help build an excellent physical appearance.
Conclusion
Longevity workouts have proven very efficient for increasing lifespan, helping many people live a longer and healthier life.
However, it is noteworthy that other factors also contribute to securing an extended life expectancy, and you must combine these factors with your longevity workouts for the best effects. Also, note that the earlier you start these longevity workouts, the better your body’s chances of adapting to them and producing results.
