Stay Flexible, Live Longer
There's a lot of proof that strength training and improving your aerobic capacity (how well your heart and lungs work) can help you live longer. Now, a new study suggests that being flexible can also lower your risk of dying from any cause.
In a Brazilian study, researchers looked at data from 3,139 people aged 46-65 (66% were men). They found that people with better flexibility had a lower chance of dying.
For women with low flexibility scores, the risk of dying was 4.78 times higher compared to those with high flexibility scores. For men, the risk was 1.87 times higher if they had lower flexibility scores.
There are many ways to improve your flexibility. Start small by adding a 2-minute stretch to your daily routine. If you have more time, try a 5-minute yoga routine on YouTube. If you can, join a yoga class, or try Yoga with Adriene on YouTube if you’re on a budget.
For the best results, aim to stretch each major muscle group for about 90 seconds, six days a week. This adds up to around 9-12 minutes of stretching per day.
Weekly training plan for a long, healthy life:
Two strength training sessions
One long, slow workout (Zone 2)
A high-intensity threshold session (Zone 4)
A sprint session.
You can also add a couple of stretching classes as active recovery.
Photo by <a href="https://buff.ly/3X2OE0H">Scott Broome</a> on <a href="https://buff.ly/3XlJle8">Unsplash</a>
Source: https://buff.ly/4e3wL93