Reducing Your Risk of Dying the Easy Way

Quick! If I were to ask you which form of exercise would decrease your chance of dying, and especially your chance of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD), what would your answer be? You’d probably pick some form of aerobic exercise such as running, elliptical training, walking, and cycling—any type of exercise that works the heart and the entire body to improve your cardiovascular fitness. That’s on the list for sure, but it’s not the form of exercise that seems to decrease your risk of dying the most. Data from two large observational studies show this form of exercise decreases your risk of dying the most: stretching.

Stretching? Stretching is that toe-touching and heel-to-butt type of stretching we were all taught in high school or some other fitness class. But that’s not all. What also counts as stretching would be activities such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong. They feature slow, elaborate movements that control the body in ways that result in stretching the muscles and other connective tissue. That all counts as stretching.

How much does it reduce mortality? In two large studies, 10% and 12% respectively over the course of several years, the highest reductions in both studies. You get more benefit if you combine it with other forms of exercise such as aerobic training and weight training. But stretching? How or why? I’ll cover that on Saturday.

The Insider Conference Call is tomorrow night at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Get your questions answered about anything related to health including exercise if you become an Insider by 8 p.m. tomorrow.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020 Dec;52(12):2554-2562
2. BMC Public Health. 2023; 23:1148.