Regular exercise extends life, and the effect is so powerful that even people who wait until they are middle-aged to begin exercising gain extra days on earth. Overall, starting exercise in one's middle years lowers the risk of death by 23 per cent over the next two decades or so.

Ralph Paffenbarger, M.D., one of principal investigators in the Harvard Alumni Study, summarizes the benefits of exercise with a neat formula: For each hour that a person exercises, he/she gets roughly two extra hours of life! Paffenbarger's proposition is true only for reasonable amounts of exercise, though (probably for up to 30 weekly miles of running). Otherwise, immortality could be 'purchased' simply by exercising for slightly more than 12 hours each day, which would 'buy back' the lost 24-hour period.

Exercise also tends to lower blood pressure, decreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, and trims the chances of becoming obese or developing non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Regular physical activity has also been linked with lower rates of certain kinds of cancer. In general, exercise extends longevity by diminishing the risk of a variety of different ailments.

The type of exercise you choose matters when it comes to longevity. Recent research from Finland indicates that individuals who engage in endurance activities (running, cycling, swimming, cross country skiing, walking) live about six years longer than couch potatoes. In contrast, those who prefer team sports like basketball, ice hockey, or soccer live just four years more. And sports-active people who prefer 'power-type' activities, including weight lifting, field events, and sprinting, last for only two additional years.

A few paragraphs from Peak Performance

After reading the above article, it occurred to me that it might actually be true! Not necessarily if the wind is light, but if it is really blowing, you do get a lot of exercise!

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Last modified: Monday, 2007-Mar-19 12:51:54 PM MDT