You May Benefit From Mixing Up Your Aerobic Workout
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I often say that the key to staying consistent with a workout is to find exercise that you enjoy. You’re more likely to move your body if you’re eager to do so. But you should also consider changing it from time to time. Known as cross-training, changing up your workout routine can significantly improve your fitness and overall health.
In a study published last month, researchers at Harvard University Analysis Physical activity data was collected from more than 70,000 women and nearly 41,000 men over four decades. They found that participants who did a variety of exercises, such as cycling, running and strength training, were 19 percent less likely to die from any cause during the study period than those who were physically active but stuck to one type of workout. The risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and other causes was also 13 to 41 percent lower.
Why so? Well, exercise improves our health by challenging our body, forcing it to adapt and become stronger. Yet, as this study found, the health benefits of most physical activities plateau at a certain point. For example, participants who walked 5 hours a week were just as likely to die during the study period as participants who walked 20 or 40 hours a week. Therefore, by engaging in various exercises, people may be able to overcome these limitations.
One reason for this is that variety challenges our bodies in new ways. The most obvious example would be comparing aerobic exercises like running with strength-training exercises like weight lifting. The first puts pressure primarily on our cardiorespiratory system – our heart and lungs – while the second flexes our muscles, prompting them to grow back stronger. By combining the two you can increase both stamina and strength.
But you may also benefit from mixing up your aerobic workouts. For example, a 2018 study found among 31 high-school runners that those who swapped their two easy runs for a workout on an outdoor elliptical bike used oxygen more efficiently when running at the same speed, compared with those who did not make the swap.
Cross-training also reduces the risk of injury, which can affect longevity. One Analysis of nine studies A total of nearly 5,000 soccer players found that balance exercises reduced the risk of ankle injury by more than 35 percent compared to training programs without them.
So I encourage you to add a little variety to your workout routine. Last year, I ran almost exclusively, and I could tell that other aspects of my fitness, like my mobility, had suffered. That’s why now I am including Pilates and yoga in my exercise routine. This will not only improve my range of motion and strength, but it may also help me live well into old age.
grace wade is a health reporter for new scientists. You can sign up for his newsletter, eight weeks to keep you healthyBut newscientist.com/healthier-you
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