Did you know that each day the average heart beats 100,000 times and pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood?

Whether you're nine or ninety, we all know that exercise is good for our body, our mind, our heart, and our soul. But how good is exercise really? If we pump it out at the gym will our heart ultimately pump longer? Will we live a longer, healthier life? The answer is "yes".

Research done in Rotterdam, The Netherlands using data from the NIH's famous Framingham Heart Study can prove it.

Regardless of age, sex, or other health problems, research done on the forty-six year Framingham Heart Study offers proof that higher levels of physical activity can add 1.3 to 3.7 years to one's total life expectancy.

The range is based on how often one works out.

Work out every day and your heart will love you for it. Even a daily brisk walk can add four years to your life.

5,209 middle-aged and elderly men and women from Massachusetts were the subject of the Framingham study beginning in 1948.

Data from the Framingham Heart Study was used by Oscar H. Franco, M.D., Ph.D., of Erasmus M.C. University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands (author of the Polymeal); along with Chris de Laet, MD, PhD; Anna Peeters, PhD; Jacqueline Jonker, MSc; Johan Mackenbach, MD, PhD, and Wilma Nusselder, PhD. to calculate the effects of low, moderate, or high levels of physical activity, adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and coexistent diseases -- including cancer, arthritis, diabetes, left ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement of the left pumping chamber of the heart), ankle edema, and pulmonary disease.

Dr. Franco's study is the first to quantify the impact of physical activity this way.

Franco and his team reports that total life expectancy increases proportionally with higher levels of physical activity.

Dr. Franco said:

This should encourage people to be more active -- to take a more active role in their own health and not just sit and wait for a pill to prevent this or that or save your life.

Our study shows that physical activity really does make a difference -- not only for how long you live but for how long you live a healthy life.

Being more physically active can give you more time.

It's never too late to start exercising.

For example, instead of taking your car to your office, why don't you take your bike or walk?

Yesterday, the results of Franco's study were published in the November 14th Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

The title is: "Effects of Physical Activity on Life Expectancy With Cardiovascular Disease."

Here is the abstract in Archives of Internal Medicine:

Background

Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, little is known about the effects of physical activity on life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease. Our objective was to calculate the consequences of different physical activity levels after age 50 years on total life expectancy and life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease.

Methods

We constructed multistate life tables using data from the Framingham Heart Study to calculate the effects of 3 levels of physical activity (low, moderate, and high) among populations older than 50 years. For the life table calculations, we used hazard ratios for 3 transitions (healthy to death, healthy to disease, and disease to death) by levels of physical activity and adjusted for age, sex, smoking, any comorbidity (cancer, left ventricular hypertrophy, arthritis, diabetes, ankle edema, or pulmonary disease), and examination at start of follow-up period.

Results

Moderate and high physical activity levels led to 1.3 and 3.7 years more in total life expectancy and 1.1 and 3.2 more years lived without cardiovascular disease, respectively, for men aged 50 years or older compared with those who maintained a low physical activity level. For women the differences were 1.5 and 3.5 years in total life expectancy and 1.3 and 3.3 more years lived free of cardiovascular disease, respectively.

Conclusions

Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle during adulthood not only prevents cardiovascular disease independently of other risk factors but also substantially expands the total life expectancy and the cardiovascular disease–free life expectancy for men and women.

This effect is already seen at moderate levels of physical activity, and the gains in cardiovascular disease–free life expectancy are twice as large at higher activity levels.

"The role that physical activity plays in cardiovascular risk management should be emphasized to achieve a worldwide implementation of an active pattern of life," they concluded. "Our study suggests that following an active lifestyle is an effective way to achieve healthy aging."

Have Dog Will Jog

Taking this advice to heart, for the first time in two months, this morning I jogged four miles with my dog, Dakota.

I have been taking a hiatus from running because I've been busy working out with a trainer three days a week and rollerblading the other two week days. (Weekends I'm running around with the kids.)

After constantly getting my tail kicked Monday, Wednesday and Friday by Antony Thier (think Healthier) I was hopeful that I would feel stronger as I jogged down to the Golden Gate Bridge and back. In fact, I had a downright spring in my step. And it wasn't just because it was the quintessential sunny day in San Francisco, or that I had tickets to tonight's Rolling Stones concert in my back pocket.

Sure enough, I not only felt stronger from start to finish, I was amazed that my cadence was quicker.

My body thanks you Antony. My heart thanks you. And my dog thanks you!

Speaking of Dogs ...

Speaking of dogs, at an American Heart Association meeting today, the results of a study were released regarding dogs and heart failure patients.

The study is one of the first to use scientific measurements to document that therapeutic dogs lower anxiety, stress and heart and lung pressure among heart failure patients.

Funded by the Pet Care Trust Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes the value of animals in society, the study has now inspired hospitals to invite animals to assist in their heart patients' therapy.

According to the American Heart Association:

Researchers discovered that a twelve-minute visit with man's best friend helped heart and lung function by lowering pressures, diminishing release of harmful hormones and decreasing anxiety.

For further details on the results of the Animal Assisted Therapy, known as "AAT" study, go to:

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "joggin' with the dog to avoid getting clogged" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC

Eat A Polymeal of Wine, Fish, Chocolate, Fruits, Veggies, Garlic & Almonds To Live 5-6 Years Longer