There was an old Chinese saying “It is rare to live to 70 years old”. Given our medical advancement and hygiene levels, this is not true in Singapore today, yet there is more to be done if we want to live to 90 and beyond.
If you are like most people, your work involves sitting down and staring at a screen, and therefore your work days are absolutely sedentary. Here is how you add more years to your life:
90 mins a week for 90 years of life
The heart is the most important and hardest working organ we have. By having moderately intense exercise 90mins a week, we strengthen it and keep it in good shape. These 90mins can be broken down into a 30mins jog or brisk walk 3 times a week, which is manageable even for a hectic Singaporean work life.
Moderately intense exercise brings a wealth of benefits, strengthening blood circulation, helps control your weight, keeps your blood sugar function healthy, supports your bone density, improve your immune functions and overall stops your health and mind from declining.
Isn’t 10,000 steps a day enough?
10,000 steps per day is a goal better than nothing, but it doesn’t give enough stress to strengthen the heart. Should a bird be proud of flying? Or a penguin for swimming? Why then would we give ourselves a pat on the back just for walking?
The exercise has to be positively heart-pumping and sweat-inducing. If you are just starting out, you might be huffing and panting. A brisk walk is the minimum you should go, and ideally you should be jogging non-stop (at your own pace) for these 30 mins. But take your time to get there ; the start of a new habit is the hardest. What matters is that you keep the time, and maintain it every week.
Reducing the risks of the #1 and #2 killers
The number 1 killer of Singaporeans is cancer. The second is heart disease. Moderately intense exercise will reduce both of these risks greatly. Metaphorically speaking, it will prevent your blood from turning into sludge and your bones from becoming chalk.
Start with 90 mins a week and maintain it. If you can go more than that, slowly bring it up to 150 mins for greater benefits. Keep it up, and those extra 20-30 years will feel like a certainty, as you look and feel better. You will not only bring years to your life, but also add much welcomed vitality to your years.
