Fitness Level Matters for Longevity!

Being in shape has a greater impact on heart health and longevity than the number on the scale, according to a recent study. 

People considered fit, regardless of their body mass index, had a similar risk of death as fit people with a normal BMI, researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in November. In addition, overweight or obese individuals who were fit had a lower risk of death than unfit people with a normal weight.

“The risk of being unfit far exceeds the risks of carrying some extra pounds,” Siddhartha Angadi, PhD, senior author of the study and a cardiovascular exercise physiologist at the University of Virginia, told Health in an email. “Too many folks simply view exercise as a means to expending calories whereas exercise is a powerful tool for improving cardiorespiratory, muscle, and metabolic health, and often these benefits occur even in the absence of weight change.” 

Excerpted from Health

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