Life motivation

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On Monday night my father passed away at 83 from complications after suffering a stroke. He had been declining for a few years now physically and cognitively. He was never particularly active during his life. While he was strong, didn't drink and very practical, his career was sedentary. He drove trucks and buses for a living, working ridiculous long hours.

My mother has heart disease and had a heart attack two years ago, and has been hospitalised several times. Her health, physical and mental, is still a mess. She's 75. She's obese and sedentary.

From observing their decline, I've clarified my own motivation and goals in terms of my health. And that's to optimise not only my life span but my health span.

That being, how many years I have been healthy and living a functional life. And literally the best way to do this is via exercise. Its been proven to be just as, if not more, effective as medicine. Improving aerobic endurance by engaging in low level zone 2 training, with bouts of high intensity anaerobic training to increase V02 max has been shown to massively improve mortality rates, and reduce the risk of death by diseases such as stroke and heart disease. Combined with strength training, which is just as important in strengthening bones, enabling you to perform normal daily activities later in life and giving your body an "exoskeleton" - stronger muscles provide your skeletal structure with a core supportive framework to let you stay active safely and reduce the risk of events that have a massive correlation to death - particularly falls.

This book has opened my eyes massively. I've recommended it before, but it really is a must read.

 
Wormkilla said:
On Monday night my father passed away at 83 from complications after suffering a stroke. He had been declining for a few years now physically and cognitively. He was never particularly active during his life. While he was strong, didn't drink and very practical, his career was sedentary. He drove trucks and buses for a living, working ridiculous long hours.

My mother has heart disease and had a heart attack two years ago, and has been hospitalised several times. Her health, physical and mental, is still a mess. She's 75. She's obese and sedentary.

From observing their decline, I've clarified my own motivation and goals in terms of my health. And that's to optimise not only my life span but my health span.

That being, how many years I have been healthy and living a functional life. And literally the best way to do this is via exercise. Its been proven to be just as, if not more, effective as medicine. Improving aerobic endurance by engaging in low level zone 2 training, with bouts of high intensity anaerobic training to increase V02 max has been shown to massively improve mortality rates, and reduce the risk of death by diseases such as stroke and heart disease. Combined with strength training, which is just as important in strengthening bones, enabling you to perform normal daily activities later in life and giving your body an "exoskeleton" - stronger muscles provide your skeletal structure with a core supportive framework to let you stay active safely and reduce the risk of events that have a massive correlation to death - particularly falls.

This book has opened my eyes massively. I've recommended it before, but it really is a must read.

Click to expand...
Yep, HIIT and weighted exercise is the best along with a healthy diet.

I have said this before on this board but it is most definitely quality of life over longevity for me.

I would rather live to 75 and be able to move around eg. still be doing multi day trekking and feel great and all of a sudden drop dead or get hit by a bus... than live to 85-90 and be struggling to get around, be short of breath on multiple medications etc for the last 10 years of my life.

I am 64 now and feel fantastic physically and mentally.
 
M Malice said:
Yep, HIIT and weighted exercise is the best along with a healthy diet.

I have said this before on this board but it is most definitely quality of life over longevity for me.

I would rather live to 75 and be able to move around eg. still be doing multi day trekking and feel great and all of a sudden drop dead or get hit by a bus... than live to 85-90 and be struggling to get around, be short of breath on multiple medications etc for the last 10 years of my life.

I am 64 now and feel fantastic physically and mentally.
Click to expand...
There is a definite correlation between life expectancy and VO2 max. In fact, this correlation coefficient is higher than for any other exercise related variable. And high intensity training is the best way to improve VO2 max, but there is a point where doing high intensity training too often can compromise longevity due to the high impact nature of it which can bring about injury and increase fatigue.

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The importance of low intensity exercise cannot be discounted as it improves cardiovascular and metabolic health without over-stressing the body. In fact, most physiologist recommend a higher ratio of low intensity training to high intensity now as the science is so strong - you might have heard of the 80:20 principal.

Why its important:
  1. Cardiovascular Health: Zone 2 training enhances the efficiency of your heart and lungs. Exercising at this level strengthens the heart muscle, improves blood flow, and helps reduce blood pressure, which are all factors that contribute to a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.
  2. Metabolic Health: This type of training improves the body’s ability to utilize fat as a fuel source. It enhances insulin sensitivity and helps in managing blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
  3. Aerobic Base: Zone 2 training helps build a solid aerobic base, which is fundamental for overall endurance. A strong aerobic system supports better performance in various physical activities and daily tasks, leading to a more active lifestyle.
  4. Recovery and Sustainability: Because Zone 2 training is moderate in intensity, it’s easier to recover from compared to high-intensity workouts. This makes it more sustainable over the long term, promoting consistent physical activity, which is vital for long-term health, compared to high intensity HIIT training.
  5. Longevity Benefits: Studies have shown that regular moderate-intensity exercise is associated with a longer lifespan. By engaging in Zone 2 training, individuals can enjoy these longevity benefits while also improving their quality of life.
Whilst strength training has huge benefits, if you're not doing a meaningful amount of some form of cardio exercise, you're not going to optimise your life expectancy - its the brutal truth.
 
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Katie94 said:
I'm sorry for your loss wormkilla, unfortunately it took losing my mum at 43 to cancer and my dad at 49 from cirrhosis for me to pull my finger out and I've never felt better

OP how are you doing now? 😊
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Thank you Katie94. Im so sorry to hear of the loss of your parents. That must have been so hard, especially with them so young.

Its been a long couple of weeks since finding dad on the floor of his apartment to him passing away. The worst part of it for me was seeing him in palliative care unconscious, all feeding and breathing tubes removed and just literally biding time till the end was reached. No one tells you about this part. It took him 4 days and its not all peaceful and quiet.

What did you change to your lifestyle that's lead to you feeling so good? So glad to hear that you've bounced back positively from your difficult loss.
 

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