Physical Fitness & Movement

Few things are as directly tied to quality of life and lifespan as regular movement. The idea that physical activity is reserved for athletes or fitness enthusiasts is long out of date. More and more people are recognising that fitness is a core component of a long, healthy life — at every age. The point is not to spend hours in the gym or take up extreme sports. The point is to build movement into daily life and to train both endurance and strength on a regular basis.

Movement as a life extender

You may have heard that just a few minutes of daily movement can extend your life. A rule of thumb from sports medicine: as little as 11 minutes of intense activity, or 22 minutes of light movement per day, already has a positive impact on lifespan. The surprise is in the math — the key is consistency and total weekly time. The World Health Organisation recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate movement per week — roughly 22 minutes a day across at least seven days.

What does “moderate movement” actually mean? Activities where you break a slight sweat, but don’t reach the point of breathlessness. Brisk walking, cycling, gardening. In the so-called Blue Zones — the regions where people live unusually long lives — this kind of regular moderate movement is simply part of daily life. In Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy) and Ikaria (Greece), people are constantly engaged in moderate physical activity: walking, gardening, carrying groceries. This pattern of movement has proven powerfully health-promoting and plays a key role in both lifespan and quality of life.

The good news: movement does not always require intense workout sessions. A walk, a bike ride, time in the garden — all count. Even short bursts of activity spread across the day add up. Beyond preventing diseases like cardiovascular conditions and diabetes, regular movement directly raises overall well-being and quality of life.

Endurance training: strengthening the heart, rejuvenating the body

The foundation of good fitness is laid through endurance training. It strengthens the heart, supports circulation, and helps the body work more efficiently. Many people associate endurance training immediately with running, cycling or swimming — for good reason. These activities engage the cardiovascular system and improve not just stamina, but the body’s oxygen uptake. A useful test of fitness: try to cover one kilometre in about six minutes. If you can’t do it immediately, that’s no cause for concern — with regular training, progress comes quickly.

Endurance training delivers more energy, improves circulation and keeps the heart and blood vessels healthy. As you age, it helps reduce the risk of conditions such as high blood pressure and stroke. Regular endurance work is therefore a decisive building block of a long, healthy life.

Strength training: preserving muscle, slowing aging

When fitness is discussed, strength training is often underestimated. Yet with age, building and maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important. From around 30 onwards, the body begins to lose roughly 3–5 percent of muscle mass per decade — a slow, often unnoticed change. But this gradual loss has real consequences for mobility and quality of life. The large muscle groups — back and chest in particular — matter most.

Strength training is essential not only to halt this muscle loss, but to protect the body from the consequences of aging. It does not require heading to the gym and lifting heavy weights — simple exercises like push-ups, squats or sit-ups are enough to activate the muscles and build strength. The most effective combination for longevity is endurance training paired with strength training: the best of both worlds.

Recent research even shows that strength training can reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Muscle is not just about appearance or mobility — it plays a central role in your overall health and well-being, especially with age.

Movement and the brain: staying young in the head

Everyone knows that movement strengthens the heart and muscles — but what about the brain? The impact of physical activity on mental health is enormous, and frequently underestimated. Regular movement — a walk, light jogging, cycling — supports blood flow to the brain. New brain cells form, and memory and concentration improve. The hippocampus — central to memory — particularly benefits from physical activity.

People who exercise regularly have a markedly lower risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s. This underlines how important it is to keep not just the body fit, but the mind as well.

Telomeres and myokines: the latest science

Researchers continue to uncover new mechanisms showing how movement influences aging at the cellular level. Two of the most striking discoveries: telomeres and myokines. Telomeres are the protective caps on chromosomes, shortening with each cell division. Once they become too short, the cell can no longer function and dies. Researchers have found that regular movement — particularly endurance and interval training — can help lengthen telomeres and slow cellular aging.

Another exciting finding involves myokines — signalling molecules released by muscles during strength training. These have positive effects on the immune system, reduce inflammation, and may even help prevent diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Strength training, then, is not just about building stronger muscles — it influences your health at a deeper, cellular level.

Which sports support longevity?

Some forms of movement have proven particularly effective for living a long, healthy life. Here are several activities especially well-suited for longevity:

Walking and hiking

In the Blue Zones — the regions with the highest life expectancy — walking is one of the most popular forms of movement. Brisk walking builds stamina, strengthens the heart, and is gentle on the joints. Daily walks or hikes are simple but very effective — they keep the body fit and support overall well-being.

Cycling

Cycling is a low-impact form of endurance training that strengthens the heart and gets the circulation going. On longer rides especially, cycling helps with weight management and builds stamina. It is an excellent way to stay fit without overstressing the body.

Swimming

Swimming works the entire body. It improves endurance, builds muscle, and supports flexibility — all without unnecessary strain. It is an ideal sport if you have joint issues or want to avoid injury, and it is excellent for cardiovascular health.

Yoga and Tai Chi

These gentle forms of movement combine endurance, flexibility and strength while supporting mental health. Yoga and Tai Chi help stretch and relax the body and reduce stress. They improve mobility and concentration — contributing to a broader sense of well-being and quality of life.

Bodyweight strength training

Exercises like push-ups, squats and planks are ideal ways to build and preserve muscle without relying on heavy weights. Strength training not only builds muscle but supports bone density and improves posture. With age in particular, preserving muscle is essential to maintaining mobility and independence.

Dance

Dance is another excellent form of movement, supporting endurance, coordination and balance. It is enjoyable, social, and strengthens mental well-being. Dance helps preserve cognitive function and improves heart health — a remarkable workout for body and mind alike.

These activities are not only good ways to support physical health — they raise overall well-being and reduce the risk of chronic disease. A balanced mix of endurance, strength and flexibility training keeps you fit physically and mentally, for the long term.

The perfect workout for a long life

When it comes to the perfect training programme for a long life, the answer is fairly simple: a mix of endurance, strength and interval training. So-called HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) has proven especially effective, building both stamina and muscle strength in short sessions. HIIT alternates phases of intense effort with short recovery periods. The result: higher calorie expenditure and a metabolism that keeps running at high gear well after the session ends — the so-called afterburn effect.

HIIT exercises like burpees, jumping jacks, squats and push-ups are quick, intense and engage the whole body. The advantage: no expensive equipment or gym membership required — with your own bodyweight, you can train just as effectively at home.

How often should you train to live long and healthy?

The answer depends on your fitness level and goals, but a general guideline: two to three times per week, plan at least 20 minutes of intense training — whether HIIT or another format. Make sure to give the body sufficient recovery. For sustainable health, the key is to integrate movement regularly into daily life. Taking the stairs, walking, a quick bike ride — all are great ways to add more movement to your day.

Even small amounts of regular movement have a significant effect on life expectancy. Just 15 minutes of exercise a day can lower the risk of early mortality and extend life expectancy. Each additional quarter-hour reduces the risk further.

The power of movement for a long life

Whether young or old, regular movement is the key to a long, healthy life. Endurance training strengthens the heart, strength training protects against muscle loss, and myokines and telomeres help keep the body young at the cellular level. The most important thing is to make movement a fixed part of daily life. It does not always have to be the perfect sport — what matters is consistency, and finding joy in moving.

Because in the end, the question is not just how long we live, but how well we live. And that depends, to a remarkable degree, on how actively we keep both body and mind.