To talk about longevity is to talk about a very complex aspect in which a multitude of factors intervene. To those of a genetic type, whose incidence is not as high as was thought years ago, we must add those related to the lifestylewhich do have a greater weight in general terms. The decisions we make are decisive.
Hence there are those who claim that there is no winning or losing genetics and that health “is earned and worked for.” Such is the case of José Abellán Huerta, interventional cardiologist and disseminator of health-related topics through his social profiles (@doctorabellan) and who carries out his professional work at the Santa Lucía University General Hospital in Cartagena (Murcia).
“They are our habits and our lifestyle are what will determine whether we enjoy good health. Rather than thinking about shortcuts or magic pills, I would work on truly improving our lifestyle little by little,” he told us in a recent interview.
And one of the basic pillars of this improvement is none other than the physical exercisewhich has a little-known effect on the heart and which, in the end, can be decisive. In fact, the specialist has commented on several occasions that saving heartbeats should be a priority.
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A few months ago, on the ‘I Have a Plan’ podcast, I mentioned the idea. “There may be a number of heartbeats that we are predestined to live”, he assured. In total, that number amounts, as he shared, to 3,000 million and it does seem that there are ways to optimize them, as science already discovered in the last century.
“In the heart failurewhich is a disease in which the heart beats weakly, what was first done was to prescribe treatment to make it beat stronger, such as using medications such as digoxin, which makes the heart pump stronger, although people “I kept dying,” Abellán explained.
“Then they started using beta blockers, which is the opposite. They are drugs that make the heart beat slower and have other properties that can make it beat in a way, let’s say, more profitably. And the people who were treated with them lived longer. Possibly by saving heartbeats we live longer”, he concluded.
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However, resorting to pharmacology is not the only option. And it is that hePhysical exercise has also proven effective to save us heartbeats. “On average, 1 hour of exercise per week reduces your heart rate by 10 beats per minute. Both in men and in women. Every additional hour achieves a reduction of another 2 beats per minute in your basal heart rate,” explains the cardiologist in a post.
“That means that with 1 hour of regular exercise, you save 13,000 heartbeats each day (10 heartbeats x 1,380 minutes each day). Exercise protects your heart. Optimizes it, saves wear and tear. And in a way, this explains part of the benefits that physical exercise brings to your health,” concludes the expert, who shares scientific research published in Journal of Clinical Medicinewhich precisely confirms this thesis.
In short, in addition to other fundamental benefits, one of the mechanisms by which physical exercise, both cardio and strengthprotects us is by optimizing the functioning of our heart so that it beats less for longer. And thus help increase our life expectancy.
Álvaro Piqueras is a sports expert and in the last five years he has specialized in fitness, nutrition and other health topics. Try to stay up to date with new research and trends in the fields you master to be able to rigorously share the training routine that can inspire a change in your habits, the properties of the foods that should be part of your diet or scientific findings that can improve the physical and mental well-being of people like you.
He began his career in local and regional media in the land of Don Quixote, specifically in Albacete. From there he made the leap to national media after an enriching stint at a wonderful independent advertising agency named after a Beatles song (GettingBetter), although he always kept his journalistic vocation intact.
Hence, he pursued his dream of working for one of the main publishing groups in the country such as Prisa, Vocento and now also Hearst. Perhaps you have read him in the digital version of Diario As, addressing countless topics, or in ABC and other newspapers and magazines of the group, preparing branded content reports for large brands, multinationals and institutions. And if you haven’t had the chance, now is the time to do it at Men’s Health and Runner’s World.
As it could not be otherwise, he confesses to being a lover of sports and from a very young age he has tried disciplines as diverse as athletics, football, basketball, tennis, cycling or swimming. Sometimes feeling the adrenaline of the competition, and other times simply enjoying the benefits of physical activity. Now he has taken up functional exercises and boxing because he is certain that the bag is incapable of hitting him back.
Graduated in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Alicante, he also has specific training in social media management and direction, strategic planning and graphic design. Lately he has delved into the universe of generative artificial intelligence applied to journalism, but he swears and perjures that he does not use it professionally because, among other considerations, he continues to enjoy every word he writes after 20 years of experience in the communication sector.