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 EXERCISE DOES NOT SHORTEN LIFESPAN




It’s time to toss out the idea that working out “spends” your heartbeats and shortens your lifespan. Thanks to new research out of Australia, we now know the opposite is true: physically fit people actually use up fewer heartbeats per day—even when you count all those sweaty workouts.

This isn’t just a technicality. According to the study, athletes clock in with an average heart rate of just 68 beats per minute. Sedentary folks? They're up at 76. Multiply that out and you get a huge difference: over 11,000 fewer heartbeats every day for those who keep fit. That’s nearly 10 percent less work for your heart, every single day.

Professor La Gerche, who leads the HEART Laboratory at St Vincent's Institute and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, sums it up like this: “Athletes’ hearts work harder during exercise, sure, but their lower resting rates more than make up for it. Over 24 hours, fit people’s hearts are actually doing less total work.”

A study published in JACC: Advances found that elite athletes can have resting heart rates as low as 40 beats per minute, compared with the typical 70-80 beats per minute most people experience. Even if you’re only training an hour a day, your heart is coasting smoothly and efficiently for the other 23.

Here’s what this means for you: getting fit isn’t about burning up your heart’s supposed “battery”—it’s about making your heart so efficient it hums along, day after day, for years longer. Regular exercise is a safe and effective way to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, boost your mood, and potentially add years to your life.

Professor La Gerche says the best thing you can do for your heart is go from inactive to moderately active. In his own words: “Just a few hours of purposeful exercise each week can transform your heart’s efficiency and make every beat count. It may even add years to your life.”

So, the old myth is dead. Your heart’s not running out of beats—it’s getting better at using them. Why not give it a hand? Take a brisk walk, sign up for a fitness class, or schedule a few active breaks during your day. Every small change adds up to thousands of heartbeats saved—and could make a real difference for your health and your future.

Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Start moving today, and make every beat count for better health.

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