Maintaining healthy eating habits, regular physical exercise, and adequate quality sleep are key factors in maintaining good health. If you want to live a healthy and long life,
Maintaining healthy eating habits, regular physical exercise, and adequate quality sleep are key factors in maintaining good health.
If you want to live a healthy and long life,
Which is more important, diet, exercise, or sleep?
Recent studies have shown that diet, exercise, and sleep all have important effects on health, but their mechanisms of action and degree of influence vary.
Diet VS exercise: Exercise cannot offset the harm of a pro-inflammatory diet!
In 2024, a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that an anti-inflammatory diet can offset the harm caused by insufficient exercise, while sufficient exercise cannot offset the adverse effects of a pro-inflammatory diet.
The study included more than 16,000 participants to evaluate the effects of anti-inflammatory/pro-inflammatory diets and exercise on health. The study confirmed:
- Compared with a pro-inflammatory diet and insufficient exercise, an anti-inflammatory diet combined with adequate exercise reduced the risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular death by 49% and 69%, respectively;
- Anti-inflammatory diet + insufficient exercise reduced the risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular death by 20% and 29%, respectively.
- Pro-inflammatory diet + adequate exercise cannot reduce the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality.
Studies have shown that an anti-inflammatory diet is very important. For example, combined with adequate exercise, it can significantly reduce the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality; even if you lack exercise, you can reduce all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality by adhering to an anti-inflammatory diet; but even if you exercise enough when you are on a pro-inflammatory diet, you cannot reduce the negative effects of a pro-inflammatory diet.
Exercise VS sleep. Exercise can eliminate the effects of insufficient sleep!
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2021 explored the effects of sleep and exercise on health. The study found that even if the sleep time is normal, as long as the amount of exercise is insufficient, the risk of death will increase. On the contrary, even if the sleep is not good, as long as the amount of exercise meets the standard, it can offset the negative effects of insufficient/excessive sleep.
- The amount of exercise meets the standard, which can offset some of the effects of unhealthy sleep. Compared with the normal sleep group, those who do not sleep enough (less than 6 hours) have a 34% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 56% higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. Those who sleep too long (more than 8 hours) have a 6% higher risk of all-cause mortality.
However, if the amount of exercise can meet the standard, the risk of all-cause death for those who lack sleep only increases by 11%, and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease increases by 16%; the risk of death for those who sleep too long does not increase significantly.
- The risk of death will increase as long as the amount of exercise is insufficient even if the sleep time is normal. Even if the sleep time is normal, but the amount of exercise is insufficient, the risk of all-cause death still increases by 41%, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease increases by 55%, and the risk of death from cancer increases by 31%. If sleep is too long or insufficient at the same time, the risk increases further.
How does exercise reduce the risk?
Researchers believe that exercise can reduce the risk of death caused by abnormal sleep time by enhancing cardiopulmonary function, inhibiting inflammatory response, improving glucose metabolism and alleviating endothelial dysfunction.
Therefore, in terms of diet, the harm of pro-inflammatory diet is huge, and even adequate exercise cannot completely offset its negative effects. In terms of exercise, moderate exercise can effectively reduce the risk of death and can partially offset the adverse effects of insufficient sleep.
If you want to be healthy and long-lived,
The three insist on the greatest benefit!
From a long-term perspective, if you want to truly achieve health and longevity, the most ideal state is to adhere to good eating habits, regular exercise and adequate sleep at the same time. All three are indispensable, so as to obtain the greatest health benefits.
- Eat well
Some people say: "A good life starts with eating well; eating well means loving yourself well." Three meals a day are a necessity of life. Taking every meal seriously is responsible for our health.
Eating well does not mean eating exquisitely, but regular three meals, a combination of meat and vegetables, balanced nutrition, and light taste. A reasonable diet can provide our body with sufficient nutrition, enhance immunity, and prevent the occurrence of diseases. In the small matter of eating, please remember to be nice to yourself.
- Keep exercising
If a person wants to be healthy, the most effective way is to strengthen physical exercise. Exercise can not only enhance your immunity and reduce the occurrence of diseases, but also make your body and mentality younger.
At the same time, exercise is also a good way to relieve stress. After sweating hard, the negative emotions that bother you can often dissipate.
No matter what kind of exercise, as long as you move, it is better than lying or sitting. Even if you walk, climb stairs, ride a bike, do housework, go shopping, etc., exercising multiple times a day will benefit your body.
- Get enough sleep
One-third of your life is spent sleeping. How well you sleep determines the other two-thirds to a large extent. Getting a good night's sleep and not staying up late is not only the key to maintaining good health, but also the cornerstone of a good life.
After a whole day of operation, our bodies need to replenish energy in time. Sleeping well is charging and storing energy for the body. Only with a regular schedule can you have sufficient physical strength.
Every day that follows, let us work and rest regularly, go to bed early and get up early, eat on time, and exercise regularly. Remember, with health, you have everything.