Cardiologist explains why exercising is important for a long life; 'inactivity is worse than smoking'

We all know that exercise is, by far, the biggest tool to keep ailments at bay. However, there is growing evidence to suggest that it can also help you live longer! Yes that is true! Dr. Alok Chopra, a leading cardiologist recently put up a video highlighting the importance of exercise.Dr Chopra called exercise the most powerful longevity drug in the world, and added that 90 minutes of exercise can increase your lifespan by 15%, and make you live a decade longer. He further added that vascular, metabolic longevity etc, are all linked to mortality. Calling inactivity worse than smoking, Dr Chopra said that your grip strength says a lot about your overall strength. And one of the best ways to build it? Pull-ups. Here's why grip strength is so important...Your grip strength serves as a reliable indicator of total muscle power, because it reflects the strength of your entire muscle system. Research indicates that superior grip strength directly relates to improved athletic capability, and superior muscle quality. Grip strength below a certain threshold, predicts both the inability to perform everyday activities, and health risks including diabetes and high blood pressure. The strength of your grip directly correlates with improved health outcomes, as well as better physical functioning during aging.According to health professionals, grip strength serves as an important vitality indicator that forecasts how effectively someone can execute movement-based strength activities in their daily routines. The assessment tool provides valuable information about a person's physical state.Several factors contribute to the deterioration of grip strength. The grip strength declines when nerve problems like pinched nerves or carpal tunnel syndrome develop, along with pain and numbness symptoms. It can also weaken because of tendon injuries that affect both golfers and tennis players. A sedentary lifestyle or insufficient physical activity, results in weakened hand muscle strength because of muscle atrophy.The act of performing pull-ups enables you to develop superior grip strength because you need to maintain your entire body weight, using only bar grip. This exercise targets the muscles in your hands, together with your forearms, shoulders, back and core, which creates an effective full-body strength development method, particularly effective for grip training.Different pull-up grips, including pronated and supinated positions, activate various back and arm muscles which support the development of grip strength. The crush grip developed through pull-ups enhances your ability to tightly hold objects, since this grip pattern appears in both athletic activities and regular daily tasks.The prevention of injuries occurs, because a stronger grip reduces the risk of weight drops and forearm muscle injuries while exercising.Strong grip abilities enable better athletic and daily task performance, since they enhance your ability to lift and carry objects.The repetition of pull-up practice strengthens your grip endurance, which enables you to perform additional repetitions and maintain physical activities for extended periods.The practice of pull-ups stimulates bone strength, while maintaining joint fluidity through safe bone and muscle stress.Reference LinksOhio State Wellness on Grip Strength - https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/why-a-strong-grip-is-importantTRX Training on Grip and Pull-Ups - https://www.trxtraining.com/blogs/news/strengthen-grip-pull-up-performancePullup & Dip on Pull-Up Grip Strength - https://www.pullup-dip.com/blogs/training-camp/more-pull-up-grip-strengthNIH Article on Grip Strength as Biomarker - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6778477/Men's Health on Grip Strength Exercises - https://www.menshealth.com/uk/fitness/a34411145/grip-strength/Cleveland Clinic on Grip Strength - https://health.clevelandclinic.org/grip-strengthRunRepeat on Pull-Up Benefits - https://runrepeat.com/benefits-of-pull-upsGoodRx on Pull-Up Benefits - https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/movement-exercise/pull-up-benefitsGripzilla Blog on Grip Strength Exercises - https://gripzilla.co/blogs/news/4-extraordinary-exercises-to-improve-grip-strength-for-pullupsUCLA Health on Grip Strength - https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/grip-strength-important-biomarker-assessing-healthDisclaimer: This article is informational only and not a substitute for medical advice