Not exercising enough can lead to three 'life-changing' illnesses, warns expert

Dr Gabrielle Lyon, a leading figure in muscle science, has warned that not exercising can have a serious impact on your health and can increase your risk of several life-changing illnesses

A top health expert has issued a warning about a hidden trend harming our health and cutting life expectancy.

Speaking on the Diary of CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett, Dr Gabrielle Lyon underscored the necessity of exercise and muscle-strengthening to complement a healthy diet. In their deep dive into health matters, Dr Lyon and Bartlett explored the consequences of feeble muscles and subpar exercise regimens on fertility, sleep quality, and increased risks of ailments like Alzheimer's and heart diseases.

Muscle science expert and board-certified physician to the elite, including athletes and Navy Seals, Dr Lyon also founded the groundbreaking regime of Muscle-Centric Medicine and penned the acclaimed Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well.

Dr Lyon made a case for muscle maintenance as a transformative approach to longevity. She held that beyond mere obesity concerns, insufficient muscle focus poses a significant death risk and urged an emphasis on building skeletal muscle to fend off disease, enhance physical functions, and revolutionise the ageing trajectory.

"Everybody focuses on obesity, but obesity is not our problem. If you are in the lower one-third of strength, you have a 50% greater risk of dying from nearly anything. You have to prioritise skeletal muscle," she explained.

In a conversation with Bartlett, Dr Lyon underscored the importance of skeletal muscle, saying: "This is the organ of longevity, the only organ system that you have voluntary control over." She underlined the pivotal function of skeletal muscle, which constitutes around 40 per cent of an individual's body weight and serves various roles, including:

• movement, such as breathing, swallowing, and moving the body.
• posture
• body temperature
• nutrients, skeletal muscle stores nutrients
• joints, skeletal muscle stabilizes joints

Dr Lyon insisted that ageing isn't just about physical appearance but also revolves around one's performance, reports the Express. She revealed an alarming statistic: "Only 6 to 8% of people are meeting the resistance training guidelines and the majority of individuals are sedentary."

When Bartlett quizzed her on how his health might decline if he eschewed physical exercise for three decades, Dr Lyon did not mince words: "Are you ready? " She vividly described the negative implications of avoiding regular exercise, forecasting that Bartlett, at 61, would likely contend with a high probability of grave illnesses without it.

"You're 30 right now, so Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease is likely throughout your lifespan," she cautioned him. She advised him that his sexual health could be at risk as well: "Your testosterone is probably low and your sperm quality isn't as good as it could have been."

On being asked about the link between muscle mass and fertility, Dr Lyon confirmed the connection. Dr Lyon ended her warnings on a stark note, painting a bleak picture of Bartlett's potential future marred by severe health decline - including obesity, sleep apnoea, and compromised brain and metabolic health.

She advocates for exercising at least three times a week to build robust skeletal muscle, explaining: "Your skeletal muscle is your primary site for glucose metabolism and fatty acid metabolism. It is your body armour. Those that are in the lower one-third for strength, you have a 50 per cent greater risk of dying from nearly anything."

Dr Lyon also underscored the link between strength and brain health, stating: "The majority of dementia is Alzheimer's dementia, which plays a role in metabolic regulation - type three diabetes of the brain."

She cautioned that having unhealthy skeletal muscle can lead to insulin resistance in both the muscles and the brain, stressing that a sedentary lifestyle is incompatible with overall health.