You can live one full human lifetime without doing any at all.
Muscles start atrophying after as little as one week not using them properly.
I asked doctor and speaker at an MECFS event a similar question, in relation to severe MECFS, whether the patient is completely bed bound. They said that although muscle atrophies, that the cells themselves don't die. For someone who is completely bed-bound, they said that this is good news because they can prioritise pacing and if they recover later, can their muscles.
This was part of a much wider context which I've omitted here but as a fragment of information it might be reassuring to anyone who finds themselves (hopefully only) temporarily debilitated.
Do you NEED to exercise? No. But if you don't exercise you better have great nutrition and lifestyle.
Muscle mass is a strong indicator of health span into old age.
Exercise can offset a poor diet and lifestyle to an extent.
Sauna and heat exposure help retain muscles in people who temporarily can't exercise (i.e. casts)
If you eat clean whole foods, have no nutritional deficiencies, get plenty of sleep, sunlight, grounding time, and are stress free... And have a active no sedentary lifestyle!!! You probably can get away without any exercise
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