Research has demonstrated the significant impact of a straightforward activity on extending one’s life, potentially adding an average of five years.
As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, it’s common to feel inclined to stay indoors, watch movies every evening, and not engage in much else. However, if you’re looking for a reason to be more active, there’s an incredibly simple daily exercise that, according to a study, could extend your lifespan by five to 10 years. Surprisingly, you don’t even have to leave your home to do it.
Using a life table for the 2019 American population based on mortality data from the National Centre for Health Statistics from 2017, the research—published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine—examined how life expectancy varied with different levels of physical activity.
Participants aged 40 or over measured physical activity by wearing a ‘hip-worn accelerometer’—activity-tracking devices similar to smartwatches—for at least 10 hours over four days or more.
The study states: “Average physical activity levels by age (40 – 49.9, …, 80+ years) were applied to the US Statistics Bureau’s 2019 American population data to estimate the benefits of an hour of walking, a common and typical physical activity behaviour.”
What are the actual benefits of walking for an hour each day on life expectancy predictions?
The study found that in 2017, the average life expectancy in the US was 78.6 years. If all Americans aged 40 and above in 2017 were ‘as active as the least active 25 percent’, life expectancy would decrease by 5.8 years.
However, if all those over 40 were ‘as active as the top 25 percent of the population’, their life expectancy at birth would be 83.7 years, ‘an increase of 5.3 years’.
Should you decide to walk for 160 minutes daily, your life expectancy might increase ‘up to 10.9 years’.
Additionally, the study mentions: “Each additional single hour of physical activity would prolong life by an average of 169.1 min.”
Dr. Lennert Veerman, Professor of Public Health at Griffith University in Australia and senior study author, expressed to CNN his surprise at discovering that the reduction in life years in the USA due to low physical activity levels might be comparable to the losses attributed to smoking and high blood pressure.
The World Health Organization highlights: “Regular physical activity provides significant physical and mental health benefits.
“In adults, physical activity contributes to prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, enhances brain health, and can improve overall well-being.
“In children and adolescents, physical activity promotes bone health, encourages healthy growth and development of muscle, and improves motor and cognitive development.”
So, there you have it. At least we’re not suggesting you undertake a full-scale run.