In a new study from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, researchers found if people between 40 and 85 years of age were active just 10 minutes more a day, it could save more than 110,000 U.S. lives a year.
They also found the added exercise can benefit everyone.
In the study, the researchers examined data from more than 4,800 middle-aged and elderly adults who were part of a government health and nutrition study between 2003 and 2006.
For seven days, participants wore monitors to record their activity. The researchers then combed nationwide death data to see how many had died by the end of 2015.
The team found adding 10 minutes of exercise lowered participants’ risk of death over the period by 7%; 20 extra minutes reduced risk by 13%, and an extra half-hour of moderate to vigorous activity slashed the risk of death by 17%.
In other words, an extra 20 minutes of exercise could prevent nearly 210,000 deaths a year, and 30 more minutes could head off more than 270,000 deaths.
The findings suggest even a portion of such benefit would be of great public health importance.
The U.S. Government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends:
- At least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity; 75 minutes of vigorous aerobics; or a combination of both, spread throughout the week.
- Moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights) on at least two days per week.
- Less time sitting. (Even light-intensity activity can offset some of the risks of being sedentary.)
- Being active at least 300 minutes (5 hours) per week.
- Increasing the amount and intensity of activity gradually over time.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about 5-minute workout that could lower blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs, and exercise that has unique benefits for weight loss.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about nutrient supplement that could help you live longer like exercise, and results showing that one year of this exercise training may reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study is published in JAMA Internal Medicine. One author of the study is Pedro Saint-Maurice.
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