“Some exercise better than none at all” – and could help you live longer
People who are unable to meet the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise could still benefit from a daily 15 minute walk to help improve fitness.
According to a new report the more exercise people do, the lower their risk of ill health and potentially life threatening health complications, including obesity and type 2 diabetes if they maintain an active lifestyle.
And researchers suggested that doing just 15 minutes of exercise a day could increase life expectancy for people aged 60 and over by up to 22%, compared with those of a similar age who do no exercise at all.
Walking for 15 minutes a day could help improve fitness and overall health
A team of researchers from across Europe looked at the results of nine studies involving more than 120,000 people, who were followed up for an average of 10 years.
They found regular exercise reduced the risk of an early death, even if people did less than the recommended weekly amount of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week that all adults should aim to do to stay healthy or improve health, as recommended in UK guidelines. But many older people fail to meet this target.
The overall results suggested that any physical activity was a good thing, even if the recommended targets could not be met.
The authors of the study found that 75 minutes of activity a week appeared to be beneficial. They concluded that lowering the activity target could encourage more adults to take up physical activity
The study was carried out by researchers from University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, the University of Lyon, the University Hospital of Dijon, the University of Burgundy, the Regional Centre for Cancer Prevention, and Jean Monnet University in France, and Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland and recently published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The report found that increased physical activity on could help reduce death rates, as participants who exceeded the 150-minute recommendation had 35% reduced risk compared with people who led an inactive lifestyle.
The overall results suggested that any physical activity was a good thing, even if the recommended targets could not be met.
The authors of the study found that 75 minutes of activity a week appeared to be beneficial. They concluded that lowering the activity target could encourage more adults to take up physical activity
The study was carried out by researchers from University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, the University of Lyon, the University Hospital of Dijon, the University of Burgundy, the Regional Centre for Cancer Prevention, and Jean Monnet University in France, and Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland and recently published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The report found that increased physical activity on could help reduce death rates, as participants who exceeded the 150-minute recommendation had 35% reduced risk compared with people who led an inactive lifestyle.
An NHS Behind the Headlines analysis of the study concluded: “Many people in the UK are failing to meet the recommended levels of physical activity. This study suggests that even if you can't meet the recommended amount, some exercise is better than none at all.
“However, because of the limitations of the review, more research would be needed to look into the ideal exercise level before recommending reducing amounts for older adults.
“We know that taking regular exercise has many health benefits, so being as active as possible is always beneficial. Regular exercise can reduce the risk of numerous major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.
“Exercise may also have beneficial effects on general wellbeing and may have some effect on mental health, such as reducing stress levels and depression.”
Read the report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine here
Read the DRWF leaflet Exercise and diabetes here
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