Increased engagement in any form of physical activity linked to extended lifespan.
The research is damn clear: boosting physical activity of any kind, even just light exercises like taking strolls, slashing the risk of kickin' the bucket. Researchers arrived at this conclusion by examining data from studies using wearable trackers to measure adult's physical activity levels, focusing on those in middle age and beyond.
The findings in a recent BMJ paper align closely with those of previous studies on links between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and longevity. The investigation shows a strong tie between prolonged sitting – more than 9.5 hours per day – and an increased risk of early death.
Most health guidelines rely on studies reporting self-reported activity levels. However, this new research is of key importance because it exclusively considered studies measuring physical activity using accelerometers, wearable motion sensors that track movement during wake hours.
The research team aimed to clarify the impact of sedentary behavior and low-intensity activity. Current guidelines encourage less sitting, but fall short on specifying harmful sitting times. The study also sheds light on the contribution of light-intensity activities to longevity, compared to moderate and vigorous activities.
For instance, the U.S. government advises at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly. While light activity is recommended as a decent kick-off, the emphasis is mainly on moderate and vigorous exercises.
Researchers analyzed data on 36,383 adults aged 40 years and older, from eight studies tracking activity for up to 1 week and following them for an average of 5.8 years. The categorized physical activity as light, moderate, or vigorous and estimated daily time spent on each.
The team discovered that any level of activity – regardless of intensity – was linked to a significantly lower risk of death during the follow-up. The 25% most active participants had a 60-70% lower risk of death, with around five times more deaths in the least active compared to the most active group.
In conclusion, the findings emphasize that even light exercises, within reach of most people, are advantageous. The effect sizes in their results are about double the size of previous studies relying on self-reported data.
- This new research in the BMJ focuses on the link between aging and longevity, specifically exploring the impact of sedentary behavior and low-intensity activity on health.
- The study, which uses wearable motion sensors to measure physical activity, finds that any level of activity, be it light, moderate, or vigorous, reduces the risk of early death significantly.
- The results of this study, compared to previous ones relying on self-reported activity levels, show effect sizes that are about double in size.
- Regarding health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise, the findings highlight the importance of mental-health and nutrition, adding that even light exercises contribute positively to longevity and can be beneficial for overall well-being.
