If people aged 40 and above adopted the activity levels of the top 25 per cent of the population, they could potentially extend their lives by an average of 5.3 years, a new study has revealed. The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, points to physical activity as a crucial factor in preventing premature death, with findings indicating that increased movement could rival the benefits of addressing smoking and high blood pressure.
Dr. Lennert Veerman, professor of public health in the School of Medicine and Dentistry at Griffith University in Australia, told CNN, “I was surprised to find that the loss of life years in the USA due to low levels of physical activity might rival the losses due to smoking and high blood pressure.”
The study's methodology involved reviewing physical activity data from participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which took place between 2003 and 2006. Data was gathered from adults aged 40 and older who wore accelerometers to track their activity levels. This data was then compared to mortality statistics from 2017 to predict the potential benefits of higher activity levels on life expectancy.
For those in the lowest quartile of physical activity, the study projected a loss of 5.8 years in life expectancy. But for those as active as the top quartile, life expectancy could increase by an average of 5.3 years, bringing the expected lifespan to 83.7 years.
The findings also suggested that people in the least active group, who usually get only 49 minutes of moderate activity daily, could extend their lives by up to 11 years with an additional 111 minutes of daily physical activity.
Despite the results, some experts caution against interpreting the study's findings as definitive. Dr Peter Katzmarzyk from Louisiana State University noted that the study relies on existing data and estimates, which may overstate the potential benefits, particularly given that physical activity levels have improved in the US since the period the data was collected.
But Katzmarzyk emphasised the strong link between inactivity and the development of life-threatening conditions such as “heart disease, stroke, diabetes and several cancers,” and added, “Being physically active reduces your risk of developing these conditions and dying from them.”
The World Health Organization recommends that adults engage in at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. Yet, as the study shows, even smaller increments of activity can have lasting health benefits.
