How Staying Active Can Add 5 Years to Your Life

A new study has found that people aged 40 and over have the potential to extend their lives by an average of 5.3 years if they adopt the activity levels of the top 25 percent of the population. Published in research British Journal of Sports MedicineIt points to physical activity as a crucial factor in preventing premature death, and findings suggest that increased movement may rival the benefits of fighting smoking and high blood pressure.

Dr. D., professor of public health at Griffith University School of Medicine and Dentistry in Australia. “I was surprised to learn that the years of life lost due to low levels of physical activity in the US rival the lowest levels of physical activity worldwide,” Lennert Veerman told CNN. losses due to smoking and high blood pressure.”

The study’s methodology involved examining physical activity data from participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2003 and 2006. Data was collected from adults ages 40 and older who wore accelerometers to track their activity levels. This data was then compared with mortality statistics from 2017 to estimate the potential benefits of higher activity levels on life expectancy.

The study predicted a 5.8-year loss in life expectancy for those in the lowest quartile of physical activity. However, for those active in the top quartile, life expectancy could increase by an average of 5.3 years, bringing life expectancy to 83.7 years.

The findings also revealed that people in the least active group, who typically only do 49 minutes of moderate activity per day, 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. From Louisiana State University, Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk noted that while the study was based on existing data and estimates, potential benefits may be exaggerated, especially given that physical activity levels have increased in the U.S. since the time the data was collected.

But Katzmarzyk emphasized the strong link between inactivity and the development of life-threatening conditions such as “heart disease, stroke, diabetes and various cancers,” adding: “Being physically active reduces your risk of developing and dying from these conditions.”

The World Health Organization recommends that adults do at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. But as the study shows, even smaller increases in activity can provide lasting health benefits.