Largest study on physical activity involving 130,000 people in 17 countries showed that household chores such as vacuuming, or walking to work, provided enough exercise to protect the heart and extend life, with 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week reducing the risk of death by 28%
Not bad.
From the New Scientist.
One in 12 deaths could be prevented with 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week. That’s the conclusion from the world’s largest study of physical activity, which analysed data from more than 130,000 people across 17 countries.
At the start of the
study, participants provided information on their socioeconomic status,
lifestyle behaviours and medical history. They also answered a questionnaire
about the physical activity they complete over a typical week. Participants
were followed-up at least every three years to record information about
cardiovascular disease and death for almost seven years.
Over the period studied, Scott Lear, from McMaster University in
Canada and his colleagues found that 150 minutes of activity per week reduced
the risk of death from any cause by 28 per cent and rates of heart disease by
a fifth.
Being highly active was
associated with even greater benefits: people who spent more than 750 minutes
walking briskly each week reduced their risk of premature death by 36 per cent.
Results showed that it was not necessary to run,
swim or work out at the gym. Household chores such as vacuuming or scrubbing
the floor, or merely walking to work provided enough exercise to protect the
heart and extend life.
“Going to the gym is
great, but we only have so much time we can spend there. If we can walk to
work, or at lunch time, that will help too,” says Lear.
The World Health
Organisation recommend that adults aged 18 to 64 do at least 150 minutes of
moderate physical activity throughout the week, as well as muscle strengthening
exercises at least two days a week.
The study found that if
the world’s population met these guidelines, 8 per cent of global deaths over
seven years would be prevented.
“The clear-cut results reinforce the message
that exercise truly is the best medicine at our disposal for reducing
the odds of an early death,” says James Rudd,
senior lecturer in cardiovascular medicine, at the University of
Cambridge. “If a drug company came up with a medicine as effective
as exercise, they would have a billion-dollar blockbuster on their hands
and a Nobel prize in the post.”
