Keep on your feet. keep moving.
The medical journal
BMJ published a report that links higher levels of physical activity at any
intensity to a lower risk of early death in middle-age and older people.
Previous studies have
repeatedly suggested that any type of sedentary behavior, such as sitting
still, is not good for your health. Being sedentary for 9.5 hours or more a
day, excluding sleeping time, is associated with an increased risk of death.
Led by Prof. Ulf
Ekelund of the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences located in Oslo, Norway, researchers
analyzed studies that assessed how physical activity and sedentary time were
linked with risk of an early death.
Using accelerometers
-- a wearable device that tracks the volume and intensity of activity -- to
measure total activity, intensity levels were separated into categories of
light, moderate and vigorous.
Cooking or washing
dishes were examples of light intensity, brisk walking or mowing the lawn were
considered moderate intensity, and jogging or carrying heavy loads were used as
examples of vigorous intensity.
The risk of death for
participants was approximately five times higher for those who were inactive
compared to those who were the most active, according to the researchers.
The study was
conducted in the United States and Western Europe on 36,383 adults who were at
least 40 years old with an average age of 62. Participants were tracked over an
average of 5.8 years.
However, the findings
in the study may not apply to other populations and younger people.
At least 150 minutes
of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week are
recommended guidelines, according to the National Institute for Health.
Although, the study says that these guidelines are based on self-reported
activity, which is often imprecise.
According to the
researchers, the public health message may simply be: "Sit less and move
more and more often."
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