Health Tips: One in ten premature deaths could be prevented, according to a significant study released on Wednesday, if people exercised just a little bit each day, like taking an 11-minute walk. Although it is well known that exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other major causes of death, it is unclear how much exercise is necessary to make a difference.
Study reviews 196 previous studies including over 30 million people
An international team of researchers combined the findings of 196 earlier studies, involving more than 30 million people, to produce one of the most thorough reviews ever conducted on the topic. The team estimated that everyone in the studies would have lived longer if they had engaged in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, as advised by Britain’s National Health Service. This would have prevented about one in six early deaths.
Small amount of daily exercise could prevent one in 10 early deaths
However, the meta-analysis that was printed in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that even half that amount, 75 minutes a week, or less than 11 minutes a day, could stop one in ten of those fatalities. According to the study, cancer and heart disease both decreased by 7% and 17%, respectively. 11 minutes of exercise per day reduced the risk of premature death by 23% in people who exercise little or not at all.
Public health recommendations may need to be adjusted based on findings
The findings are “exceptionally good news,” according to Soren Brage, a co-author of the study and an expert on the epidemiology of physical activity at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. He pointed out that people only need to set aside a little more than 10 minutes per day for physical activity, and that it’s not always necessary to visit the gym. He suggested cycling home, for instance, or getting off the bus at a bus stop earlier on the way to work. According to the World Health Organization, cancer claimed nearly 10 million lives in 2020, while cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke claimed 17.9 million lives worldwide in 2019.
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