To Your Health
August, 2019 (Vol. 13, Issue 08) |
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It's Never Too Late to Start (Exercising)
By Editorial Staff
Hopefully everyone appreciates the health benefits of consistent physical activity by now ... although that doesn't mean we're all doing it enough. And of course, as with anything that's good for you, some people just don't get around to doing it at all.
Never exercising isn't a great idea, but starting – even if you haven't up until now – can still provide big benefits when it comes to your health. For example, research suggests even people who were sedentary in their younger years live longer if they start exercising. In one study published in the
British Medical Journal, researchers assessed activity levels over an eight-year period among nearly 15,000 men and women (ages 40-80 at baseline) and then tracked who died over the next 12 years. Compared to people who remained inactive, people who increased physical activity levels to meet the World Health Organization recommendation of at least 150 minutes of weekly moderate activity were 24 percent less likely to die from any cause, 29 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease and 11 percent less likely to die of cancer.
Now here's the kicker: "Past activity levels and improvements or even worsening of other risk factors such as diet, body weight, medical history, blood pressure and cholesterol levels over the years" didn't factor into the outcomes. In other words, increasing physical activity made the difference when it came to longevity. Talk to your doctor for more information about the exercise program that's right for you.
