To Your Health
November, 2023 (Vol. 17, Issue 11) |
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A Life Extender
By Editorial Staff
Consistent physical activity and health go hand in hand. "Movement is life" is not just a popular catch phrase; it's a reality supported by abundant research. Want more proof? Check out this study that estimated the number of annual preventable deaths attributable to increasing daily physical activity in the United States.
Published in
JAMA Internal Medicine, a research journal of the American Medical Association, the study evaluated the impact of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on death prevention among U.S. adults ages 40-85. Increasing MVPA reduced deaths significantly: by 6.9% for a 10-minute daily increase, 13% for a 20-minute daily increase and 16.9% for a 30-minute daily increase. Overall, 110,000 deaths per year could be prevented annually via these increases in MVPA, according to the researchers.
What's MVPA? Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity includes everything from brisk walking or bicycling (moderate) to jogging, aerobic dance, bicycling up a hill, playing a sport such as basketball, soccer, etc., and so on (vigorous). Note that MVPA also includes activities you probably don't consider exercise, but should, particularly in the context of your health: carrying heavy loads, mowing the lawn, and heavy house cleaning, for example.
Movement is life. As Tim Robbins' character, Andy, famously states in the movie "The Shawshank Redemption," "Get busy living or get busy dying." Incorporate more movement into your life and reap the health and wellness benefits. What are you waiting for?
