How to live long and prosper
Research confirms exercise is not only good but helps you live longer. Star Trek’s Spock should have known this.
First, the good news. Adults who stay consistently active throughout their life can lower their risk of early death by up to 40%.
The other news: you have to stay consistently active! So, longevity can mean a fair bit of work. Which raises the question: why didn’t we ever see Mr Spock in Star Trek – whose catchphrase was “live long and prosper” – exercising?
But there’s still hope for inactive people and, overall, the research by University of Queensland (UQ) is more good news than bad, I think.
It’s not just the research findings of a sample of a few older gym junkies. The researchers summarised data from 85 studies of more than 8 million people.
They found lifelong physical activity reduced the risk of premature death, while inactive people also could lower their risk by 20-25% – if they become active later in life.
Clearly, the message is exercise is good and promotes lasting life benefits. And it’s never too late to start getting active.
While the study – the largest meta-analysis of its kind to examine how physical activity impacts mortality and health – found staying or becoming active lowered mortality risk by 20-40%, physical activity can lower cardiovascular disease mortality by 30-40%.
According to the researchers, this shows that “bank saving” exercise is possible. That’s where you retain the benefits of physical exercise undertaken years, or even decades, previously.
While the findings, including that inactive people face a higher risk of early death, are another good reason to get and keep active, health professionals are well aware of the dangers of “health messaging”.
“Sometimes when we push the message of needing to be active all the time, people can feel the extra burden and it can actually be more detrimental,” researcher, Dr Gregore Iven Mielke, said.
“In reality, it should be centred around how any activity is beneficial and can have lasting effects.”
Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for mortality globally and is linked to various non-communicable diseases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 2.5-5 hours of moderately intense physical activity per week, or 1.25-2.5 hours of vigorous exercise – or a mix of both.
UQ PhD candidate, Ruyi Yu, said the findings aligned with WHO’s guidelines when they examined the concept of long-term physical activity benefits.
“However, we observed people staying active or initiating activity even at levels below the guidelines still had lower mortality rates, which proves doing something is better than nothing,” Miss Yu said.
So, it seems people who meet the guidelines earlier in life but later stopped exercising might still have a small, lasting reduction in mortality risk. But this benefit is uncertain, so it’s best to maintain exercise habits over time.
“Our message is do physical activities that bring you joy, because you are most likely to stick to them, and do them more often,’’ Miss Yu said.
The researchers plan to expand their studies internationally to measure the average length of time that consistent exercise adds to a lifespan.
The research is published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
For more information on how older people can start the journey to being more active, consult your GP. Information is also available here.
Related reading: UQ, Health Direct
