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A new study discovered that doing just 5 more minutes of moderate to intense physical activity daily, or reducing sitting time by 30 minutes each day, might help people live longer. There are several changes to one's lifestyle that can promote a longer life. These changes include getting enough sleep, engaging in physical activity, eating whole foods, drinking less alcohol, avoiding smoking, and reducing stress, among others. The findings of the study were published in The Lancet journal. It involved over 150,000 adults from the United States, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom. The researchers looked at data from earlier studies. All the chosen studies included information on physical activity gathered through devices. Talking to Medical News Today, Ulf Ekelund, PhD, a professor at the Oslo Research Centre for Physical Activity and Population Health in the Department of Sports Medicine at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Norway, and the main investigator of this study, mentioned, "Many studies, including ours, indicate that higher levels of physical activity are positively related to various health benefits, improved quality of life, and a reduced chance of dying early. " He also noted, "It remains uncertain how small adjustments in physical activity and sitting time could lead to fewer deaths in the overall population, assuming that everyone raises their activity levels. "
The researchers monitored the participants for around 8 years. They discovered that adding just 5 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily decreased overall death rates by 6% among the least active 20% of participants. When applying this 5-minute increase to the entire group, the potential reduction in deaths increased to 10%. Ekelund explained, "In a scenario where 100,000 people die each year, a 5-minute increase in activity from the least active 20% could prevent 6,000 of those deaths. " The researchers also looked into how reducing sitting time each day could help lower death rates. The study found that sitting 30 minutes less each day might prevent 3% of deaths among the least active individuals and 7% for all participants. Ekelund stated, "If everyone in the population reduced their sitting time by 30 minutes, it could potentially prevent 3,000 to 7,000 deaths in a population experiencing 100,000 deaths, which is similar to the yearly mortality rate in Sweden".
He stated, "Minor adjustments in how we move and how long we sit can greatly improve health in the community if everyone follows these adjustments. We intend to look into how small changes in daily step counts could reduce the number of deaths and possibly lower disease rates. "
Easy Ways To Add 5 Minutes To Your Physical Activity Routine:
Morning Boost: Wake up 5 minutes earlier to do some light stretches or march in place. This helps wake up your muscles, improves blood flow, and gets you ready for the day. It also makes it easier to do yoga positions like cat-cow.
Commuting Changes: Park in a spot that’s further away or get off the bus or train one stop before your destination to walk faster. Choosing stairs instead of elevators can increase your step count and burn calories during your daily travel.
Work Breaks: Stand up while on calls or do seated leg lifts every hour. Use a timer to remind yourself to do quick shoulder rolls or desk push-ups. These activities can help reduce the time spent sitting while boosting your concentration.
Household Tips: Do squats while you clean the floor or calf raises while you wait for the kettle. Dance to your favorite songs while cooking for a fun way to get your heart pumping without leaving home.
Evening Relaxation: Do some jumping jacks during commercial breaks or take a walk after dinner. You can also take family walks to create good habits that can help reach your fitness goals.
