We often imagine that regular physical activity requires great effort and a lot of time to be beneficial to health. Gold, Even slightly increasing physical exertion would reduce the risk of premature death. This is suggested by a study recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. We take stock.
Lack of physical activity and risk of death
Associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancers and early death, physical inactivity represents a sizeable enemy for our health. It is therefore highly recommended to stay on the move as much as possible during the day.
To know ! Physical inactivity is to be distinguished from a sedentary lifestyle. Physical inactivity refers to non-achievement of WHO recommendations (30 minutes 5 times a week) while sedentary lifestyle refers to an activity requiring only a very low energy expenditure.
The problem is that we often imagine that regular physical activity requires great effort and a lot of time to be beneficial to health. This is however not the case. Several years ago, a vast American study carried out over 15 years on 90,000 men and women had in fact shown that 30 minutes of sport a day reduced the risk of death by up to 50%. These conclusions are now supported by a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine et that even a slight increase in physical activity would be enough to protect inactive people from the risk of premature death.
A few more minutes of physical activity
As part of this major study, scientists wanted to define the minimum level of physical activity necessary to improve health. They therefore relied on the results of nearly 200 pre-existing works and bringing together no less than 30 million people!
After compiling the data and weighting the results according to the strength of the different studies, the researchers were able to draw a startling conclusion. The risk of premature death in inactive people is reduced by 23% for just over one hour of moderate to intense activity per week!
To know ! A brisk walk or stair climbing are moderate-intensity activities. Vigorous-intensity activities are brisk walking, running, lifting heavy loads or cycling.
Thus, ten minutes of effort per day would be enough to have a positive impact on health. And for that, you don’t need to go to the gym, everyday movements like a simple brisk walk can do the trick! These results are in line with current health recommendations. The authors of this study nevertheless point out that the benefit of regular physical activity on reducing the risk of death differs according to the cause of death. Important for deaths due to cardiovascular disease, it is less so for deaths occurring following cancer.
Published on April 25, 2019 by Julie P., Scientific Journalist. Updated by Déborah L., Doctor of Pharmacy, March 16, 2023.
Sources
– Non-occupational physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality outcomes: a dose–response meta-analysis of large prospective studies. bmj.com. Accessed March 8, 2023.
