According to a group of experts at the University of Cambridge, if everyone achieved at least half the recommended amount of physical exercise, one in ten early deaths may be avoided.
According to a study that was just published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, 11 minutes per day (75 minutes per week) of moderate-intensity exercise, like a brisk stroll, would be adequate to reduce the risk of conditions including heart disease, stroke, and several types of cancer.
Cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death globally, responsible for 17.9 million deaths per year in 2019, while cancers were responsible for 9.6 million deaths in 2017.
The NHS advises adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week to minimize their risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease.
To explore the amount of physical activity necessary to have a beneficial impact on several chronic diseases and premature death, researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis, pooling and analysing cohort data from all of the published evidence.
By combining research that on their own did not produce adequate evidence and occasionally contradicted with one another, they were able to draw results that were more reliable.
To conduct the biggest analysis to date of the link between physical activity levels and risk of heart disease, cancer, and early mortality, scientists examined data from 196 peer-reviewed articles comprising more than 30 million people from 94 significant study cohorts.
Moderate activity doesn’t have to involve what we normally think of exercise, such as sports or running. Sometimes, replacing some habits is all that is needed. For example, try to walk or cycle to your work or study place instead of using a car, or engage in active play with your kids or grand kids. Doing activities that you enjoy and that are easy to include in your weekly routine is an excellent way to become more active.
Dr. Leandro Garcia
The researchers found that, outside of work-related physical activity, two out of three people reported activity levels below 150 min per week of moderate-intensity activity and fewer than one in ten managed more than 300 min per week.
They discovered that the additional advantages in terms of lowered risk of disease or early mortality were minimal if moderate-intensity exercise was increased above 150 minutes per week. But even only half of this amount had positive effects: 75 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity was associated with a 23% decreased risk of premature mortality.
Dr. Soren Brage from the MRC Epidemiology Unit said: “If you are someone who finds the idea of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week a bit daunting, then our findings should be good news. Doing some physical activity is better than doing none. This is also a good starting position if you find that 75 minutes a week is manageable, then you could try stepping it up gradually to the full recommended amount.”
Additionally, 75 minutes per week of moderate exercise was sufficient to cut the chance of acquiring cancer and cardiovascular disease by 7% and 17%, respectively. The risk decrease was greater for some specific malignancies, such as head and neck, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, and gastric cardia tumors, which were between 14 and 26% lower risk. For other cancers, such as lung, liver, endometrial, colon, and breast cancer, a 3-11% lower risk was observed.
Professor James Woodcock from the MRC Epidemiology Unit said: “We know that physical activity, such as walking or cycling, is good for you, especially if you feel it raises your heart rate. But what we’ve found is there are substantial benefits to heart health and reducing your risk of cancer even if you can only manage 10 minutes every day.”
One in six (16%) early fatalities would be avoided, according to the researchers’ calculations, if everyone in the trials had engaged in the equivalent of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise. One in nine (11%) cases of cardiovascular disease and one in 20 (5%) cases of cancer would be prevented.
However, even if everyone managed at least 75 min per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, around one in ten (10%) early deaths would be prevented. One in twenty (5%) cases of cardiovascular disease and nearly one in thirty (3%) cases of cancer would be prevented.
Dr. Leandro Garcia from Queen’s University Belfast said: “Moderate activity doesn’t have to involve what we normally think of exercise, such as sports or running. Sometimes, replacing some habits is all that is needed. For example, try to walk or cycle to your work or study place instead of using a car, or engage in active play with your kids or grand kids. Doing activities that you enjoy and that are easy to include in your weekly routine is an excellent way to become more active.”
The Medical Research Council and the European Research Council funded the research.
What counts as moderate-intensity physical activity?
Exercise of a moderate intensity causes your heart rate and breathing to speed up, but you can still talk while doing it. Examples include:
- Brisk walking
- Dancing
- Riding a bike
- Playing tennis Hiking
