Small Physical Activity Boosts Longevity by 5 Years

According to a new study done by Griffith University academics, if everyone in the United States was as active as the top 25%, people over the age of 40 may live an additional five years.Physical activity has long been known to be beneficial to health, although estimates vary as to how much benefit may be derived from a specific amount of activity, both for individuals and populations.

This recent study used accelerometry to acquire an accurate assessment of the population’s physical activity levels rather than relying on survey responses, as in earlier studies, and discovered that the benefits were roughly twice as high as previous estimates.

The study discovered that the most active quarter of the community had a 73% lower chance of death than their less active counterparts.

For the least active quartile, a single one-hour walk could result in an additional six hours of life.

According to lead researcher Professor Lennert Veerman, this least-active cohort has the best chance of improving their health.

If you’re already very active or in that top quartile, an extra hour’s walk may not make much difference as you’ve, in a sense, already ‘maxxed out’ your benefit.

If the least active quartile of the population over age 40 were to increase their activity level to that of the most active quartile however, they might live, on average, about 11 years longer.

This is not an unreasonable prospect, as 25 per cent of the population is already doing it.

It can be any type of exercise but would roughly be the equivalent of just under three hours of walking per day.”

Professor Lennert Veerman, Lead Researcher

The research team proposed that low levels of physical activity could even rival the detrimental effects of smoking, with prior studies suggesting that each cigarette could take 11 minutes out of a smoker’s life.

A more active lifestyle may also provide protection against heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and other chronic illnesses, with the study’s findings underscoring the need to reevaluate national physical activity standards using these methodologies.

Dr Veerman said physical activity had been vastly underestimated in its capacity to improve health outcomes, suggesting even modest increases in movement could lead to significant life-extension benefits.

“If there’s something you could do to more than halve your risk of death, physical activity is enormously powerful,” he said.

“If we could increase investment in promoting physical activity and creating living environments that promote it such as walkable or cyclable neighborhoods and convenient, affordable public transport systems, we could not only increase longevity but also reduce pressure on our health systems and the environment.”

For more information: Veerman, L., et al. (2024). Physical activity and life expectancy: a life-table analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108125.