(NaturalHealth365)  It’s hard to argue with anyone who says exercise is good for your physical and mental health.  We know that regularly exercising reduces your risk of premature death, protects you against chronic diseases like obesity and heart disease, and even alleviates depression as effectively as antidepressants in many cases – but without all those unwanted side effects!

However, you may be surprised to know that how physically active you are may be more reliable for predicting your risk of premature death compared to other factors known to affect the human lifespan.  Researchers from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore shared surprising and insightful news about mortality, exercise, and wearable tech.  A recent study published in Circulation Research (2023) further supports these findings, highlighting the critical role of physical activity throughout life in preventing cardiovascular disease and improving long-term health outcomes.

Are you physically active enough?  This data should not be ignored

A study published in The Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a well-known cohort of nearly 3,000 U.S. adults.  The researchers examined over 30 predictors of 5-year all-cause mortality, including medical history, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and – you guessed it – physical activity levels.

After analyzing the data, the researchers determined that how much daily physical activity a person gets (as measured through activity trackers worn by participants for seven days) was 30% more accurate as a predictor of early death!  In addition, physical activity levels were 40% more accurate than other predictive factors like cancer or stroke history.

Why is this research so important?  Consider these two points:

• People “get” that smoking is bad for you, and this increased awareness seems to be positively influencing smoking rates.  According to U.S. government statistics, fewer Americans are smoking than ever (even though roughly 38 million Americans still haven’t quit this life-threatening habit).
• However, research shows that fewer than 5% of adults engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily.

It’s possible that not enough people fully understand the importance of daily physical activity in improving longevity and maximizing quality of life.  More research should clarify this data and help optimize public health awareness campaigns.

Overall, this research supports a clear link between physical activity levels and the risk of premature death.  The researchers also suggest their data “highlights the importance of wearable technology for providing reproducible, unbiased, and prognostic biomarkers of health.”

Unlike age or genetics, physical activity is a modifiable risk factor – you can do something about it!

How much exercise do you need?  Here’s a rough guide, plus five tips for getting more active

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise each week.  That means exercising for about 30 minutes on most days at an intensity level where you can still talk but with a little more effort than usual.

Does this mean you have to dedicate 30+ minutes at the gym every day?  Not necessarily!

Try these five tips to bump up your daily physical activity level and reduce your risk of early death:

1. Your exercise doesn’t have to come all at once.  If it fits your schedule and preferences better, try getting in three bouts of 10-minute spurts of activity throughout the day.
2. Take the stairs!
3. Just go for a brisk walk or do physical work around your home.
4. Join a class or find a workout buddy.  Studies show that this can help you exercise more regularly and intensely.
5. Track your activity.  Even though a wireless fitness tracker was used for the study mentioned in this article … we do not recommend you use wireless devices.  But, you can simply use a ‘fitness journal’ and just write down what you do each and every day.  You’ll be surprised how this can help you to stay focused on your goals.

Bonus tip: Don’t be hard on yourself and remember that consistent effort is the key.  If you don’t exercise one day … don’t worry about it, just be sure to get moving the next day.

Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
Academic.oup.com
Medicalnewstoday.com
Health.gov
CDC.gov
HHS.gov