How to live longer: The minimum amount of exercise you need to do daily to live longer
Pursuing a long life involves circumventing the many health problems that seek to shorten it. Research suggests the risk factors associated with the big killers – cancer and heart disease – are to varying degrees modifiable. The key is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and integral to this effort is exercise.
The role exercise plays in longevity should raise few eyebrows but what is less understood is the amount you need to do to extend your lifespan.
Research has come up with a concrete answer, suggesting there is a threshold you need to cross to see the benefits.
According to research, published in the journal The Lancet, as few as 15 minutes of exercise per day may help you achieve benefits, which could include an additional three years of life.
Furthermore, your risk of premature death may decrease by four percent for each additional 15 minutes of daily physical activity, findings suggest.
Emphasising the point, a review observed a 22 percent lower risk of early death in individuals who exercised — even though they worked out less than the recommended 150 minutes per week.
The review also found that people who hit the 150-minute recommendation were 28 percent less likely to die early.
What’s more, that number was 35 percent for those who exercised beyond this guidance.
Additionally, some research links vigorous activity to a five percent greater reduction in risk compared to low- or moderate-intensity activities.
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What counts as vigorous activity?
Vigorous intensity activity makes you breathe hard and fast.
According to the NHS, if you’re working at this level, you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
“In general, 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity can give similar health benefits to 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity,” says the health body.
Most moderate activities can become vigorous if you increase your effort, it adds.
Examples of vigorous activities:
- Jogging or running
- Swimming fast
- Riding a bike fast or on hills
- Walking up the stairs
- Sports, like football, rugby, netball and hockey
- Skipping rope
- Aerobics
- Gymnastics
- Martial arts
How to live longer – key dietary tips
In addition to keeping active, diet is essential to promoting longevity.
Increasingly, a plant-based diet has been linked to a longer lifespan.
A plant-based diet mainly consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and beans.
For example, many studies link a plant-rich diet to a lower risk of premature death, as well as a reduced risk of cancer, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, depression, and brain deterioration.
These effects are attributed to plant foods’ nutrients and antioxidants, which include polyphenols, carotenoids, folate, and vitamin C.
Accordingly, several studies link vegetarian and vegan diets, which are naturally higher in plant foods, to a 12–15 percent lower risk of premature death.
The same studies also report a 29–52 percent lower risk of dying from cancer or heart, kidney, or hormone-related diseases.
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