Don't smoke.
Don't get too fat.
Keep moving.
Be realistic about what you are willing and able to do. Make it convenient, safe (avoid things that are likely to cause injury - especially for older folks), and most importantly- set it up so you can do it on a daily basis. Adjust your expectations as you age but keep moving as much as possible.
2
All true, and I have believed this for years.
However, I am always surprised at how many people believe that "exercise" means some sort of formal declaration of "exercise" or committed dedication of a time slot during the day for "exercise" (e.g., only a trip to the gym, a session on a machine or a run will count). The result of this narrow-minded thinking is that these people often find multiple reasons to skip movement - too cold or too hot outside, too wet, too humid, too icy, too busy (this is a big one), and on and on. When I tell my friends they should consider walking out to their mailbox instead of taking their car 300 feet, or walking one flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator, I get the most perplexed and defensive responses. The truth is right in front of you and requires minimal effort.
6
I have always believed in the 10 min walk at any pace several times a day. To read about the 2 min 15 times a day is super for me. Since I have CFS and a back with problems that do not allow me to sit and eat a meal and walking just freezes up all my joints. I can do the 2 min walk. Fifteen times? Something to work on and maybe improve my life a wee bit.
5
I look forward to more research on this. This approach fits better with my personality, work responsibilities and lifestyle. I think the push back by the correlation police here are silly, showing their puritanical streak. They don't raise the same arguments for more intense training that they embrace maybe for fitness but to we mere mortals seems more to feel superior and look down on others who make other choices. It's just more of the same narcissism that tears our country apart from vaccine refusal to voting restrictions. Me, I feel encouraged to actually follow through on a realistic activity plan than any other data presented here in the fitness column. I don't want to live forever but I want to enjoy the life I am lucky enough to experience. If I had the choice of HIT or die younger, honestly, I'd choose to forgo years of misery in exercise I loathed.
3
@Tomato
Bless you!
Exercise breaks were frowned upon at my workplace. The trick is to carry something and look as though you are hurrying.
27
@Nmzouk If you have stairs in your building, go up and down them a few times a day. Holding a folder if you must. ;)
My home office is set up really well.. so well that I could sit there all day. So now, I take a couple of minutes break every hour or so and lift (minor) weights, take a short walk outside, play a game of ping pong with my husband, or do some stretching. Saves my knees and helps my mental health. Glad to known it also helps my health in general.
16
Does moderate-speed walking count as "brisk walking" (this article's term)? I mean the kind that most people would do just to get somewhere like running errands, or strolling for pleasure or to look around. I think of brisk walking as consciously trying to get exercise -- in effect pushing oneself. In my limited time in Europe and Japan I haven't seen many people doing brisk walking or jogging (compared to the U.S.), but of course many more (than U.S.) walking around. More bike than here, but apparently far from the majority. Note that Europeans and Japanese live much longer than Americans on average.
7
i heard long ago - and have used it myself - that if you are embarking on a course of exercise or walking (in particular) especially if there is bad weather, stand up and walk ONLY during commercials on TV during your favorite shows. when i first heard of and used this bit of advise, one could accrue probably 18-20 minutes of exercise during a 60 minute tv show. in 2021, it's closer to 28 minutes of walking time, requiring no special shoes or clothing. just walk in place or walk around your house. the point is to move. it's so easy. and, as this article points out - beneficial! my mom lived to be almost 95 in good mental and physical health by simply walking every day (and probably some good genes too).
11
@jd wolfe what is this "commercials on TV" of which you speak?
4
I live at the top of a block of flats in HOVE UK. Every day when I come in I see two lifts and a flight of stairs. I take the stairs. I say to myself
" The stairs are a gift don't take the lift"
The game is to get to the top without pausing and no heavy breathing.
No matter how many stairs there are I say the same
" The stairs are a gift don't take the lift"
Cheers Shula Rich Hove UK
34
Walking daily does make a huge difference. My mom, who's almost 80, had been isolated in her apartment for most of the pandemic - she rarely stepped out of her apartment. She looked frail and a bit unbalanced when she walked. When she came to visit me for a weekend recently, I told her at this rate, she will end up in a wheelchair in two years. She noticed I was out for 20-30 min walks every day with my dog two or three times a day, and somehow that got her very motivated. Ever since she got back home, she has been walking an hour every day - just up and down the corridor of the floor of her building early in the morning, when no one else is around. When I saw her three weeks later, she looked so much better - I felt like she was already walking and moving like she used to ten years ago. So far she has kept it up - now she has started using free weights during walks for 10 mins every day, to add a little more challenge.
34
The quality of life supersedes longevity in my book.
8
My mother believed that "perspiring" was very unladylike. Exercise as we know it was abhorrent to her.She also suffered from photo-sensitivity to the sun so didn't go out much during the day. We had a housekeeper so physical activity amounted to following the poor woman around correcting her "mistakes".(We had one housekeeper who stayed for 22 years. She must have been a masochist). My mother's other physical activity included refolding the towels to her liking - a neat linen cupboard is a must, don't you know? Her other main activity was bathing and perfuming her Lhasa Apsa once a week then restoring herself with a double dose of Single Malt and a cigarette. She was a tiny woman who lived to be almost ninety years old; an absolute piece of work but I miss her.
22
@JMR Your mother sounds like a character. Thank you for sharing.
6
@JMR My mother also had how exercise made her feel. She had many wonderful qualities, including being a phenomenal cook (I remember no food at her table that was even mediocre) and a supremely loving mother. But she didn't think women should have muscles--this was a topic of conversation when I was a teen--and after she retired at 65 became increasingly sedentary. She died of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes at 76, having lived 13 few years than her mother and about 20 few years than her grandmother. I miss her and wish we'd had more years together, but I'm glad that I ignored her beliefs about muscles being unfeminine. And I'm grateful that her inability to control type 2 diabetes taught me to carefully manage my predisposition to it.
5
All of these studies just underline what my late physician, Dr. Jerome Handler, used to tell me every time I came in for a check-up:
"Just keep moving."
16
The perfect is enemy of the good, goes the saying; waiting for the right moment may never come, to our loss.So, brief repeated physical efforts are to be commended as life-saving. And our mental health depends on being active physically. No ifs buts or maybees allowed.
9
Lots of people don't want "easy" exercise to count at all - they want it to be hard. They want everyone to run 5 miles a day and really sweat so that they have to put on special clothes and make a special effort to be fit - and of course have to take extra showers, and on and on. The work ethic applies to EVERYTHING, dontchaknow?
10
Does a walk to the refrigerator count?
26
@John Briggs
Bending to pick up a chocolate chip that dropped out of your chocolate chip cookie also counts.
3
Any walking is good for you, I think. Good food helps too.
9
Back in the 90s I knew a very nice primary care doctor who told me with utter conviction that the 30 minute walks I took every day on my lunch break at work "didn't count" as exercise. Even then I thought this was absurd.
24
I wish the NYTimes would clean up their reporting on "research" studies. This was not original research, it was picked from anecdotal questionnaires, and then direct "influence" was announced. I'm not sure this thing is even reliable enough to describe "correlation."
4
@TeriLyn Brown
That wasn't my read of the article. They addressed the notorious inaccuracy of self-report and focused on a dataset taken from accelerometers. An accelerometer automatically measures how much a person moves. This is quite clean, unbiased data. It is, as the author of the article correctly points out, just a correlation, but it is a reasonable one.
15
I don't keep very much food at home. That way I have to walk to the store whenever I'm hungry. It's worked so far; I'm in my eighth decade. Oh, and I do aerobic tai-chi as soon as I get up. Afterwards, I don't need coffee or tea. I'm locked and loaded.
19
Yes, all movement is good, but don't fool yourself either. Don't lull yourself into an illusion.
Walking, although beneficial, isn't enough.
2
@David Henry
Ever try walking a mile in less than nine minutes? Or doing that for an hour?
Not all walking is equal.
1
@David Henry there's walking and there's walking. An occasional stroll for 30 minutes is nowhere near as good as a regular brisk walk in less time. The key is the quality of the walk and the frequency.
1
I find it hard to believe that anyone who is physically able to walk doesn't spend 30 minutes a day walking. I now have a lively young dog, so get in at least 45 minutes by walking him twice a day, but even dogless I walked around the house, in the yard, from the house to the car, the car to the store, etc. Even walking from the couch to the fridge for a snack and back is a good minute! Who are these people who move less than 30 minutes in 24 hours?
3
@Irene probably the ones who don't own dogs because it's a luxury they can't afford, don't own a house and have a yard, don't own a car and have long commutes with public transportation, maybe work 2-3 jobs to put food on the table. seems pretty reasonable that people without your privilege cannot do this every day
13
@Megan I was thinking it IS more people who have privileges - who do have a car and work in an office and when they come home just sit and watch TV or on their computer - so they don't have to walk to and from public transportation and they don't walk during their jobs and don't do anything when they come home.
6
Irene, I used to live in California, and how I loved the mild climate year-round, so the outdoors is a beautiful environment for walking. The rest of us, we live in areas where we have to go through snow, ice and cold - so we do need to exercise indoors, such as run up and down the stairs, or even jump on the rowing machine and row while watching TV.
3
PLEASE!
Correlation is not causation!!!
This quote is flat-out incorrect: "If people walked continuously for five minutes or longer, meaning in exercise bouts, they lowered their risk of dying young."
No. No. No. This statement is flat-out wrong. The correct statement is:
"Walking for five minutes or longer WAS CORRELATED WITH a lower risk of dying young."
It's entirely possible that the correlation runs the other way: People who felt lively enough to walk continuously for 5 minutes were the ones healthy enough to avoid dying young.
Your writer gets this correct farther down, but the damage is already done: "Of course, this was an epidemiological study, meaning that it can show only that more physical activity is associated with a longer life, not that it directly causes people to live longer."
This doesn't belong three paragraphs from the end, and it says something that is not the same as the incorrect statement above--so it's not "Of course". That's like saying throughout the article that 2+3=4, and concluding with, "of course, 2+3 =5"
Please, New York Times. Learn how to interpret scientific results, or stop writing about science!
24
Correlation is not causation!!!
For some reason, this is always said by someone when facts are published about health, ON CUE.
Every article is careful about cause and effect, but no matter.
Belief rules! It's easier than thinking.
4
@TJ Couldn't agree more with your comment. I was cringing all the way through the article only to be partially relieved, at least, from the paragraph at the end.
1
When I lived in Europe I walked 5 or 6 miles a day effortlessly: not forcing myself for the sake of exercise but just because I wanted to immerse myself in a beautiful city, window-shopping, or people-watching, or just getting to where I needed to go on foot. Taking a walk was an enjoyable and accepted daily activity. Here when I take a walk in our pretty Californian neighborhood, I feel like the place has been emptied out by a zombie apocalypse. Some streets don’t even have sidewalks! And then my friends look at my dresses that even their teenaged daughters are already too fat to get into and congratulate me on my “good genes”. What a sad country!
28
Thank you for writing this! I work with midlife moms and we have the conversation of exercising for health and exercising for sport all of the time, and what the difference is. This article explains this perfectly. Such a wonderful concept to wrap your head around, especially when you're a busy mom trying to fit it all in!
7
I thought exercise was when someone sweats or breaths heavily?
2
@Walter McCarthy That’s just one kind.. there are different types of exercise with different benefits.
4
For me no need to time myself, just walk when possible, I do walk my dog 3 times but they are not brisk.
Best when occasionally I go to the mall, that is the time I walk , sometimes from store to store.
Malls are disappearing but I love going when can, one can see the Whole World there, from different looks, styles, ethnicity or not , who really cares except trump.
Elliptical 20 minutes 3-4 days a week, plus Tai Chi and gentle Yoga.
I should do more but a little is better than nothing.
.
10
@B.Sharp I keep a step counter in my pocket and was surprised to see that the times I thought I was getting the most steps -- when I was at the mall or a museum -- were actually the times I got the least steps, mainly because I was pausing to look at things way more than I was traveling distances. The simple step counter in my pocket is one of my best friends.
1
Easy solution, GET A DOG, preferably a rescued critter. The dog will rescue you.
13
I don't think so. Just about every time I see a dog on a leash, the dog is completely bored because its master is motionless (or nearly so), face glued to a gadget.
4
@Bill F. So true. I wear a tracker, and when I got my pup, I started taking about 3000 steps a day more. Some of those are his evening walks, but most are just part of a day with a puppy.
2
@Bill F.
30 minutes a day minimum with my very elderly dog who I brought in off the street. And, yes, more dogs need homes. But they need GOOD homes. Given the selfishness many people display, they ought not have a dog.
3
Gosh, you mean all those years pacing back and forth in my office made me healthier?
17
1 hour of vigorous aerobic exercise 4 days a week and 1 hour of weight training 2 days a week. On the 7th day walk for at least an hour at a modest pace.
Combine this with a diet that avoids junk food and you will stay lean, fit and young.
3
Young? No, you won’t. You haven’t found the fountain of youth, but at least you can pretend you look and feel young and imagine everyone else thinks that, too.
1
Or just turn on the radio and dance. No one is looking and you can be in your ugly flannel night gown.
58
@Llewis
Yes! I'm with you. I put on the Oldies (50s - 60s early rock 'n roll) and cannot not dance. I keep track of how many songs I dance to, which average about two and a half minutes in length. When I have danced to about 15 songs, I've had a good exercise session, and feel really happy because dancing is so good for the soul, as well as the body.
6
@Llewis I agree. Dance is an enjoyable way to exercise and you can move a lot of muscles if you really go at it!
3
I live in a very walkable neighborhood and find that on many days I manage to do all my errands on foot. I also walk with friends regularly, which I recommend over coffee or lunch dates in nice weather. You get some exercise and some conversation and some fresh air. Its a perfect combination.
Of course I walk somewhat less now since the passing of our beloved family dog last year, but I recommend a dog to anyone who wants both companionship and a reason to get moving. Fortunately our new grandpuppy lives only half a mile away, so we have an excuse to take long evening walks again.
17
Jim Fix and Ewell Gibbons BOTH died of heart attacks---big pushers of exercise and eating right. My mother never did a moment of actual exercise other than what he daily life called for and she died at 91-- and she at one time a smoker and was overweight.
I suspect Ms Ehrenreich would have other thoughts about this business of extending life and health. I read somewhere that an entire lifetime's exercise MIGHT extend a person's life for maybe 6 months.
It think it was the Pres of the Univ of Chicago who said "when the thought of exercise entered his mind, he would sit down until the notion passed." A man after my own heart.
11
Good genes are definitely a factor in longevity. But the real question isn't how long you want to live but how well.
Ideally your ohysical condition declines at a very moderate pace until you are quite old. Exercise and eating right can help with this.
You can live a long time with chronic health conditions, pain, and inability to function well. But do you want to?
28
Ben Franklin, I believe is the one who originated that!
2
In the words of the late, great Jackie Vernon, “Whenever I have the urge to exercise, I lie down until it passes”. Turns out to be good advice.
"To look at me now, it's hard to believe I was once considered a dull guy." - Jackie Vernon
1
I'm fortunate enough to have a two-story home. I keep the printer upstairs and work on my laptop downstairs. That way I have to run up and down the stairs all day as I work on my novel. I took a writing course on Writing Your First Novel that was all about practical advice and one of the things we were warned about was the danger of not getting up from your chair to exercise. And I find that removing the behind from the chair can often remove blocks from the imagination.
17
This is great news. I am often an incrementalist in how I work. I break large projects down, work a little at a time towards larger goals and do not like it if I get into a "crunch time" scenario where I need shift into a stressful, unhealthy all-out effort to get something done under a deadline. Some swear they thrive under pressure, but to each their own.
That short breaks of activity are statistically healthful means we can all incorporate bit-size benefits into our busy lives and can get away from the onerous mentally defeating self-talk where we tell ourselves only those arduous heart-pounding, sweaty workouts will suffice, and if you aren't doing that, you may as well give up before you begin.
9
Walking is not only good for you - in a world of $30 an hour yoga/pilates classes, walking remains free and if walking locally connects you to your immediate community socially which is also healthy.
23
Walking carries a hidden cost -- how much it costs to live somewhere where it is safe and pleasant to walk. These "free" things are often hard to access when you're poor. This is why we need more parks in distressed urban communities. It's a matter of life or death.
29
Hi, I am a walk and talk counselor... walking and working through stuff has been fantastic for both me and my clients.. Yes! To walking!!
18
This is an informative post, most of the people are unaware of the benefits of the daily walk. As per the research the more you indulge in the physical activities more you remain healthy. Apart from remaining healthy the motive of living a disease free life and save from the premature death help the people to take 30 minutes from their daily schedule. It's better to protect the body from major risk rather go for the treatments that affect the mental health too. As the medication is really costly, few of the pharmacies in Oklahoma which are providing cheap medicines otherwise the people rely on the medical insurances which are not so much beneficial. So remain healthy is the better option.
2
Of course, the column reported that it isn't the 30-minute walk that counts; it's 30-60 minutes of walking, even done in short bursts of a few minutes, every now and then.
Big difference!
1
This article’s punchline: “The scientists found that moving strongly influenced longevity.”
No, the scientists absolutely did not find this. That is simply a lie. They found that being in better physical condition—i.e. being willing and able to engage in more moderate-to-vigorous-physical activity—is mathematically ASSOCIATED with being alive 6.6 years hence. And since most of the deaths were in the elderly (and the authors did not segment their data by age), this means that being able to be more active in the elderly is associated with being alive longer. Duh. Those elderly healthy enough to have a spring in their step on average live longer than those who use walkers. Wow.
(And if you look at the actual paper, you will see zero mortality gain with additional activity beyond the second quartile...)
“Strongly influenced” means CAUSALITY. This study says nothing about causality. The standard little “Of course, this was an epidemiological study...” disclaimer at the end does not give the reporter license to weave causal inference throughout the article. For about the eighth time, only RANDOMIZED trials can be free of the huge selection, confounding, and reverse-causality biases fundamental to studies on the health effects of exercise or physical activity. Please, no more.
41
This article’s punchline: “The scientists found that moving strongly influenced longevity.”
No, the scientists absolutely did not find this. That is simply a lie. They found that being in better physical condition—i.e. being willing and able to engage in more moderate-to-vigorous-physical activity—is mathematically ASSOCIATED with being alive 6.6 years hence. And since most of the deaths were in the elderly (and the authors did not segment their data by age), this means that being able to be more active in the elderly is associated with being alive longer. Duh.
Those elderly healthy enough to have a spring in their step on average live longer than those who use walkers. Wow, surprise, surprise.
(And if you look at the actual paper, you will see zero mortality gain with additional activity beyond the second quartile. How about reporting that?)
“Strongly influenced” means CAUSALITY. This study says nothing about causality. The standard little “Of course, this was an epidemiological study...” disclaimer at the end does not give the reporter license to weave causal inference throughout the article.
For about the eighth time, only RANDOMIZED trials can be free of the huge selection, confounding, and reverse-causality biases fundamental to observational studies on the hard health effects of exercise or physical activity. Please no more.
3
"“Strongly influenced” means CAUSALITY."....
I've never understood that to be the case. In any event, now you can go for a quick two minute walk and assess why you would want to argue against a study that suggests practitioners can recommend the type of exercise (i.e. sporatic vs bouted) for their patients (including, maybe the ones without much "spring in their step") that is most consistent with their abilities knowing that there is a "mathematical" likelihood it may be of benefit.
6
Go read the actual study that Ms. Reynolds links.
On its first page, it states:
"The data, analytic methods, and study materials will NOT be made available to other researchers for purposes of reproducing the results or replicating the procedure." [Capitalization added.]
If these U.S.-government NIH researchers will not allow others to even attempt to reproduce their "results" from this U.S.-taxpayer-paid-for dataset, then I suggest that The New York Times NOT report on its obviously-suspect conclusions. Or doesn't the NYT believe in corroborating evidence any longer? Umm, kind of a red flag, huh?
16
I would submit that the data is protected because factors such as sex, ethnicity, age, etc. were used to adjust the "hazard ratios". Such data could be used by others (i.e. insurers) incorrectly in an inappropriate way. I doubt there is any great government conspiracy here.
7
So get rid of that ranch and buy a split level or home with stairs?
3
Someone in real estate dying to list my two-story house told me I should sell it and buy a home without stairs, to manage better when I reach old age. I told her that those stairs keep my heart and bones working and thanks to them, I may not ever need to buy another home.
7
Of course, this should be obvious, right? But look around. We just aren't moving as much as we should. My personal experience with this revolves around my retirement from an active primary care medical practice a year ago. All my professional life, I've been rushing from exam room to exam room, briskly walking down the halls to the lab, etc. I never gained weight. (A colleague with a pedometer claimed he walked miles per day). And now that I'm retired with time to read, write and reflect? I gained 20 lbs. Just like that. A personal example that yes, life is a "use it or lose it" proposition.
13
Dr. Fabert -
As former primary care physician, you (and other readers) should watch the keynote address at Physical & Health Education Canada's 2015 National Conference at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7FK8noIc5I
by Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa's Department of Family Medicine.
Really interesting analysis of tons of data. Sums up what you need to do...
3
"The scientists found that moving strongly influenced longevity."
"Of course, this was an epidemiological study, meaning that it can show only that more physical activity is associated with a longer life, not that it directly causes people to live longer"
What a surprise healthy people were more active. Next up - "People who go to the hospital are much more likely to die."
20
At 81, a two minute walk several times a day would be about all I can handle. Despite stopping smoking 40 years ago, I was just diagnosed with COPD and shortness of breath has become a factor. Smokers take note . . . please, for your own sake's.
25
Yet, you are 81 years old and have written a cogent message to we readers of the NYT. Some time ago, I came across a study that showed a negative correlation (not causal!) between smoking and developing Alzheimer's disease.
2
In order to become engaged in health-sustaining physical activities, of whatever types, length and qualities there is a non-physical requirement: making a choice, which is low in caloric demands, and then implementing the activation choice.
2
This is good news so we don't need to track each bout of movement, just total time. I would guess it would be pretty hard NOT to move at least 30-60 mins a day. I know I've never had this luxury as I've been a blue collar worker my whole life. Now, as a 60-yr old, I'm doing the hardest job I've ever done as a 'package handler' for a major delivery service.
But, wait, I find it interesting that, in a table of life expectancy by profession [http://tinypic.com/r/rud45k/9], the jobs with the most physical work are at the bottom of the list. So, according to that, I'll be gone in 13 years. I like this study better.
6
A no brainer. Use the money to find the cure for cancer.
http://www.thecriticalmom.blogspot.com
4
Cancer was rare until modern times... and is correlated with diet and/or pollution. So I think we should use the money to focus on cancer prevention vs. cure.
1
Dying of cancer was rare in ancient times because they usually didn't live long enough for a tumor to be the thing that killed them. They had no clean drinking water, for example, which is why we read so much about people in pre-modern times drinking ale, mead, beer and wine like they are water.
3
I do a lap of the building (and up one staircase then down another) at work every time I finish something. Makes a big difference, one I can feel, in my life.
24
Epidemiology outcomes need not be limited to associations. Appropriately designed epidemiological studies can indeed demonstrate a causal relationship when they involve randomized design and assignment to control and intervention groups. Such studies are very difficult to do for physical activity, but the science of epidemiology can indeed identify causal pathways.
4
This info encourages us to start exercising/moving because small efforts count. going from the couch to 1 hour of vigorous activity 3 times a week was so alarming I just gave up and sat still! Thanks
9
What about standing to work? I quit sitting to work - as so many have - and find I move around heaps more, an activity simplied by not having to get up. Laugh! But it's true.
7
UGH! Of COURSE Dr Kraus mentions walking to your car. Walk INSTEAD of driving. #sheesh
6
I live 22 miles from work. Think I should walk??
6
Programmable rocket belts?
1
Of course you should! Just start yesterday ;)
2
Hooray for exercise. But---How do we define 'premature' death now? And if we keep extending our lives, what happens? Do we get Alzheimers, and live dependent boring lives in nursing homes with little control over anything? Maybe in pain? This is what I'm wondering and havent' seen any articles on it.
25
@Meredith I agree but I feel the recommend button doesn't do justice to how much I agree so I figured I'd say this lol
Walking down a hallway, is very different from going up a flight of stairs.
1
My office was on the 8th floor of the Keystone Bldg. in Hbg. PA. Getting out to walk was not always something I could easily do. Meetings ran over, rain, snow, sleet, deep cold, heat and humidity of summer, and I almost forgot the ice in winter too. So. I began to use the steps. I walk down 3-4 floors and up the same for normal travels within the building. I also walked from the ground floor to the 8th at least twice a day. It made my heart beat and I had to draw a few extra breaths too. My blood pressure dropped and my waist line diminished. I also ate a light lunch usually a half sandwich on whole wheat, mandarin oranges and small desert (a couple of Oreos or a Ring Ding!). I also did stretching at my desk and everyone enjoyed poking a little fun at me as I waved my arms into the air. I never did get off the ground but it sure looked that I might.
I did that activity for most of 17 years employment. Sometimes the stairs looked like mountains. I'm 70 now. And still healthy. I ride my bike 9-11 miles 4-5 mornings a week. In summer I also walk and swim.
I don't do what I did when I was a teenager or college kid. I'm not the young man who enlisted in 1966 and could run forever with all my gear. Its not happening. But I get to enjoy golf, swimming and my wife and I have enjoyed long walks touring in the U.S., Europe, Africa and South America. I sincerely believe that had we not done physical exercise in moderation before retirement we would not be able today. It works.
71
Walking down a hallway or up a single flight of stairs now constitutes physical activity?? Wow Americans sure are lazy. At this rate, in 10 years, just inhaling and exhaling will be deemed strenuous physical activity.
14
That's right. But if you are inspired to add a flight or two of stairs every hour at work that you were not moving before, it is not going to hurt. RIght now we are raising a generation which will gleefully sit before the monitor playing, and never rise to eat, drink, or use the toilet. No wonder the American Heart Association gave their nod to the Wii some years back.
9
We Westerners might be lazy but some exercise is better than none and it might postpone the day that inhaling and exhaling present too much of a challenge .
6
Maybe true, but never laugh at small steps. You can't make a long journey without them.
11
The right answer to almost any question is "let's take a walk!"
21
over 60 and starting to worry about my lack of top body definition, a few months ago I started a micro-many-times-a-day exercise - you won't guess where.
Sitting on the toilet (I sit to p) I first put my hands outside my knees and squeeze my hands together while my knees push apart - as hard as I can - for 5-10 seconds.
Then reverse - hands pull my knees apart while knees pull together.
Then hands pushing knees down while knees push up - (if seat too low I lift one leg at a time)
Then reverse - hands under thighs lifting up while knees push down.
Now retired so mostly at home, the call of nature is at least 6 times a day - so it 'adds up'.
Result - solid triceps and biceps, chest and thigh muscles I didn't have 3 months ago - all without raising a sweat or taking time out of my busy day - all done while I'm already 'doing' something else !
30
Dance to a long fast song
Jump rope
Stairs
Jumping jacks
6
Alexia.....play Elvis "I'm all shook up"....or "Jail House Rock"
Exercise for exercises sake bores me. But dance is one of life's joys! And a great way to get your heart going.
2
I don't work out, I work. Works for me.
3
Somehow with all the science and modernity, we lost our basic common sense and our basic connection to our bodies. Just walk, and as much as you can. It's enjoyable, folks. I dont' even comprehend how you can sit glued to screens all day without feeling the natural urge to get out, breathe, enjoy nature or the park, or even the cityscape and walk. Walking is enough. YOU DON'T HAVE TO run, do Pilates, bicycle, play basketball, lift weights etc. Of course, it's great if you do, but first of all just WALK, and as much and as frequently as you can. Amen.
27
What's sad is that many American cities are built in a way that makes it difficult to walk as a part of normal life.
Without effort, I get a solid 24 minutes of walking in every workday. My commute is a 12 minute walk (3/4 mile) each direction.
Is that enough? No. But it's an awesome lower bound. That's walking I do 5 days a week no matter how lazy I am feeling, even if I skip the gym. Zero motivation required. It's just a part of my life.
I suggest that if all Americans had that lower bound, obesity and other health problems would be a lot less of a problem. If I suddenly could not walk to work easily, I would know something is wrong. That would be a signal to me that I need to lose weight, hit the gym, or go to the doctor.
19
I think William is absolutely right. There is a reason that the people in Manhattan are the skinniest in America*; NYC is built for walking. In a lot of places you can't walk safely (everything is build for cars) and there isn't any place to walk to anyway. I chose where I'm living now because I can walk to work, restaurants, stores, theaters, parks, the beach, and the library.
*Colorado is the skinniest state
19
Go for a long walk then read a long book....enough for the body and brain...still working, teaching, writing, cooking, traveling...and I'm older than you all...I'll bet!
1
Whenever it takes less than 15 minutes for a distance, I ride my velo, always and in any kind of weather. It is not just healthy, but also fun.
2
I was a university teacher for 28 years with an office on the first level, but my classes often met on the third level. It saddened me that so many of my colleagues used the elevator when the stairs would have been the better option.
12
when I first visited London UK 35 years ago I was both impressed and intrigued by so many Londoners attractively-shaped lower leg/calf muscles.
Then I realised - the underground tube stations - didn't have escalators - so walking up and down 60 steps many times a day - tends to give you - attractive legs !
Now in Taipei Taiwan - last night we took the underground MRT - and I counted over 60 stairs down (if there is an escalator it usually goes up) and we also walked 60 steps up from one station - so hmm - did I notice any attractive legs - um yeah !
10
Steps can be really bad for your knees. Specially if they are on the smaller side leading you to tilt your foot, encouraging bad technique. Most people are not strong enough to be able to follow correct technique when climbing stairs, and will thus make up with poor technique and undue strain on joints.
interesting - you set me off on a google search for 'correct technique' - I've found two conflicting sources.
whole foot flat on the step - https://www.livestrong.com/article/481859-the-effects-of-running-stairs-...
and half-foot on the step - http://stairclimbcanada.blogspot.tw/2010/12/techniques-of-stairclimbing....
I'd like to think I'm strong enough and would like to increase my foot/leg strength so I may prefer to stick with the second technique - but thanks for the thoughts !
1
Having kids does wonders for making one "run around." And for those that don't want that, dogs assist in forcing exercise too. Hey, maybe we're on to something...being social makes one more active. Hmmmm.
14
How do you know that those doing less moving are not moving because of chronic illness, disability etc. and that this is the cause of their higher mortality? In other words , the worse outcome is due to the illness/disability.
13
That is why the caveat was given that these are epidemiological studies and show correlation not cause and effect. Nor do they control for certain variables. However, correlation results are very useful, in that they can suggest hypotheses for additional study. In addition, multiple positive correlation also studies may begging to make an argument for causation. And example of this are the epidemiological studies that yielded data about the correlation between smoking and cancer. With the increasing number and strength of such studies, the case for making the case that smoking causes lung cancer was able to be made. It would have been unethical to do a randomized controlled trial assigning one cohort to smoking and another not once the correlational evidence became so strong and repetitive. How could one assign a cohort to smoking when one alsready suspected a causal relationship from the correlational evidence?
That said, you make good points. But an intriguing aspect of the studies cited is that small amounts of activity may make a difference. Someone with a chronic impairment, say, that limits but not entirely precludes mobility might be able to put together two minutes of activity several times a day but would never be able to put together a half-hour of sustained movement because of his/her impairment.
14
Let’s hope the researchers only handed out the activity trackers to people who were mobile...
5
I'm a big fan of cumulative exercise. I wish my work place and more places that I visit encouraged walking and stair climbing rather than hiding them.
In my office, I can walk down my stairs to my car but not up because the stairs are locked. I've lobbied for a key card in the stairwell so that more can use the stairs but so far no luck. In the lobby of my office, you can't even see the stairs they are hidden behind the elevator bank. I get up and walk around my office every hour. If I leave my office I walk, I opt for the stairs where I can.
11
Exact same thing for me - can walk down the stairs but only to the lobby or parking garage. My company has two floors in the building and the only way to get between them is the elevator. Of course the building has a gym so that we can exercise...
6
Two critical questions when I check in at a multi-story hotel:
1) wi-fi access?
2) where are the stairs?
I have a hard time understanding why medical buildings hide their stairs. I understand that some people can't use stairs, but come on, it's people's health here. Put the stairs front and center, with the elevators close by.
11
Agree, stairs should be highlighted in building design and elevators should be there for those that need them.
8
My mother is 95. Her principle activity throughout her very sheltered life has been reading and in the evenings raising a wine glass to her lips.
She has always been very concerned about her weight however which along with her DNA may explain her longevity.
8
Please give your mother my love and admiration.....I'll raise my glass to her this evening. How lucky you all are!
1
As a manager in Silicon Valley my whole day is meetings, and wlking to them across a very large mult-building campus. My fitnss tracker show this adds up to about a mile every day, and come to think of it now, the managers don't seem to have a weight problem. The programmers that st in the cubicals all day, do.
19
Get a dog and go for enjoyable daily walks. We go to a local park and walk at least 30 minutes every day unless it's raining or snowing. Yesterday we walked for an hour twenty minutes.
Even if I'm not feeling my best, my best friend reminds me that he's been stuck inside all day and needs his time to enjoy the day.
56
A dog is not a necessity for walking. i take a stroll about three times a day in a small nature enclave near my house without a dog, and twice a week or so hike 3-8 km. A dog can slow you down, and you do not get the same kind of exercise. Once a month I have a walking group hike for about 15 km. Also swim and do Pilates.
1
@Sneeral
Good advice, if you want to own a dog. If you don't, likely there are dog-walking opportunities at the local animal shelter. Knowing that another creature is depending on you might well make the difference between going for a walk and not going at all.
This is correlation, not cause and effect! Could we be clear about that? People who feel better and are healthier could be more likely to get up and move around.
17
That is stated in the fourth-to-last paragraph of the article.
9
Susan, you are correct. Further one cannot generalize the results of a study to yourself unless you are similar to the individuals in the study ....and the subjects were randomly selected and randomly assigned to treatment groups. My suggestion is to use yourself in "single-subject research" of your design. Do your "pre-test" measures then implement the "experiment"...pick one....carry out for a period of time then measure again.....The ONLY research that will make a difference in your life....
I love exercise and know the benefits well. But I can’t help chuckle at yet another article begging people to “please, get off your rear and move, anything, something, please, even 30 seconds, c’mon...please?” Followed by the usual comments and excuses about why it’ll never work.
22
...and if so many of these terrific suggestions weren't enough, then try this: one LOOKS much better as one ages when living a life of relatively consistent physical activity! No doubt.
22
Longevity is great but how does one who is physically active feel presently? Usually much better than if he/she were not. That is why I am physically active and maintain a normal weight. I could get in a fatal accident or acquire/contract a disease that is fatal. But until then I am doing much better than if I were sedentary.
46
I would like to point out that there is a significant subset of individuals who are hampered by activity limiting arthritis of the hip and/knee. They are frequently overweight or obese which, of course, raises their mortality risk.
The message here is not to wait too long to get that joint replaced. It's life changing in so many ways.
16
Actually, the message is to mind your health and mind your weight and exercise BEFORE you need joint replacements!
11
Larry this is very true, but I have a very good friend who is 112 lbs now and has always been very thin. Eats tons of veggies and walks every day with her dog. She has had knee replacement. Having always heard and thought that it was mostly heavy people needing this I was surprised. Am now finding that it seems just as many thin people need it. Another friend ( male) lost some pounds and said it really has made a difference in his knees and back. Go figure!
1
I know many individuals who have had joint replacement surgery at a young age due to genetic disposition to arthritic joints. I know a few older ones, who did become overweight as their mobility decreased. Once they had replacement surgery, they resumed their former activity levels and happily took the weight off.
Do you think anyone with arthritis and has trouble getting around is a 'fattie' who deserves it?
Your comment reeks of self-superiority and ignorance.
7
I employ the regimen outlined in this article everyday. But it is in addition to my daily workouts of 30-40 minutes. I am physically active in short bursts through the day. Cleaning, doing dishes, cooking. I additionally purposely climb some stairs when I can, and walk a few block from my parked car to my destination. This additional activity, can't help but control weight and reduce mortality risk.
I think a great study would be to compare those who only exercise daily and remain sedentary the rest of the day,vs those that do that, combined with short burst physical activity through the day.
8
The obvious question: does exercise reduce mortality, or were those with a reduced chance of death healthier and thus more likely to exercise? Both explain the observed effect, but only the first implies that we can reduce our chance of death if we exercise.
22
Exactly. There's a correlation between physical activity and health, but this study does nothing to establish cause and effect. People with serious chronic illnesses are unlikely to exercise much.
5
Sorry. This is the weak excuse of people who won't be bothered to be active. In this case it's pretty obvious the egg precedes the chicken.
3
It's pretty obvious? Kindly provide a link to scientific studies showing this.
Otherwise, too bad you don't have anyone in your circle of relatives, personal and work friends who do not suffer from a debilitating chronic illness. They could easily explain how they live and how wrong you are.
1
"It finds that exercise does not have to be prolonged in order to be beneficial. It just has to be frequent."
I think there are more benefits to short frequent exercise sessions than to one daily workout even thought both add up to the same calorie burn or number of steps taken. The reason is evolutionary. Humans probably did not evolve that way; sedentary except for one burst of exercise each day. Of course once-a-day is better than no vigorous activity.
12
I lift weights four times a week for a 30-40 minutes. Walking about 30 minutes daily. It helps to be retired to find the time.
71
My wife and I are in our mid-seventies and we stated climbing stairs in our condo years ago. It's a morning thing right after our oatmeal, takes about 10-12 minutes and we do it on average 5-6 days a week. We climb 27 flights or about 500 steps. The stairs and our diet are a blessing to our good health.
188
27 flights!? That's impressive. Good for you guys.
13
I moved from the east to the west and while I no longer have to deal with snow and ice, the thing I miss most - STAIRS! Here in the desert, you have to seek out stairs which makes it a Thing.
Good for the both of you! I contend that the reason my chocolate-ice-cream- loving aunt lived until she was 92 with everything intact was the 3 flights of stairs she climbed daily until her 91st year. Even then, she still used her treadmill for a few minutes at a time multiple times a day.
The 91st year (until she stopped) she literally crawled up the last flight but she did it with gusto!
11
@cherrylog754.......What? "TWENTY SEVEN" flights of stairs? 5 to 6 days/a week? In mid 70s? Are the stairwells airconditioned in GA? I don't believe it. Please post a video.
I hope you go slowly. I live on 12th floor. Don't think I could do it once. I might try now---once!
Do you rest a lot afterwards? Do you do your own house cleaning, food shopping and cooking in addition to this huge workout? And what's your diet? Can't help asking.
1
Had we never sold our (gorgeous) two-story house, 4 stories if you count full-height attic and basement. 44 steps top-to-bottom. I certainly got my 'work-out' everyday. Plus, it was so pretty. I always enjoyed the journey from one space to another.
Moved to a ranch home 15 years ago (don't ask why; complicated grief and the fog of devastating loss played a major role.).
My husband loves walking outdoors, and gets a ton of exercise, thank goodness.. Me? Just the opposite -- am an indoor gal. That old house of ours WAS my exercise, and not having it has absolutely had negative impacts on my life, and lifespan..
Ah, the choices we make, and their unintended consequences.
76
As you age you actually are better with a single level house because of the risk of impairments that may limit mobility. So not a bad decision... But you do have to find another way to exercise without the inevitable exercise from climbing stairs in a multilevel house.
76
I'm 70 and have neuropathy in my feet, as well as drop foot and balance issues...I live in a one level ranch (except for laundry in basement)...I can't walk far, and can't ride a bike without falling, but I am up to 7 miles a day on a stationery bike (30 minutes), and hope to add more...that's pretty doable while watching TV...also, do a bit with weights...good luck, "indoor gal"...
25
Jazz one- thats crazy - I too am filled with regrets about old house vs new but I found a park and I walk its become my meditation. please find a place that works for you. and move!
14
"Moderate or vigorous" physical activity is defined as more than 3 METs, so the walk should be brisk, and climbing a set of stairs should count if it raises the heart rate even for less than 10min. Fitbit and other activity trackers should count this activity (for the last 3 years Fitbit has not counted activity >3 METs in bouts <10min) so I hope the guidelines are revised and based on real evidence. The evidence provided here, all-cause mortality, is superior to biomarkers such as blood pressure changes. Fitbit trackers are planned for use in the enormous All Of Us clinical trial by NIH and researchers should have full, unfiltered data.
6
When I set out to lose upwards of 80 pounds in the early 2000s, I found that little things like parking at the far end of the lot and taking stairs added up to more weight loss, more quickly. Even now, I take many short breaks throughout the day and walk around the house when the weather outdoors is not comfortable. It's wonderful to learn that my decisions based on experience are now validated by science.
116
@Barbara I love the idea of parking on the far end of the lot! Next time I go shopping I'm going to have to do that!
1
The federal guideline are aimed at people who do not work for someone else, do not have a family, do not have others in their care (such as aging parents), can afford to buy household help as needed and are willing to replace sufficient sleep with additional exercise. Not, that is, at most Americans.
10
I think you're being a little too negative on this. You make a good point that some people have situations that make this difficult, but it is far from true that if you "work for someone else," that means you can't incorporate a bit more physical activity into your day. Most of us work for someone else. And "having a family" certainly doesn't preclude moving a lot. I'm guessing you don't have young children. And caring for aging parents often involves much manual labor.
13
And yet, and yet, "most Americans" find time to sit in front of a tv or other device for much longer than time a day than they are encouraged to be active. And people who are motivated actually make arrangements to do both at the same time.
26
Walking to the copier, bathroom, coffee pot, or better yet, to someone’s desk is a one minute bout. Try talking to your coworkers instead of emailing. Also, you can workout in your children’s presence, my mom did growing up, and now with my one year old, I am doing a daily 7 minute workout.
9
Why are "studies" needed to prove something that is just common sense?
8
Pegjac, I trust that's a joke. Once a long time ago it was "common sense" to assume that removing blood from sick people helped them recover. There's been a whole scientific revolution since then. Now we hypothesize, we propose, we observe, we learn, and we confirm or refute. A lot of people have a lot of ideas about what is common sense when it comes to diet and exercise - and many of those ideas conflict. So yeah, we do need the studies.
44
Everyone learns differently and may need multiple repetitions of the same information to “get it”, to embrace lifestyle changes. I tend to be one of those people. I didn’t learn about a healthy diet (basically no white food) until my late fifties. What a difference it’s made...lost 20 pounds over a year which has helped revive my enjoyment in exercising.
6
Many people knew, long before the surgeon general's report, that smoking is bad for our health. Still, it doesn't hurt to have "common sense" validated by scientific studies. On the other hand, many scientific studies are refuted by later scientific studies. What's a layperson to do?
4
All good, all true. Sad for me and many others who used to exercise daily, and who like most others, got some of that exercise raking the leaves or shopping for groceries. All that's gone.
A statin drug took me from exercising at least 15 hours a week (counting normal activities) to pretty much zero. I can use an arm bike, but afterwards I ache for days and am utterly fatigued.
So why put half of Americans over 75 on a drug like this--one that's been shown to diminish or eliminate the benefit that exercise normally brings. Why put 1/4 of Americans on such a drug?
See https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/can-statins-curb-the-benefits-...
Our physicians of often immediately turn to a prescription drug, when much more effective and safer treatment is available. StatinVictims.com
37
You should try a different statin. There are many tho choose from. Lipitor gave me muscle cramps after two days. Zocor and Crestor do not. They have also greatly lowered my blood cholesterol and LDL which I appreciate, since a combination of smoking and diet choices left me with dangerous levels of plaque in my arteries despite being fairly active and thin.
The stats are pretty clear. Over the long term and over large populations, stains save lives. However, as with every drug, they have potential side effects and some individuals will be affected more than most.
2
You can say "no". I refused the offer of statins over life-style changes. That was when everyone thought it was the magic bullet. Now, not so much. Yes it's good for those who really need it but the goal of the company and the docs who were excited by it, was to have everyone on it. Voila!
Not so much, as it's turned out.
2
If I tried more statins, I'd be dead. Did you look at the photos on statinvictims.com?
Seven short months triggered some kind of neuromuscular disease. The first symptoms appeared within a few weeks...but I hadn't been warned about foot cramps, so I didn't guess the cause.
I know of three other people locally who've had equally devastating diseases manifest within just a few months of starting a statin. I know of another who died--of rhabdomyolosis. So terrible things are not as uncommon as we're led to believe.
Do you know that no one is required to report the adverse effects that occur after drugs reach the market? And that you can't sue a generic drug (simvastatin, for example) for not keeping warning labels current?
Do you know the difference between primary prevention and secondary prevention? If you haven't already had a heart attack or stroke (a cardiovascular event), then any benefit at all from statins is still being debated. (This is primary prevention.)
The "stats" are clear, but not if glanced at superficially. And the stats are purposely distorted. Relative numbers are the sleaziest way of distortion: does lowering heart attack by 25% mean going from 1 per million to .75 per million? Or 100,000 per million to 75,000 per million? Both are 25%, but the first is utterly trivial.
I know much more than I ever wanted to know--everything except how to treat this horrific disease immediately subsequent to taking a statin.
You could read Overdo$ed America.
"The scientists found that moving strongly influenced longevity."
No, they didn't. In this observational study, the scientists found that moving was related to longevity. Beware causal statements from correlational data.
166
From the article: "Of course, this was an epidemiological study, meaning that it can show only that more physical activity is associated with a longer life, not that it directly causes people to live longer."
14
Yes, and despite subsequent contradiction of that passage later in the article, this study seems poorly done. No mention of the study controlling for other ("spurious") factors, and indeed the description of the study suggests it wouldn't have been possible. Its not unreasonable to posit that those who choose move more might also choose to not munch on potato chips.
6
While I generally support the admonition against implying causality in describing an observational study, I think the common complaint that healthier people are moving more doesn't obtain here. Groups were paired by how much they moved, so it's not that some people moved more that is the important finding here. It's that people who moved the same amount but in shorter or longer bursts were associated with similar health benefits.
14
When I think about exercising, I lie down until the idea goes for a walk.
63
@Herman Krieger
I think W C Fields' version was this:
"Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I lie down until the urge passes."
He also had a great recommendation for sleep problems:
"The cure for insomnia is to get plenty of sleep."
Next week you will publish another article that claims only 30 minutes of continuous hard exercise will work. (You have in the past.) Most studies have relied on self-reporting. Only now are our devices doing the reporting for us. It is certainly logical that any movement should count. Physical exercise is also the best exercise for your brain. But in the long run, you can't change your DNA.
13
I think the whole point is that 30 minutes is vigorous exercise may be necessary to achieve some level of improved endurance or fitness, but that even short hours may increase longevity. These are 2 different things. As far as DNA is concerned, it seems pretty evident that life style choices do matter for many people. But even more important than simple longevity is ones quality of life as one ages. I would love to eat and drink more than I do, and exercise less, but I am certain that I would regret those choices because of their impacts on other parts of my life.
8
Not yet, but I'll wager you will be able to in our lifetime!
From the article, it appears that even frequent "sporadic activity," ("If it were shorter than five minutes, it was considered to be sporadic physical activity, such as walking down the hallway or up a brief flight of stairs.") or just running around the house, constitutes sufficient exercise. We have a 2 story house, with the laundry in the basement and an attic which we use for storage -- and we go up and down the stairs often. We also do our own cooking, house work, yard work, and gardening, so we move often, though at a moderate pace. But I stopped using my Fitbit when it showed that one day, I'd walked 15,000 steps -- without leaving my yard! (I was doing laundry and gardening). Maybe it wasn't wrong after all?
28
Fitbit counts arm motions as steps, is the issue, but if you are mindful about stepping as you're swinging, you'll definitely hit 10K a day, with all those stairs and all that exercise!
6
Correct about arm movement not being steps, but an hour of raking is harder work for me than an hour of walking.
4
My father had a heart attack at age 58. He lost weight and started walking daily, which he did religiously. Being a physician and a runner, I encouraged him to run thinking it would be better for him, but he thought walking was just fine. He was also active with yard wok and daily activities. he lived to age 94.
My fit bit tells me at age 76 I get an average of 70 minutes of moderate activity daily, but that requires a 10 minute bout to register. My total activity is over 100 minutes a day.
Physical activity, if a drug, would be a miracle drug!
134
A big problem with jogging and running is the poor leg and overall body alignment of people who attempt it and who essentially might as well be taking a hammer to their knees and/or lower back. Any 5K run just take a look at the participants, knock-kneed running causes great knee and ankle damage, huperextension of the lower back damages that. Most people should start walking and even there examine their stride, their leg placement, their use of abdominals, relaxing the shoulders - in other words exercise correctly. It is learnable. A simple video of the person walking then jogging then running looked at with a good PT will help loads.
38
My mother moved as little as possible and was an alcoholic, she died of a sudden heart attack at age 95. She only took aspirin for arthritis.
15
I've been jogging regularly for over 40 years, with no apparent problems... guess I'm just lucky
2
Very simple, exercise to have the ability to move the muscles and joints easily through a full range of motions. Proper nutrition is crucial to optimize health and performance. Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and NO sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
7
Research would agree with you on the sugar but not on the starch. The populations with the longest and healthiest lifespans have diets with a high percentage of complex carbohydrates. The Blue Zone populations all thrive on foods that contain complex carbs including grains, tubers and legumes. These healthy people eat little (by American standards) to no meat. Luckily the diets of those in the blue zones is not too shabby for planet health as well.
14
This could also be one of the reasons women live longer than men, on the whole. Doing the mundane household chores, cleaning, vacuuming, cooking, laundry, etc. associated with "women's work" is also beneficial exercise.
266
I actually think about this on days when I've been less physically active. If I've been sedentary (usually b/c I've been sitting down working on a deadline and I'm super stressed out) I will make sure to do the dishes right after dinner, hand washing the pots and pans, then wiping down the counters and sweeping. Then I'll build off of that momentum to do some silly things like arm windmills and fake ballet, and call it a day. I always felt like I was probably fooling myself, but maybe not after all.
11
Yes, msd, all those mundane household chores, to the extent that they involve moderate movement, count just as much as the similar exercise or occupational physical activities of men.
However, according to this dataset, when actually measured by accelerometers, males at every age level have nearly 100% more such activity than females.
Google "pdf Physical Activity in the United States Measured by Accelerometer" and look at Table 4.
So if higher physical activity levels actually lead to longer life, then males should live longer. That women live substantially longer and they have substantially less lifetime physical activity, well...hmmm...
5
But men are doing a lot of the housework today! Maybe, that will help.
2
There seems to be a mutually reinforcing relationship between movement and health. Healthier people move more and stay healthier because of it. Research on sitting shows that frequency is also important. Those who move periodically throughout the day have better health than those who spend most of their working hours sitting and get daily exercise before or after work.
15
It greatly improves sanity to move frequently also.
28
Once again, the headline and opening paragraphs of this article over-interpret the findings of an observational study. Cross-sectional studies like this can only show associations between activities, not causation.
An equally valid interpretation of the association between reduced exercise and increase mortality is that people who already had serious, life-threatening illnesses were unable to exercise as much as healthier people. In that case their increased death rate was not caused by their lack of exercise, but rather their lack of exercise was caused by their ill health.
So while it is probably safe to assume that some exercise is still better than no exercise, this study doesn’t tell us whether very short bouts of exercise are just as beneficial as doing longer sessions.
88
I agree with your first point about confusing correlation and causation. However I don't think that supports your final clause. In the study, groups that got similar amounts of exercise overall were compared, so it doesn't mater if they were exercising more because they felt healthier or vice versa. The interesting finding here is that similar amounts of exercise were associated with similar health benefits, regardless of whether the exercise was bunched into longer or spread among shorter sessions.
7
If you're at "some exercise is probably beneficial" you're trying really hard to ignore virtually every study ever done that shows exercise and movement benefit people physically, mentally and emotionally.
4
With Congestive Heart Failure, 5 minutes is about what I can handle w/o stopping to catch my breath. This report is so encouraging - no longer "can't exercise" but now "exercise 6 times a day." I can do that!
285
Never say die! Keep up the good work. Ask your doc what she thinks of pursed lip breathing (something that people with COPD are encouraged to do). It may help.
29
Have your doctor check your oxygen saturation as you walk- if it drops it may lower your endurance and it can be easily fixed by supplemental oxygen