A new study suggests that even small amounts of exercise can significantly benefit health and longevity, challenging traditional benchmarks like 10,000 daily steps.
Recent research has unveiled that achieving health benefits and increased life expectancy does not necessarily require adhering to traditional exercise benchmarks such as completing 10,000 daily steps or 150 minutes of weekly activity. These goals can often seem daunting, especially for individuals who are less active. To provide a more attainable perspective, a group of researchers, including insights from Dr. Leana Wen, analyzed the potential health impacts of smaller, incremental changes in exercise routines among nearly 135,000 participants from various nationalities.
The findings, which were published in The Lancet, suggest that even modest increases in physical activity, such as just five extra minutes of exercise a day, can lead to meaningful improvements in health outcomes and longevity. The study specifically focused on the effects of moderate to vigorous physical activity, demonstrating that any increase in activity can positively influence overall health, countering the longstanding notion that significant thresholds must be met for exercise to be beneficial.
Dr. Wen’s insights elucidate that the research could empower a wider audience to incorporate exercise into their daily routines, especially for those previously intimidated by exercise goals. This shift in perspective not only reinforces the importance of physical activity for health but also encourages individuals to find ways that suit their lifestyles, further shaping public health discussions around exercise habits and recommendations for longevity.
