A study led by Dr Chi-Pang Wen, National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan, and China Medical University Hospital, and Dr Jackson Pui Man Wai, National Taiwan Sport University revealed, that only 15 minutes of daily physical activity reduces a person’s risk of death by 14% and increases life expectancy by 3 years compared to inactive people. The Lancet published the study online.
Even though health benefits of leisure-time physical activity are widely recognized, researchers wanted to assess if less than the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week would have life expectancy benefits. The authors evaluated health benefits of various sets of physical activity by assessing 400,000 Taiwanese people between 1996 and 2008, who participated in a standard medical screening program. The study was based on self-reported weekly exercise with an average follow-up time of eight years.
Participants were split into five different exercise schedules ranging from inactive, to low, medium, high or very high activity and self-reported their exercise weekly. The researchers calculated hazard ratios (HR) for every group’s mortality risk compared with the inactive group and calculated each group’s life expectancy.
Results revealed, that individuals in the low-volume activity group who exercised an average of 92 minutes per week (approx. 15 minutes per day) developed a 14% reduced risk of all-cause mortality, a 10 % reduced risk of all-cancer mortality and had an average longer life expectancy of three years compared to those in the inactive group.
The study furthermore revealed that every additional 15 minutes of daily exercise on top of the 15 minutes reduced all-cause mortality by a further 4% and all-cancer mortality by 1% (0•3-4•5). The benefits were equal in all age groups, irrespective of sex and to those with risk of cardiovascular disease. Inactive participants showed a 17% higher risk of mortality compared with individuals in the low-volume group.
The researchers commented, that one in six all-cause deaths could be postponed if inactive Taiwanese individuals would engage in low-volume daily exercise. Mortality reductions of similar magnitude have been estimated for a successful tobacco control program in the general population.
The authors conclude,
“If the minimum amount of exercise we suggest is adhered to, mortality from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer could be reduced. This low volume of physical activity could play a central part in the global war against non-communicable diseases, reducing medical costs and health disparities.”
Dr Anil Nigam and Dr Martin Juneau, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada, add in a linked Comment, that the knowledge that exercising as little as 15 min per day on most days of the week can substantially reduce a person’s risk of dying, could encourage many more individuals to incorporate a small amount of physical activity into their busy lives. Governments and health professionals both have major roles to play to spread this good news story and convince people of the importance of being at least minimally active.
Written by Petra Rattue