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Regular physical activity is essential to prevent and help manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, as well as reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, slow cognitive decline, improve memory, and boost brain health. . WHO statistics show that one in four adults and four in five adolescents do not do enough physical activity, which is reflected in our quality of life.
The new guidelines recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week for all adults, including people living with chronic conditions or disabilities, and an average of 60 minutes per day for children and teenagers.
Science has also managed to measure the time we need for our training to translate into weight loss. A study of overweight men and women reveals that exercise can help us lose weight, in part by remodeling appetite hormones; However, the study suggests that, for it to work, you have to set a minimum time to burn at least 3.000 calories a week. In the study, he has managed to solve the time-effectiveness equation and it is established that we should exercise six days a week for one hour or about 300 minutes a week.
How does sport influence our life expectancy? How many years do we gain if we play sports instead of being sedentary?
In recent years, it was sensed, from different epidemiological studies, that physical activity could increase life expectancy between 2 and 4 years. However, the years of life expectancy gained according to different levels of physical activity had not been exactly quantified. And based on the Body Mass Index. A team of researchers led by the National Cancer Institute of the United States has managed to put figures on the benefits of physical exercise, thanks to a sample of more than 650.000 people.
The study, which was published by PLOS Medicine, reached the following conclusions:
Among 2 and 7 years. Doing up to 75 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, increases life expectancy by 1,8 years. Higher levels of physical activity are associated with longer life expectancy. Walking more than 450 minutes per week at a good pace increases life expectancy by up to 4,5 years compared to doing nothing. What's more, if a person with a normal weight (BMI between 18,5 and 25) is very active (+150 minutes per week of moderate activity) they will live 7,2 years longer. Unlike a person with grade II obesity (BMI>35) and completely sedentary.
It is very interesting to note that a very active grade II obese person has the same life expectancy as a normal weight and sedentary person. And a very active grade I obese person (BMI between 30 and 34,9) will live 3 years longer than a normal weight and sedentary person.
If instead of walking quickly or making a moderate effort we perform vigorous exercise, then fewer minutes of activity per week are necessary to achieve the same benefits in terms of life expectancy, according to the aforementioned research. What are you waiting for to move?
