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Study reports peak longevity benefit with an hour of daily exercise

, by DCEG Staff

A new study has found that people who engage in three to five times the recommended minimum level of leisure-time physical activity derive the greatest benefit in terms of mortality reduction when compared with people who do not engage in leisure-time physical activity. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, developed by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, recommend a minimum of 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise per week or 1.25 hours of vigorous aerobic activity, but more activity is encouraged for additional health benefits. Before this study, experts did not know how much additional health benefit might accrue for those doing more exercise. This study confirms that much of the mortality benefit is realized by meeting the minimum recommended levels of physical activity and describes the increased mortality benefit associated with higher levels of physical activity. The study appeared online April 6, 2015, in JAMA Internal Medicine. Read more in the full NCI News Note.
An infographic about the reduction in mortality risk associated with different levels of exercise per week. It shows a curved gradient from no exercise (0% reduction) to varying levels of activity. The graphic uses silhouettes to represent no exercise (sitting), walking a 20-minute mile, and running a 10-minute mile. 420-700 and 700-1400 minutes per week show the largest reduction (39%). Enlarge

This infographic summarizes the findings as reported in the manuscript published by Arem, et al. JAMA Internal Medicine 2015.

Reference: Arem H, Moore SC, Patel A, et al. Leisure time physical activity and mortality: A detailed pooled analysis of the dose-response relationship. JAMA Intern Med. Published online April 06, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.0533.

Related DCEG Research

Linkage article: Exploring the Links Between Leisure-Time Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Cancer

Meet the Investigators

 

Headshot of Hannah Arem Biography of Hannah Arem, Ph.D.
 
Headshot of Charles Matthews Biography of Charles E. Matthews, Ph.D.
 
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