15 Minutes of Exercise Daily Can Add 3 Years to Life Span

Most people struggle to stick to the standard guideline of 30 minutes a day of exercise, five days a week, and experts hope that by identifying a lower dose, more people will be motivated to get off the couch. Lead researcher Chi Pang Wen said dedicating 15 minutes a day to a moderate form of exercise, like brisk walking, would benefit anyone; “It’s for men, women, the young and old, smokers, healthy and unhealthy people. Doctors, when they see any type of patient, this is a one-size-fits-all type of advice.” Wen tracked over 416,000 participants for 13 years, analyzing their health records and reported levels of physical activity each year. After taking into account differences in age, weight, sex and a range of health-related indicators, they found that just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day increased life expectancy by three years compared to those who remained inactive. “Sooner or later, you are going to die. But compared to the inactive group, the low exercise group has a reduction of 10% in cancer mortality,” Wen said. The Lancet Aug. 16, 2011