I PLEAD GUILTY TO BEATING THE DRUM for a minimum of 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 to 159 minutes of vigorous exercise (or an equivalent combination of both). These are the United States Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines.
But have I been a bit off the mark? A recent study hints that going beyond today’s guidance on moderate and vigorous physical activity may add years to your life.
I have historically focused more on those not achieving the minimum recommended volume of physical activity. But what about those of us who are overachievers?
Exceeding exercise guidelines
A new research investigation suggests that doing more than recommended by current guidance on moderate and vigorous physical activity levels may add years to your life.
Here’s some context: An analysis from the Copenhagen City Heart Study discovered a U-shaped association between long-term mortality and 0 to 2.5 hours and more than 10 hours of weekly leisure-time sports activities.
Let’s look at the details of the study. Compared with a reference group doing 2.6 to 4.5 hours of weekly leisure-time sports, researchers note an increased risk of early death for those with zero hours: Sedentary folks had a 1.5-times increase in all-cause mortality.
Those getting 0.1 to 2.5 hours appeared 1.24-times more likely to die during the study, while those getting more than ten hours had a 1.2-fold increased early mortality risk.
The Copenhagen researchers adjusted for potential confounding variables, including demographics (age, sex, education), smoking and alcohol use, and body mass index.
Listen to the researchers’ concerns: “ Participation in sport activities should be promoted, but the potential risk of very high weekly hours of sport participation should be considered for inclusion in guidelines and recommendations.”
The Danish results are not particularly reassuring to those who routinely exceed the recommended minimal amounts of exercise. On the other hand, many negative studies explore a mixed population of chronically performing high-level exercise folks and those doing vigorous activity occasionally.
Are you concerned about your exercise volume?
Exceeding exercise guidelines —A new study
For a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (USA), nearly 8700 healthy adults completed a questionnaire about leisure-time sports activities, including sport type and duration. Subjects completed the questionnaires up to 15 times during the follow-up period.
After a median follow-up of nearly 26 years, the researchers discovered:
Those who performed double the recommended amount of either moderate or vigorous activity had the lowest risk of early mortality. Adults doing four times the minimum recommended activity levels had no additional mortality benefit (but no harm).
Any movement appeared valuable. Individuals meeting the guidelines for long-term vigorous physical activity (75 to 140 minutes weekly) cut their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by nearly one-third (31 percent), non-cardiovascular disease by about one-seventh (15 percent), and all causes by one-fifth (19 percent), compared with those getting no vigorous physical activity.
Here is how the researchers came to these conclusions: They examined over 116,000 adults in two prospective American cohorts, including participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1988–2018).
In summary, the nearly maximum association with lower mortality was achieved by performing about 150 to 300 minutes/week of long-term leisure-time vigorous physical activity, 300 to 600 minutes/week of long-term leisure-time moderate physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.
My take — Exceeding exercise guidelines
The early mortality-lowering benefits of physical activity appear to plateau at 600 minutes per week of moderate activity (with similar benefits compared with 300 to 599 minutes per week).
In other words, the study suggests that we may want to aim for two to four times the recommended levels. On the other hand, if you are sedentary, any physical activity (even if it is less than recommended by guidelines) is associated with improvements in lifespan and healthspan.
For me, the moderate activity often includes walking. Others may prefer biking or swimming, for example. It doesn’t need to be vigorous.
Just move! Oh, what’s your preferred activity?
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
