Making Healthy Choices™

Adopt an Active Lifestyle, Live Longer

If you want to reduce your risk of dying too young, you might want to consider leaving your car in the garage. In a study recently published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, women who jogged, walked, or bicycled as their primary means of transportation were not just healthier. They also reduced their risk of early death by 22-50%.

This reduced risk occurred in women reporting no regular exercise, but who reported 10 or more MET hours of non-exercise activity. (METs is a measure of intensity. Walking briskly is a 3-4 MET activity, thus walking briskly for 3 hours per week is about 10 MET hours of activity.) Researchers tracked the mortality rates of 67,143 women (without heart disease, stroke, or cancer) over an average of 5.7 years in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study. They concluded that health benefits can be obtained through an active lifestyle, exercise, or combinations of both.

Bottom Line: Beyond just “exercise,” it is overall physical activity that makes for a healthier, and perhaps longer, life. When the weather is nice, think about pulling out your bike and riding to work! It will be good for your body and the environment.