Walking this many steps a week can extend your life by 3 years.

fitness

by Brooke Steinberg

Walking 5,000 steps three times a week for two years can add three years to your life and reduce healthcare costs by up to 13%, according to a new study.

Published by Vitality and the London School of Economics, The Vitality Habit Index examines the behavior and habits of one million Vitality program members in the UK and South Africa from 2013 to 2023.

Researchers identify the best ways to form and maintain lifelong healthy habits, and the science behind how healthy habits lead to longer, healthier lives. I wanted to analyze.

“Healthy habits can significantly extend your lifespan, increasing quality and longevity,” Adrian Gore, founder of Discovery Vitality, said in a statement.

“Our data shows that the effects are not only significant, but apply across age, risk factors, and health conditions. Maintaining small amounts of physical activity can have lasting effects on health. Given the role of behavior in health risks globally, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of habits will improve the health of individuals and evolve health systems to prioritize preventive health. can be a powerful way to ”

The Vitality Health Index not only shows the lifestyle changes people can make to live healthier lives, but also shows the impact of these changes on an individual level on global health systems.

The World Health Organization estimates that 27.5% of adults and 81% of adolescents are physically inactive, and if inactivity levels remain this low, there will be new cases of preventable diseases such as type 2 diabetes. This would ultimately cost the health care system $27 billion per person. Year.

According to Vitality, not getting enough physical activity is linked to 5 million premature deaths worldwide each year, and one in five deaths worldwide is related to poor diet. It is predicted that by 2035, 1.5 billion people will be classified as obese.

Small changes towards a healthier lifestyle had a big positive impact on people of all ages, but it's especially important for people over 65, who need a habit of taking 7,500 steps at least three times a week. Retention reduced the risk of death by 52%.

The risk of death was reduced by 38% for people aged 45 to 65, and by 27% for the total population.

The study found that an average of 7,500 steps per day led to significant reductions in common mortality rates, and progressing beyond this “sweet spot” showed further improvements in health outcomes.

People of all ages who maintain a habit of physical activity three times a week for at least two years can increase their life expectancy by 2.5 years (men) to 3 years (women).

Professor Joanne Costafonte, from the London School of Economics, said: “The results of this study support policies that promote prevention in public health and build on the power of healthy habits to improve individual and population health outcomes. “This is a clear call to action for planners.” He said.

“Successful habit-based interventions could increase life expectancy, generate significant savings for public health services, improve productivity, and reduce mental health, social isolation, and non-infectious diseases such as cancer and type 2. It helps address the significant long-term challenges posed by sexually transmitted diseases like diabetes. “

An analysis of the effect of physical activity habits on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes found that people who took 10,000 steps three times a week for three years reduced their risk by up to 41%, and those who did this four or more times a week had a lower risk. decreased by up to 41%. The risk he is reduced by 57%.

The study identified three rules for creating solid habits in the process.

1. Start slow and don't get too ambitious. If you start with low-to-moderate-intensity exercise at low frequency, you're likely to be able to maintain the habit 1.5 times longer than someone who starts with high-intensity exercise.
2. Use “habit laddering” to set goals from your baseline. Set goals based on the health habits you already have. For example, in case of lack of exercise, as a “first step on the ladder” he starts with 2,500 steps 3-5 times a week.
3. Focus on consistency over intensity. Start by continuing the activity to form a habit, and increase the intensity once it's been consistent for 6-8 weeks.

“This analysis provides meaningful learnings for the United States and other countries,” said Maia Surmava, CEO of Vitality US. “The implications from a market and policy perspective are large, providing insight into how small behavioral changes can impact people's health and well-being. Given the U.S. health care cost crisis, it is important to follow these three steps to ensure Developing good habits can make a noticeable difference in both your health and healthcare costs.”