British researchers have given an answer-doing 11 minutes a day (75 minutes a week) of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, is enough to reduce people’s risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other diseases.
The study, published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that one in 10 premature deaths could be avoided if everyone exercised at least half the recommended amount.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of human death worldwide. Statistics show that cardiovascular disease caused 17.9 million deaths in 2019. Cancer is also not to be underestimated, killing 9.6 million people in 2017.
Exercise, especially moderate-intensity exercise, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The NHS recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise a week.
To explore the amount of exercise required to have a beneficial effect on several chronic diseases and early death, researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. They analyzed findings from 196 peer-reviewed articles covering more than 30 million participants in 94 large study cohorts. This is the largest analysis to date of the relationship between physical activity levels and the risk of heart disease, cancer and early death.
The researchers found that, in addition to work-related activities, two-thirds reported less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, and less than one in 10 exercised more than 300 minutes per week.
Overall, more than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week had limited additional benefit in reducing the risk of disease or early death. But even half the amount of exercise, 75 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, provided benefits—a 23 percent lower risk of premature death.
“If 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise is holding you back, our findings may be good news. Exercise is better than no exercise,” said Dr Soren Brage, from the MRC’s Epidemiology Unit, who said 75 minutes a week was a comparison. It is an acceptable starting value. After adaptation, you can gradually increase the duration according to your personal situation.
Studies have shown that 75 minutes of moderate exercise per week is enough to reduce people’s risk of cardiovascular disease by 17% and cancer risk by 7%, including certain cancers, such as head and neck cancer, myeloid leukemia, myeloma and cardiac The risk of cancer, etc. can even be reduced by 14% to 26%, while the risk of lung cancer, liver cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, etc. can also be reduced by 3% to 11%.
75 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week can also prevent about 10% of early death, 5% of cardiovascular disease and nearly 3% of cancer. And if everyone does 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week, about 16% of early deaths can be avoided, 11% of cardiovascular diseases and 5% of cancers will be prevented.