Light exercise may lower death risk in older men

Clocking up just a few minutes at a time of any level of physical activity, including of light intensity, is linked to a lower risk of death in older men, suggests UCL-led research. The study, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine , found that although there were greater benefits from doing moderate or more intense activity, even light intensity physical activity lowered the risk of death. Light activities could include for example gentle walking or light gardening such as watering and tending pot plants whereas more intense activities might include mowing the lawn, swimming or briskly walking the dog. Current exercise guidelines recommend accumulating at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in bouts lasting at least 10 minutes. The guidelines don't acknowledge any benefits of light activity as there wasn't enough evidence to make a recommendation about light activity the last time they were written. This research found that each additional 30 minutes a day of light intensity activity was associated with a 17 percent reduction in the risk of death, and there were still benefits even after accounting for potentially influential lifestyle factors and social background. Total volume of activity, rather than doing activity in 10 minute bouts, as current guidelines recommend, might be key.