We all know that an active lifestyle leads to a healthier life, but to what extent does inactivity impair our health?
Last week, CNN revealed the “surprising” results of a long-awaited study stating that a sedentary lifestyle is more unhealthy than being a current smoker, being diabetic, or even having heart disease.
According to CNN, the 24 year-long study, conducted from the beginning of January 1991 until the end of December 2014, involved 122,007 patients. The objective of the research was to measure all-cause mortality relating to the benefits of exercise and fitness.
Cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic and senior author of the study, Dr. Wael Jaber, claims that there has never been a study so pronounced and objective as this one. It was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
These findings affirmed that the more exercise a person receives, the lower their mortality rate.
Dr. Jaber alleged that the benefits of exercising were seen across all ages and probably even a little more apparent in females.
The study went even further to analyze the health benefits and risks of “over-exercising”. The results exposed that those who are “ultra” exercisers do not face higher risk of death, in fact, any level of exercise reduces mortality rates, regardless of the intensity or fitness level.
The more fit individuals of the study did the best. Moreover, the top performers compared with those who have a sedentary lifestyle, proved a 500% less mortality risk.
Researchers must now convey to the general public things such that smoking is three times less of a risk than not exercising, that hypertension is less of a risk than being unfit, and that those who do not perform well on a treadmill test have double the trouble than individuals with kidney failure on dialysis.
It is clear that being unfit should be treated almost as a disease that has an easy prescription: exercise.
This research proves that fitness leads to a longer life, with no limit to the benefits of exercise.
We are meant to move. Otherwise, the consequence is what we all try to run away from.
So let’s get moving!