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The Least Amount of Exercise Needed To Extend Life

Posted by samzenpus on from the it's-up-to-you-whether-or-not-you-want-to-just-do-the-bare-minimum dept.

Toe, The writes "Of particular concern to couch potatoes, gamers, and anyone who spends an inordinate amount of time sitting and staring at a screen is how little exercise can I do and still receive a benefit. A new study entitled 'Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: a prospective cohort study' answers this important question. The conclusion: 92 minutes of moderate activity a week can extend your life by three years."

5 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. So I get three more years... by ifiwereasculptor · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...in which I'll have to exercise? Oh, let my sweet death come.

    1. Re:So I get three more years... by ari_j · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually, it's a net gain. If you work out 92 minutes a week, 52 weeks a year, for 50 years, you have spent 166 days working out and gained over 6-1/2 times that much life. What the summary doesn't inform us is how long before you die you have to start this regimen in order to get the full 3-year benefit, which could easily make that ratio quite a lot higher. Best-case, you only work out a little under 10 days during the extra 3 years.

    2. Re:So I get three more years... by sh00z · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It gets better--following their math, 92 minutes a week gives a 14% reduction in mortality from all causes, and every additional 15 minutes gives an additional 4%. there's no point of diminishing returns identified. So, if you exercise 7 hours a week, you become immortal.

    3. Re:So I get three more years... by donutz · · Score: 4, Funny

      It gets better--following their math, 92 minutes a week gives a 14% reduction in mortality from all causes, and every additional 15 minutes gives an additional 4%. there's no point of diminishing returns identified. So, if you exercise 7 hours a week, you become immortal.

      On average. In reality, some people exercising 7 hours a week will live much longer than that, and some much shorter.

  2. So what we want to know is.... by TheEmpyrean · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... does masturbation count? Because I'm going to live forever at this point.