Your body, your responsibility
By now there can’t be anyone who doesn’t know that physical activity is important for health – specifically in lowering the risk of so-called “all-cause mortality”, in other words, death from any cause. So what benefits does a healthy lifestyle give us and what are the 5 healthy lifestyle factors?
A healthy lifestyle may be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
A study using data on 11,914 Danish men and women aged 20 years and older, published in the European Heart Journal [1] showed that light physical activity such as walking or cycling for two to four hours a week (low activity) produced a similar reduction in mortality the same activity for more than four hours a week, or more vigorous activity for two or more hours a week. So even a modest 30 minutes a day of brisk walking is well worth doing.
A “low-risk” lifestyle really does give you the chance to not only live longer, but to be in better condition to enjoy it more. A reasonable target for anyone to aim for is 30 minutes or more each day of moderate activity, such as brisk walking. It’s actually an easy choice if you consider that instead of “losing” that time, you stand to gain more than double that in extra life.
What are the 5 healthy lifestyle factors?
A small improvement in each of these factors can make a big difference, and no one else can do any of these for you! If you don’t do it, who’s going to do it?
Perhaps surprisingly, not drinking alcohol at all has a higher risk than light or moderate drinking (just one or two drinks a week is enough to make a difference). But for those who choose not to drink, even light physical activity for more than four hours a week can reverse the adverse health effects associated with alcohol abstention.
Lifestyle changes actually correct the root cause of many diseases, not individual symptoms or consequences. And they bring quality-of-life benefits to each person, such as improved fitness and body appearance, as well as simply feeling good.
Why is it so very, very hard to adopt a healthier lifestyle? You make your choice.
Reference
1. Østergaard Pedersen J, Heitmann B L, Schnohr P, and Grønbæk M. The combined influence of leisure-time physical activity and weekly alcohol intake on fatal ischaemic heart disease and all-cause mortality. Eur Heart J 2008; DOI:10.1093/eurheartj/ehm574. Available at: http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/ehm574v1
- A healthy lifestyle has been associated with up to 80% lower risk of coronary heart disease and 90% lower risk of diabetes, and may prevent more than half of ischemic strokes.
- Exercise is beneficial for almost everyone. Talk to your doctor if you have any health-related concerns before you start any exercise program.
A study using data on 11,914 Danish men and women aged 20 years and older, published in the European Heart Journal [1] showed that light physical activity such as walking or cycling for two to four hours a week (low activity) produced a similar reduction in mortality the same activity for more than four hours a week, or more vigorous activity for two or more hours a week. So even a modest 30 minutes a day of brisk walking is well worth doing.
A “low-risk” lifestyle really does give you the chance to not only live longer, but to be in better condition to enjoy it more. A reasonable target for anyone to aim for is 30 minutes or more each day of moderate activity, such as brisk walking. It’s actually an easy choice if you consider that instead of “losing” that time, you stand to gain more than double that in extra life.
What are the 5 healthy lifestyle factors?
- not smoking,
- daily exercise,
- maintain an optimal weight,
- take a good diet, and
- moderate alcohol consumption.
A small improvement in each of these factors can make a big difference, and no one else can do any of these for you! If you don’t do it, who’s going to do it?
Perhaps surprisingly, not drinking alcohol at all has a higher risk than light or moderate drinking (just one or two drinks a week is enough to make a difference). But for those who choose not to drink, even light physical activity for more than four hours a week can reverse the adverse health effects associated with alcohol abstention.
Lifestyle changes actually correct the root cause of many diseases, not individual symptoms or consequences. And they bring quality-of-life benefits to each person, such as improved fitness and body appearance, as well as simply feeling good.
Why is it so very, very hard to adopt a healthier lifestyle? You make your choice.
Reference
1. Østergaard Pedersen J, Heitmann B L, Schnohr P, and Grønbæk M. The combined influence of leisure-time physical activity and weekly alcohol intake on fatal ischaemic heart disease and all-cause mortality. Eur Heart J 2008; DOI:10.1093/eurheartj/ehm574. Available at: http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/ehm574v1
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