Why ‘exercise snacking’ can extend your life

How much exercise do you think you need – and how much do you actually do? Despite extreme exercise trends that include ultra-marathons and spending ­thousands of pounds on expensive home gym equipment, the buoyant findings from researchers is that just 10 minutes a day can add almost two years to our lives.

But though we can “get a surprisingly large return for such a small amount of time”, according to Dr Steve Moore, who researches how physical activity is linked to health and life expectancy, we are not moving enough – and our activity levels are getting worse.

“Everyone knows that doing a bit more physical activity has an impact on extending life while reducing risk of disease and illness – both physical and mental – but for some reason it still doesn’t quite register,” says ­Stephen Price, the brainchild behind the concept ‘Movementum’ which is based on the idea that we just need to move our bodies – in whatever way we can. The idea is that we need to do small “snacks” of exercise – be they a structured class, a walk with a friend or some ­gardening – every day. Research shows us that by increasing your activity by as little as 55 minutes a week you can have a huge impact on the length and ultimately the quality of your life.

According to Price, “This can be spread out throughout the day or week and doesn’t have to be done all in one block – and you can start small – which makes it exceptionally attainable.” In fact, he says, small daily chunks are better than doing a once- or twice-a-week exercise class, then doing nothing else.

His comments are based on solid research: in 2012, scientists at the National Institute of Health in the US – led by Dr Moore – examined data from almost 650,000 ‘midlifers’ and found that being active for 75 minutes a week, or just over 10 minutes a day, was associated with a gain of 1.8 years in life expectancy, compared with doing nothing at all.

One particularly interesting finding from the NIH study was that being active, even if the individual was obese, was associated with longer life than those who are of “normal” weight range but inactive. Being slim is not enough.Worryingly, as a nation, we’re getting more and more sedentary. We are 20% less active than we were in the 1960s, and if current trends continue, we will be 35% less active by 2030, according to government statistics.

It is crucial that we do because doing nothing at all is deadly. According to government statistics, physical inactivity is associated with one in six deaths in the UK and is estimated to cost the UK £7.4 billion annually. Around one in three (34%) of men and one in two (42%) of women are not active enough for good health, with older people less active. Exercise is a magic bullet. In the 2019 Physical Activity Guidelines report, the chief medical officers wrote: “If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat.”

But along with adding years to our lives, Prof Mathew Wilson, of the Institute of Sport and Exercise Health and an expert with Movementum, adds that exercise also enables us to live a better life. “The main consideration is around living longer with a higher quality of life in our later years,” he says. “In recent years there has been a decline in the number of years we live in a healthy state: we’re living longer, but with poorer health. This is a huge problem and something that increasing physical activity levels can help re-address so you can enjoy those extra years.”

The term ‘moderate exercise’ should not be feared or misunderstood. Simplifying the messaging can empower us all to start moving more. So, what counts as moderate to strenuous physical activity? “Literally anything, as long as you are moving with purpose,” says Prof Wilson. “Don’t overthink it – gardening, walking, housework, everything counts, and all can be banked as physical activity when looking at minutes achieved.”

Spending time on small, daily movements like these will keep joints supple, encourage good quality muscle tissue and even help the nervous system remain primed and responsive. All this lessens injury, promotes better strength gain, energy levels and the ability to move more and often.

One of the most overlooked forms of exercise – often the most enjoyable – is simply a walk with a friend. Doing regular low-impact activity like this is so beneficial. If you can also catch up with a partner or friends, you will keep each other accountable, and it becomes more enjoyable. The most important thing with exercise when trying to embed it as a habit is having fun so that you can continue doing it, every day – or at least as often as you can.

Extracts taken from Jessica Salter from www.telegraph.co.uk