Just a Little Fitness Extends Life

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What would you do if we said that you could add about five years to your life just by walking 30 minutes a day? According to a recent study published by the American College of Sports Medicine, that may be true: Fitness and physical activity levels are one of the highest predictors of mortality.

The study followed a group of veterans in their 60s and found that the morality rates between the least-fit and the next-least-fit people nearly doubled. According to the research, "nearly two-thirds of the least-fit individuals were not meeting the minimum recommended amount of physical activity (at least 150 minutes per week, or 30 minutes per day, five days per week)."

The startling difference between the two groups demonstrates that you don't need to be super fit to reduce your risk of mortality, says Pete McCall, spokesman for the American Council on Exercise and certified strength and conditioning specialist. "Just getting up and moving for 30 minutes a day really can make a significant health impact," he says.

The problem for many people is that they won't start a health program unless their goal is to lose weight or somehow change their physical appearance, which can lead to overuse and injury. "People think it's an extreme thing, and think, If I'm going to do a little bit, I might as well do a lot," says McCall. "What people forget is that exercise is physical stress applied to the body."

Another problem is that many people often have trouble fitting a workout into an already hectic schedule. McCall suggests working out 10 to 15 minutes at a time if that's what gets you to the daily 30-minute mark. "In low doses, exercise is an accumulated benefit, and minutes a day can go towards promoting your health."

The one thing you have to keep in mind is that you need to make sure that your heart rate is elevated. "If you think of it as a scale from 1 to 10 -- 1 is sitting on the couch and 10 is running -- your [heart rate] should come up to a 3 or 5 during that 30 minute walk." If that's difficult to judge, try doing the talk test. "When you exercise, it should be somewhat challenging to carry on a conversation. You can [do it], but it takes work."

So the bottom line is that you don't need to start an intense exercise regimen to help extend your life. Your body just needs a little help here and there. And, after all, a little bit of something is better than nothing, McCall adds.