30 Minutes of Exercise Can Prevent 1 in 12 Deaths

It's no secret that exercising is good for your health. It promotes a healthy heart while lowering the risk of many chronic diseases and illnesses. Unfortunately, though, most people don't get enough exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only one in five Americans get the recommended amount of exercise. While leading a sedentary lifestyle may sound harmless enough, it can increase the risk of early death.

A new study has found that exercising for 30 minutes daily, five times a week, significantly lowers the risk of earth death as well as heart disease. For the study, researchers tracked 130,000 men and women in 17 countries, paying close attention to their physical activity levels and mortality rates. Not surprisingly, researchers found a direct correlation between early mortality and lack of exercise. The less people exercised, the greater their risk of early death.

Based on their findings, researchers say that one in 12 early deaths and 4.6% of heart disease cases can be avoided if the global population meets the exercise guidelines.

“Walking for as little as 30 minutes most days of the week has a substantial benefit, and higher physical activity is associated with even lower risks,” said Scott Lear, heart specialist at St. Paul's Hospital in Canada.

Researchers also found that exercising had no ceiling effect. What does this mean exactly? Well, a ceiling effect occurs when the benefits stop. With no ceiling effect on exercise, this indicates that people can reap even greater health benefits by exercising more than 30 minutes a day.

Of course, there are other ways to lower the risk of early mortality and protect against heart disease. Eating nutritious foods -- fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats -- is an important step towards achieving better health. The problem, however, is that many people living in poor regions don't have access to healthy foods. Therefore, they have an increased risk of early mortality. Researchers say, however, that exercise is something that anyone can do, regardless of the region in which they live. 

This study attests to the importance of exercise. So, if you struggle to get enough exercise in your daily life, consider making the necessary changes today. By staying active, you'll promote a healthy heart while lowering your risk of disease and early mortality in the process.

This study as published in the medical journal The Lancet.