Marker check · 4 questions
Exercise
Meeting the standard activity guideline is worth about 3–4 extra years versus staying sedentary, with gains continuing (more slowly) at higher volumes. Strength training adds independent protection beyond cardio. What you play matters too: in the Copenhagen cohort, social racket sports showed the largest gains — partly fitness, partly the company. Long sitting days erode some of the benefit even in people who train.
The research
- Moore et al., PLoS Med 2012 — 150 min/wk brisk walking ≈ +3.4y
- Arem et al., JAMA Intern Med 2015 — dose–response, plateau ~3–5× guideline
- Momma et al., Br J Sports Med 2022 — strength training, 10–17% lower mortality
- Schnohr et al., Mayo Clin Proc 2018 — Copenhagen: racket sports largest gains
- Ekelund et al., Lancet 2016 — sitting time and mortality