As life passes by, more and more of my contemporaries, or families of people I know, experience the passing of someone precious to them. The most common reasons are cardiovascular disease or cancer. Many people consider these conditions inevitable – a genetic predisposition, influenced by environmental factors beyond their control. But is there nothing we can do to influence the outcome, pushing back the inevitable another five or 10 years, and improving the quality of life in the meantime?
I recently came across an important research paper, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March 2020. It presents good evidence for the powerful protective effect of physical activity on all-cause mortality. Almost 5000 individuals in the USA participated in the 12-year study. At the beginning of the research, each wore an accelerometer (a device that measures the number of steps) for an average of 14 hours per day x 5,7 days. Their life-expectancy was correlated according to how many steps they took per day.
Those who averaged less than 4000 steps per day had an all-cause mortality rate of 76,7 per 1000 person-years. Between 4000 – 7999 steps per day, the figure dropped dramatically down to 21,4 per 1000 person-years; between 8000 – 11999 down to 6,9 (11 times less) per 1000 person-years; and 4,8 for those taking more than 12000 steps per day (16 times lower rate). It is incredible that such a simple thing as increasing our daily activity can have such a dramatic effect on our longevity and quality of life.
There is no doubt that our bodies were designed for movement. Modern conveniences – cars, taxis, TV, washing machines, dishwashers, office jobs – all conspire to reduce our physical activity, with devastating consequences to our long-term health.
Various reasons are given for not spending more time walking or jogging: no time; security issues; too hot; too wet; too cold; too windy; too tired. As with all lifestyle interventions, it is helpful to make incremental changes. Be honest with yourself, if you prioritise your health, you can find a way. It may be a brisk walk for 10-15 minutes at teatime or lunch time; or park your car further from the mall entrance; or walk the full length of the mall to take advantage of free air-conditioning. But it is possible – and you may well have a better quality of life. I can personally vouch for it – I average 8-10,000 steps per day and feel pretty good.
Dr Dave Glass
MBChB, FCOG(SA), DipIBLM
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