Gretchen Reynolds, much esteemed health and fitness writer for the New York Times, has an answer for anyone wondering how much daily exercise they need for a longer life. Reynolds reports on two new studies, one published this month in JAMA Network Open, and another published in August in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
First, the bad news. One study, which focused on steps per day, concluded that about 10 percent of all deaths among Americans 40 to 70 years old are a result of too little exercise, and the other study found that two decades of inactivity doubled Norwegian people’s risk of dying young.
On a happier note, Reynolds reports that the studies suggest that 7,000 steps a day is a good goal (at 10,000 steps, health benefits begin to slow), and in terms of hours, 45 minutes a day is just fine. Read the details in the New York Times.