More accurately, those minutes can keep years from being subtracted. “We’ve known for probably about a decade now that [prolonged] sitting increases your risk for most chronic diseases and increases your risk of early death,” notes Keith Diaz, assistant professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.
A study recently published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s journal says the same thing more specifically (albeit in more technical language): “Sedentary time is ubiquitous in developed nations and is associated with deleterious health outcomes…Prolonged time spent in sedentary behaviors (i.e., activities performed while sitting or reclining) has been consistently shown as an independent risk factor for increased cardiometabolic risk and all-cause mortality.”
In other words, particularly for older adults, sitting around all day – working in front of a computer screen or reading or watching television – can be hazardous to your health.
But according to a University of Cambridge (UK) meta-analysis of data from 196 studies covering more than 30 million adult participants over an average of 10 years, those risks are surprisingly easy to lower – as easy as getting up from the proverbial rocking chair and taking a nice 11-minute walk.
Just 11 minutes a day of moderate physical activity – walking, biking, dancing, even playing with the grandkids – lowered the risk of premature death by 23%, of cardiovascular disease by 17%, and of cancer by 7%, researchers found.
Doubling that time to 22 minutes a day lowers risks even more – to 31% lower risk of dying from any cause, 29% lower from cardiovascular disease, and 12% lower from cancer.
Adding years to your life can be great – if they’re the right kind of years: Years of maximum independence. Years of friendships and socializing, not of loneliness and isolation. Years of pursuing your interests or gaining new ones, not of inactivity and boredom.
That’s why it’s important for senior care to focus on these parts of life instead of just the medical ones. Senior Insights’ holistic senior care management does. It’s custom designed for each individual client.
Each individual’s care is truly individual, because it’s based on what our thorough three-part needs assessment tells us about not just your health, cognitive and psychosocial needs, but also about what matters to you: Your values, your preferences, your likes and dislikes, your relationship with family members and friends, your favorite activities, hobbies and interests.
So please contact us to learn more about quality care for a quality life.
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