Modest exercise ‘gives health big boost’
A previously inactive person who gets into the habit of walking 5,000 steps three times a week can add several years to their life and slash their healthcare costs, according to new research from health and life insurer Discovery and the London School of Economics (LSE).
JSE-listed Discovery operates an international incentive scheme called Vitality which encourages people to make healthy choices with rewards such as free smoothies and discounted gym membership. It has previously shown that people who “engage” with Vitality by exercising regularly and making better food choices have lower healthcare costs than people who don’t. It has more recently turned its attention to finding ways to encourage sedentary people to get moving too.
“We are particularly interested in the people who know what to do but struggle to do it,” said Discovery’s global head of data science and actuarial science, Emile Stipp.
The research looked into the most effective ways to acquire and sustain new healthy habits and identified three “rules” for doing so, said Stipp. These include starting with low to moderate intensity exercise at low frequency, “laddering” the new habit on an existing baseline, and focusing on consistency rather than intensity, he said.
Discovery and the LSE analysed the health, exercise and nutrition data from more than a million Vitality members in the
UK and SA over 10 years. Their research, which has not been published in a peer review journal, found getting into the habit of doing even a modest amount of regular exercise has significant health benefits.
Walking at least 5,000 steps three times a week, maintained for two years, can add up to three years to a previously inactive individual’s life expectancy and reduce their healthcare costs by up to 13%, the research found.
While all age groups benefited from taking up regular exercise, the biggest gain was seen in older people.
People aged 65 and older saw a 52% reduction in their mortality risk after sustaining a habit of walking 7,500 steps at least three times a week, compared to a 38% reduction in mortality risk among people aged between 45 and 65, and a 27% reduction in mortality in the general population.
The research also found people who got into the habit of being physically active three days a week for three years could reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by 41%.
“Healthy habits can profoundly extend the quality and length of life. Our data shows the impact is not only significant but applies across ages, risk factors and health statuses,” said Discovery CEO Adrian Gore. “Given the role of behaviour in health risk globally, a better understanding of the mechanisms of habits can be a powerful way to improve individual health and to evolve our healthcare systems to prioritise preventive health,” he said.