Exercise: A little goes a long way

Doing just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day may add three years to your life, a large study in Taiwan has found.

Most people struggle to stick to the standard guideline of 30 minutes a day of exercise, five days a week; and experts hope that by identifying a lower dose, more people will be motivated to get off the couch.

Lead researcher Chi Pang Wen of Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes said dedicating 15 minutes a day to a moderate form of exercise, like brisk walking, would benefit anyone.

After taking into account differences in age, weight, sex and a range of health-related indicators, researchers found that just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day increased life expectancy by three years compared to those who remained inactive.

“Sooner or later, you are going to die,” Wen said. “But compared to the inactive group, the low exercise group has a reduction of 10 percent in cancer mortality.”