Move more, live longer

Health information can feel confusing, complex and sometimes even contradictory. But what if you could step towards a longer, healthier life just by moving more?

In fact, as little as 15 minutes of exercise a day could add as much as 3 years to your life. Up that to 20 minutes a day, and you’re looking at a potential 7 extra years.¹

And the good news is that kick-starting an everyday fitness journey may be easier than you think.

Professor Cassandra Szoeke from the Healthy Aging Program² says exercise is good for every part of the body. And it doesn’t have to be strenuous or structured, it just needs to be a regular part of your everyday life.

After following participants for 30 years, researchers at the Healthy Aging Program were surprised to find that intensity in exercising was less important than consistency.

“Multiple studies into intense exercise show cholesterol, blood sugar, brain size and blood vessel growth are vastly improved by participating in intense exercise,” says Professor Szoeke. “Many of these studies are over a 12-week program with a follow up one to 5 years later.”

While there’s no one-size-fits-all advice for exercising, Professor Szoeke recommends moving for one hour a day every day to age well.

And that doesn’t have to be an hour of solid or structured exercise. It can also be everyday physical activity known as ‘incidental exercise.’

This might include a combination of things like:

• walking the dog
• playing with the kids
• walking to work
• dancing
• taking the stairs instead of the lift.

“Even vacuuming counts as exercise,” says Professor Szoeke.

Measuring your movements with a fitness tracker can be an effective way to up your incidental exercise.

“You can't see that exercise is going to make you less likely to get dementia 40 years from now,” says Professor Szoeke. “But we are a competitive species. People tend to change what they are doing when they know they’re observed.”

Most forms of regular exercise are good for you. However, Professor Szoeke says there are 3 key movements that are specifically great for healthy aging:

1. Aerobic exercise. This is important for good heart health and to help keep cholesterol and glucose levels in a healthy range.
2. Resistance exercise. This can help build strength, which is important to maintaining independence and quality of life.
3. Balance exercises. These are important to improve stability and prevent falls. 

“Falls are not trivial as we age,” says Professor Szoeke. “A fall when you’re over 50 can lead to disease and death.”

When you’re starting a fitness journey, it’s a good idea to think about what physical activity you enjoy and go from there.

“If you love running, you should run. If you love bushwalking, you should do that,” says Professor Szoeke.

Once you’re clear on what you enjoy, find ways to fit the activity into your life in a way that allows you to meet your daily physical requirements.

This might be as simple as re-thinking everyday things. For instance, “If you're a walker, don't park so close to the shops,” says Professor Szoeke.

And remember, consistency is key. “Whatever you do, you have to do it for 30 years and you have to do it every day. So, if you're not doing something you love, that's going to be really tough.”

The earlier in life you start moving, the better. But the good news is it’s never too late.

“We found the effect of activity is cumulative”, says Professor Szoeke. “What you do each and every day counts.”

“You can actually make up for lost time. If you don’t exercise today, don’t panic, you can exercise twice tomorrow.”

Read more about living better for longer in Professor Szoeke’s book, Secrets of Women’s Healthy Ageing.