The focus, when it comes to health, is regularly put on diet, with many often saying a healthy lifestyle should be split - 80% diet, 20% exercise. But a new study from Cambridge University has found that twice as many deaths can be attributed to inactivity than obesity.
That’s not license to gorge on as many Krispy Kremes as you want; instead, it proves that we should all be putting exercise on our agendas.
Thankfully, you don’t need to sign-up for a costly gym membership and spend every spare moment there. The study, carried out over 12 years with 334,000 + European men and women, found that for those of us who lead a sedentary lifestyle, a brisk 20-minute walk each day can be enough to reduce the risk of early death.
‘This is a simple message: just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive,’ said Professor Ulf Ekelund from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, who led the study. ‘Although we found that just 20 minutes would make a difference, we should really be looking to do more than this – physical activity has many proven health benefits and should be an important part of our daily life.’
Using recent public data, the researchers calculated that 337,000 of the 9.2 million deaths in Europe in 2008 were down to obesity, while physical inactivity could be attributed to almost double that number at 676,000 deaths.
Want to be more active? For inspiration and support, head to the #ELLEfit channel, plus check out our Workout Wednesday reviews.
Amy Lawrenson is an established health and beauty journalist with over 13 years experience working for titles including ELLE, Women's Health and Byrdie. Today, Amy is based in Amsterdam and works as a freelance journalist creating copy for various brands and
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