A groundbreaking research collaboration between Vitality and the London School of Economics has uncovered the remarkable health benefits of habitual physical activity, even at low levels.
The study, which analysed the habits of more than 1million Vitality members in South Africa and the United Kingdom, has revealed the disproportionate impact of sustaining a healthy habit on health outcomes as individuals age.
One of the key findings of the study is the significant reduction in mortality rates for individuals over 65 who engage in regular physical activity, with rates decreasing by as much as 52% as physical activity increases.
This underscores the importance of incorporating physical activity into daily routines, especially as people grow older.
Moreover, the research has established principles for creating healthy habits that could lead to substantial reductions in healthcare costs, paving the way for targeted and incentivised behaviour change.
The study also highlighted the protective effects of a physical activity habit in lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and severe cancer.
The study's findings are particularly promising in the realm of type 2 diabetes, a condition affecting millions globally and incurring significant treatment costs.
According to the Habit Index, individuals who sustain a habit of physical activity three times a week for three years can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 41%.
Even for those already living with the condition, the benefits are substantial, with a 55-year-old with type 2 diabetes reducing their all-cause mortality risk by 40% by maintaining a habit of 5000 steps three times a week.
In the case of severe cancer, the research also yielded encouraging results, showing that individuals who transitioned from being unengaged to sustaining at least medium levels of physical activity reduced their risk of stage three cancer by 19% and stage four cancer by 36%.
Furthermore, forming and sustaining a habit of physical activity for at least three days a week was associated with a 10% reduction in in-hospital healthcare costs, with an even greater reduction of 13% when maintaining physical activity for more than three days a week over two years, regardless of intensity.
The National Institutes of Health conducted a breakthrough study to show that diet and exercise can delay diabetes.
The clinical trial proved that a half hour of walking or another low-intensity exercise daily, combined with a low-fat diet, reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.
In general, the best time to exercise is one to three hours after eating, when your blood sugar level is likely to be higher.
If you use insulin, it's important to test your blood sugar before exercising. If the level before exercise is below 100 mg/dL, eating a piece of fruit or having a small snack will boost it and help you avoid hypoglycaemia.
Testing again 30 minutes later will show whether your blood sugar level is stable. It's also a good idea to check your blood sugar after any particularly gruelling workout or activity.
If you're taking insulin, your risk of developing hypoglycaemia may be highest six to 12 hours after exercising.
Below are some highlights of those results:
All forms of exercise — aerobic, resistance, or doing both (combined training) — were equally good at lowering HbA1c values in people with diabetes.
Resistance training and aerobic exercise both helped to lower insulin resistance in previously sedentary older adults with abdominal obesity at risk for diabetes.
Combining the two types of exercise proved more beneficial than doing either one alone.