Their findings, reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, challenge two long-held assumptions about the benefits of physical activity for the elderly. "UK and US physical activity guidelines don't mention any benefits of light activity," lead author Barbara Jefferis, an epidemiologist at University College London, told AFP. Only 16 percent of the volunteers lived up to current British exercise guidelines in sessions of at least 10 minutes. - Couch potatoes -The study focused on 1,181 participants who wore an accelerometer -- a device that tracks the volume and intensity of physical exercise -- for seven days. The study showed that each additional 30 minutes-a-day of light-intensity exercise was associated with a 17 percent reduction in the risk of death.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 19, 2018 23:37 UTC