Prevent disease and improve longevity
Moving more prevents the onset of many common diseases, and helps us live longer. People with low levels of physical activity have a greater risk of death even when compared with those who are active but smoke, are obese, or have high blood pressure. Wow.
When compared to people who don�t move much, those who complete the recommended 150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity
Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise have a:
- 60% lower risk of developing colon cancer
- 50% lower risk of developing breast cancer
- 58% lower risk of developing diabetes
- 40% lower risk of developing heart diseases and high blood pressure
- 40% lower risk of developing Alzheimer�s disease
Regular physical activity, sport and exercise also help treat these diseases. For example, Exercise Oncology uses exercise as a complementary treatment with standard medical interventions for cancer. Physical activity can also be twice as effective at treating Type II diabetes than drug treatment.
MORE ABOUT DAILY HABIT #3: �I will reach 10,000 steps on my activity tracker every day�
This powerhouse habit adds up to 10 km of walking each day! Activity trackers are fantastic because they let you know exactly how much you�ve done, and how much more activity you need to meet your daily goal.
How do I build this habit?
- Identify and commit to activities that you know will increase your step count. Take the stairs, go the long way (to get coffee; to the meeting room; even to the bathroom), and sneak out for a brisk 10-minute walk.
- Plan to do at least 2-3 of these activities every day to boost your step count.
How do I measure my success?
Monitor: Check your tracker at regular intervals (for example, at lunch and dinner), so you know how close you are to your goal. You can also set most trackers to alert you if you haven�t moved in a while.
Sources
- http://www.exerciseismedicine.org/assets/page_documents/eim-fact-sheet-2015.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23742850