2008 Woodie Awards
Getting physical counts, no matter where you start
Mary-Jo Lomax
Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: Features
It is common knowledge that refraining from smoking, drinking alcohol only in moderation, getting regular exercise, and eating lots of fruits and veggies are good for your health.
Now we have learned from British researchers that these four healthy behaviors can actually add 14 years to your life!
From 1993 to 1997 the researchers surveyed 20,000 people between 45 and 79 years old, keeping note of whether or not they smoked, got regular exercise, ate five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and drank alcohol in moderation.
None of the participants had a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. The researchers then followed them for an average of 11 years, keeping track of who among the group died and their cause of death.
The results indicated that even just one of these behaviors improved one's health, but all four behaviors had the best effect.
What I think is interesting about this study is that none of the four behaviors are specifically defined, but the results were still positive. Increasing your activity doesn't have to involve going to the gym on a daily basis; you could start by parking further away from your destination so that you increase the number of steps you walk in a day.
In other words, it didn't matter what kind of physical activity you did just as long as you did something, and moderate alcohol intake was defined rather broadly as having one to 14 drinks per week.
This study adds more evidence to the notion that making changes to your lifestyle has a positive influence on your health. Note that the study participants were all middle-aged or older, which makes me think that the younger you are when you adopt these behaviors, the better off you'll be as you get older.
This is especially good news for people who want to become healthier but just don't know where to begin.
Making small changes now can really make a difference to your overall health in the long run.
Increasing your activity doesn't have to involve going to the gym on a daily basis; you could start by parking further away from your destination so that you increase the number of steps you walk in a day.
Adding a piece of fruit or munching on a few carrot sticks can increase the amount of fruit and veggies you eat without too much effort.
You don't have to give up drinking alcohol, but you can reduce the number of drinks you have during the week.
And if you smoke, you may not be ready to actually quit but you can at least start thinking about it.
And if you are ready to quit, come and make an appointment with me.
Mary-Jo Lomax is a health educator for De Anza College.
Now we have learned from British researchers that these four healthy behaviors can actually add 14 years to your life!
From 1993 to 1997 the researchers surveyed 20,000 people between 45 and 79 years old, keeping note of whether or not they smoked, got regular exercise, ate five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and drank alcohol in moderation.
None of the participants had a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. The researchers then followed them for an average of 11 years, keeping track of who among the group died and their cause of death.
The results indicated that even just one of these behaviors improved one's health, but all four behaviors had the best effect.
What I think is interesting about this study is that none of the four behaviors are specifically defined, but the results were still positive. Increasing your activity doesn't have to involve going to the gym on a daily basis; you could start by parking further away from your destination so that you increase the number of steps you walk in a day.
In other words, it didn't matter what kind of physical activity you did just as long as you did something, and moderate alcohol intake was defined rather broadly as having one to 14 drinks per week.
This study adds more evidence to the notion that making changes to your lifestyle has a positive influence on your health. Note that the study participants were all middle-aged or older, which makes me think that the younger you are when you adopt these behaviors, the better off you'll be as you get older.
This is especially good news for people who want to become healthier but just don't know where to begin.
Making small changes now can really make a difference to your overall health in the long run.
Increasing your activity doesn't have to involve going to the gym on a daily basis; you could start by parking further away from your destination so that you increase the number of steps you walk in a day.
Adding a piece of fruit or munching on a few carrot sticks can increase the amount of fruit and veggies you eat without too much effort.
You don't have to give up drinking alcohol, but you can reduce the number of drinks you have during the week.
And if you smoke, you may not be ready to actually quit but you can at least start thinking about it.
And if you are ready to quit, come and make an appointment with me.
Mary-Jo Lomax is a health educator for De Anza College.
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