In medicine, longevity isn’t just about staying alive for as long as possible. The goal is to maximize the number of years we live in good health and disease-free into older age — aka, our “healthspan.”
While society is obsessed with quick fixes like biohacking and peptides, increasing our healthspan often boils down to lifestyle choices. These include diet, sleep and physical activity.
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym every week to reap the benefits of exercise — which include a lower risk of heart disease, improved mobility and weight management, among others.
Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery, previously spoke to TODAY.com about longevity-boosting lifestyle habits to incorporate into your routine.
Here’s how many days a week you should move your body in order to increase your healthspan:
Longevity Tip of The Day: Move Your Body Every Day, 7 Days a Week, to Boost Longevity
Moving your body every day is an incredibly important habit to boost longevity, Metzl tells TODAY.com.
“It’s the number one thing. Activity, activity, activity … daily,” says Metzl, who authored “Push: Unlock the Science of Fitness Motivation to Embrace Health and Longevity.”
Movement can be anything that gets you to exert more effort or move your body around more than usual. Whether it’s walking, dancing, taking the stairs or cleaning your home.
“We have increasing evidence that even just two minutes a day of vigorous physical activity, independent of exercise, is valuable for extending longevity,” Metzl says.
Simply dialing up the intensity during everyday activities can have an impact. “As long as it gets you huffing and puffing,” Metzl adds. This is referred to as non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT.
Why It Matters
Humans are living increasingly sedentary lives, per the World Health Organization. From riding in cars to working at computers and staring at screens, we’re spending less time on our feet.
Sedentary behavior is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases and even premature death.
Daily movement is an effective way to combat these negative effects and boost longevity, and it’s also easy to incorporate into your existing routine, Metzl notes. It’s approachable for people who’ve been sedentary for a long time, and doable for those who don’t have enough time or energy for a workout.
Anything that gets your muscles activated, increases your heart rate and gets you breathing faster counts, says Metzl.
Daily movement isn’t glamorous. However, it’s sustainable — and the small choices we make every day add up over time.
Compared to trendy longevity supplements or unapproved peptides, moving your body is extremely low-risk. “It’s free and it’s safe,” says Metzl.
How To Get Started
First, try to commit to moving daily by setting reminders and alarms, and keep a log of your movements to track your progress.
Try these quick bursts of activity to get started:
Examples of NEAT activities include:
Taking the stairs instead of the elevatorParking farther away than usual Folding laundry standing upCarrying a heavy package or groceriesHand-washing your dishesStanding up while taking phone calls
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more