As many of you would have seen in the news in the last few days, a 12-year study by the University of Cambridge has found that inactivity causes about twice as many deaths in Europe as obesity does. They found that 676,000 deaths each year were due to inactivity, compared with 337,000 from carrying too much weight. Although inactivity and obesity frequently go hand in hand, the researchers found that the greatest risk of an early death was in those that were classified as inactive, and this was consistent in not only obese people, but those who were of normal weight and also those that were classified as overweight. The study worked out that eliminating inactivity in Europe would cut mortality rates by nearly 7.5%, or 676,000 deaths, but eliminating obesity would cut rates by just 3.6%.

I think this study highlights a few very important things. Firstly that no matter how big or slim you are regular exercise is crucial to keep you healthy. Being slim doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re healthy. No matter what size you are, if you’re leading an inactive life there’s no way that you’re going to strengthen your bones, ligaments and joints, build muscle, maintain a healthy heart and help to relieve stress, all of which are important factors in helping to lengthen your life. Secondly that although a healthy diet is crucial in extending your life expectancy, exercise cannot be completely neglected. You can lose weight or maintain a good weight through diet alone, but if you’re not doing regular exercise alongside this then you’re missing out of huge health benefits.

It’s not hard to find time to stay active throughout the day. Even making small changes like walking part of your journey to work each day can make a huge difference in terms of health. The last thing people want to do after work is to go out and exercise, especially in the winter months when it gets dark early but if you can push yourself to go and do it, you’ll soon find that you have a whole lot more energy and a more positive mind-set. Most people find that this feeling really addictive and soon you’ll be looking forward the next time you can fit in some exercise. Stick to activities and exercise that you enjoy as you’re more likely to keep it up and if you need some extra motivation arrange to do some exercise with a friend. Don’t be afraid to try something new though, if someone invites you to do something different or you’ve always wanted to try a sport or activity go for it, it may become your new favourite way to exercise and stay healthy!