Okay !
How much exercise will maximize longevity? (2020, sebastianrushworth.com)
+So what conclusions can we draw?
First of all, I want to reiterate again that all these studies were observational, so most likely, the longevity benefit from exercise is smaller than was found in these studies. As mentioned above, the people who don’t move at all are to a large extent people who are really sick to begin with, and it’s often their underlying illness that is killing them, not their lack of exercise. As a doctor, pretty much the only people I see who are completely bed-bound are people with severe diseases who are in the last few months or years of their lives regardless of what they do. And healthy habits travel together, so people who engage in exercise generally also drink less alcohol, smoke less, and eat more healthily.
At the same time, I think it is reasonable to assume that there is some significant benefit to exercise, considering all the studies that show it improves cognition, balance, bone density and so on – things that should reasonably be expected to promote longevity.
Secondly, yes, the 30 minutes per day of and 10,000 steps per day recommendations do seem pretty reasonable in light of these studies. If you do 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise (of which walking to and from the bus station or tube definitely counts) then you are reaping at least 90% of the longevity inducing benefits of exercise.
If you do 10,000 steps a day then you are doing plenty. 10,000 steps is roughly equivalent to 5 miles (8 kilometers), which is about an hour and a half of walking at normal speed, or two hours at slow speed. In fact, you could walk half that and you would still be getting more than 90% of the longevity inducing benefits of exercise. So, even if you’re only getting 5,000 steps a day, don’t worry. You’re still getting 90% of the longevity benefits of exercise.
If you want to squeeze every last drop of longevity possible out of exercise, then you should be aiming for 35 METs per week, equivalent to 12-13 hours of walking at a moderate pace, or 6 hours of cycling, or 3-4 hours of running.
edit 03/2024: link update
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Metabolic equivalent of task (MET) (Wikipedia) Why exercise won't make you lose weight Charilaos Vasilakos (Wikipedia)
