STUDY FINDS — In an era where many of us spend our days hunched over computers or scrolling through phones, mounting evidence suggests our sedentary lifestyles may be quietly damaging our health.
A new study from the University of Iowa reveals that physically inactive individuals face significantly higher risks for up to 19 different chronic health conditions, ranging from obesity and diabetes to depression and heart problems.
Medical researchers have long known that regular physical activity helps prevent disease and promotes longevity.
However, this comprehensive study, which analyzed electronic medical records from over 40,000 patients at a major Midwestern hospital system, provides some of the most detailed evidence yet about just how extensively physical inactivity can impact overall health.
Leading the study, now published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, was a team of researchers from various departments at the University of Iowa, including pharmacy practice, family medicine, and human physiology.
Their mission was to examine whether screening patients for physical inactivity during routine medical visits could help identify those at higher risk for developing chronic diseases.
The simple 30-second exercise survey
When patients at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center arrived for their annual wellness visits, they received a tablet during the standard check-in process. Researchers implemented the Exercise Vital Sign (EVS), which asks two straightforward questions:
how many days per week they engaged in moderate to vigorous exercise (like a brisk walk) and for how many minutes per session.
Based on their responses, patients were categorized into three groups: inactive (0 minutes per week), insufficiently active (1-149 minutes per week), or active (150+ minutes per week).
“This two-question survey typically takes fewer than 30 seconds for a patient to complete … ”
