Your healthy lifestyle doesn’t just mean lower rates, it means a longer life
The Science
The long-term benefits of a healthy lifestyle
We combined the science from our Health IQ Quiz with the latest in medical research specific to healthy lifestyles to prove its transformative effect on your long-term health.
Running
Running is correlated with a 45% lower cardiovascular mortality risk
Persistent running provided a 45% reduction in cardiovascular mortality according to a 2014 study in The Journal of The American College of Cardiology
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Running
Running is correlated with a 45% lower cardiovascular mortality risk
Persistent running provided a 45% reduction in cardiovascular mortality according to a 2014 study in The Journal of The American College of Cardiology
The study examined the associations of running with cardiovascular mortality risks in 55,137 adults (average age 44 years old). Compared with nonrunners, runners had 45% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality as well as a 3-year life expectancy benefit. The mortality benefits in runners were similar across all groups of running times, distance, frequency, amount, and speed, compared with nonrunners.
Duck-chul Lee et al. J American College Cardiol. 2014
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Swimming
Swimming is correlated with a 28% lower mortality risk
A cohort study of over 80,000 middle-aged people found that swimming provides a 28% reduction in all-cause mortality.
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Swimming
Swimming is correlated with a 28% lower mortality risk
A cohort study of over 80,000 middle-aged people found that swimming provides a 28% reduction in all-cause mortality.
The 2017 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine explored the associations of six different types of sport/exercise with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk in a large pooled Scottish and English population-based cohort of 80,306 individuals (54% women; mean±SD age: 52±14 years). Selection of covariates was guided by previous literature adjustments made for age, sex, long-standing illness, alcohol drinking frequency, psychological distress, BMI, smoking status, education level, doctor-diagnosed CVD (all-cause mortality analyses only) and weekly physical activity volume (MET-hours/week excluding the volume of the sport that was the main exposure in the corresponding model). Participants who had doctor-diagnosed CVD at baseline (angina, stroke, IHD) were excluded from the analyses with CVD mortality as outcome. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to investigate the associations between each exposure and all-cause and CVD mortality and after adjustments, swimming participation was associated with a significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality of 28% compared with no participation.
Oja et al Br J Sports Med (2017)
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HIIT
HIIT is correlated with up to a 51% lower risk of heart disease
According to a 2006 study in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, a single weekly bout of exercise of high intensity reduces the risk of cardiovascular death by 39% in men and 51% in women.
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HIIT
HIIT is correlated with up to a 51% lower risk of heart disease
According to a 2006 study in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, a single weekly bout of exercise of high intensity reduces the risk of cardiovascular death by 39% in men and 51% in women.
The observation that exercise training reduces cardiovascular mortality is robust and consistent, but the amount and intensity of exercise that is required for risk reduction is not yet resolved. The study focused on the association between the amount and intensity of exercise and cardiovascular mortality in 27,143 men and 28,929 women with no known cardiovascular disease at the beginning of follow-up between 1984 and 1986. After 16 years of follow-up, 2946 men (10.8%) and 2486 women (8.6%) had died from ischaemic heart disease or stroke. A single weekly bout of exercise of high intensity reduced the risk of cardiovascular death, both in men and women, compared with those who reported no activity. There was no additional benefit from increasing the duration or the number of exercise sessions per week. The risk reduction related to exercise increased with increasing age in men, but not in women. These results challenge the current recommendation that expenditure of at least 1000 kcal per week is required to achieve exercise-induced protection against premature cardiovascular mortality.
Wisloff U, Nilsen et al. Eur. J. Cardiovasc. Prev. Rehabil. 2006
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Triathlon
Elite athletic competition is correlated with a 40% lower risk of cancer
According to a 2014 study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, high-level athletes live longer than the general population and enjoy a 27% lower level of mortality from cardiovascular disease and a 40% lower level of mortality from cancer.
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Triathlon
Elite athletic competition is correlated with a 40% lower risk of cancer
According to a 2014 study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, high-level athletes live longer than the general population and enjoy a 27% lower level of mortality from cardiovascular disease and a 40% lower level of mortality from cancer.
The goal of this meta-analysis was to provide an accurate overview of mortality in elite athletes compared to the general population. Due to the recent discussions over a possible threshold of cardiovascular benefits in endurance athletes, the researchers were examining if the overall health benefits of exercise would counteract any potential detrimental effects. Researchers reviewed English-language scientific articles available in Medline and Web of Science databases following the recommendations of the Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology group. Ten studies met all inclusion criteria and included data from a total of 42,807 athletes. The evidence available indicates that top-level athletes live longer than the general population and have a lower risk of 2 major causes of mortality, namely, CVD and cancer.
Garatachea et al., Mayo Clin Proc. 2014
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Weightlifting
Weightlifting is associated with a 46% reduction of all-cause mortality
A 2016 study in Preventative Medicine concluded that adults who strength-trained at least twice a week had a 46% reduction in mortality compared to those who did not strength train.
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Weightlifting
Weightlifting is associated with a 46% reduction of all-cause mortality
A 2016 study in Preventative Medicine concluded that adults who strength-trained at least twice a week had a 46% reduction in mortality compared to those who did not strength train.
This multi-year study followed the health of 30,000 adult participants, including the respondents through death certificate data from the National Center for Health Statistics National Death Index. Unlike aerobic exercise’s well-established effects, strength training has only recently garnered attention for its benefits in regaining muscle mass and strength often depleted with age and disability. While any regular physical activity has consistent and powerful relationships with longer life expectancy, the study aimed to prove that strength training also plays an important role in decreasing premature mortality.
Kraschnewski JL et al., Prev Med (2016)
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Vegan
Plant-based diets are associated with lower risk of cancer: 8% lower risk for vegetarians and 15% lower risk for vegans.
According to a 2016 study in the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, vegans have a 15% lower incidence of all types of cancer and 22% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
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Vegan
Plant-based diets are associated with lower risk of cancer: 8% lower risk for vegetarians and 15% lower risk for vegans.
According to a 2016 study in the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, vegans have a 15% lower incidence of all types of cancer and 22% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
In a study that included 56,000 vegan participants, vegans had significantly lower levels of cancer when compared to non-vegans. The reasons for the beneficial effects of veganism on cancer lie mainly on the lower intake of total and saturated fats in a vegan diet. Reduced cancer risk is also associated with vegans' large consumption of foods known to decrease cancer risk, such as soybean, legumes, nuts, and vegetable oils. Additionally, vegans can absorb more carotenoids, disease-fighting pigment, and polyphenols, that help prevent degenerative diseases like cancer.
Dinu et al. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. (2016)
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Health Literacy
High Health Literacy is correlated with a 36% lower risk of early death
According to proprietary research by Health IQ analyzing the results of over 10.2 million quizzes completed, a well-rounded foundation of health knowledge is correlated to a significant reduction in mortality risk of 36% for adults from ages 30-89. We’ve longitudinally tracked this data and created the largest new health literacy linked mortality table in the world.
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Health Literacy
High Health Literacy is correlated with a 36% lower risk of early death
According to proprietary research by Health IQ analyzing the results of over 10.2 million quizzes completed, a well-rounded foundation of health knowledge is correlated to a significant reduction in mortality risk of 36% for adults from ages 30-89. We’ve longitudinally tracked this data and created the largest new health literacy linked mortality table in the world.
The Health IQ quiz moves beyond the normal self-reporting health assessments that ask people to describe their health behaviours. Health IQ questions are targeted towards assessing implementable knowledge — the kind of thing that a person knows because they habitually engage in this behavior in their everyday life.
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Yoga
Yoga = 41% lower level of inflammation marker
According to research done at Ohio State University, women who practice yoga regularly for at least two years have 41% less serum IL-6 levels, a marker of inflammation in their bodies, than women who only recently have taken up the activity.
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Yoga
Yoga = 41% lower level of inflammation marker
According to research done at Ohio State University, women who practice yoga regularly for at least two years have 41% less serum IL-6 levels, a marker of inflammation in their bodies, than women who only recently have taken up the activity.
Chronically high levels of inflammation are known to play a role in certain conditions, including asthma, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Participants completed three stressful tasks in succession, but when yoga experts were exposed to stress, they experienced 41% less inflammation than yoga novices did. Subjects had catheters placed in their arms to collect blood samples periodically for key markers of inflammation, one of which is a protein called IL-6. Across all the tasks and other experimental scenarios, the seasoned yogis' IL-6 levels were 41% lower than the novices'. Yoga focuses on deep breathing and controlling breathing, which may slow down the body's "fight or flight" response. Yoga also involves meditation, which helps people learn to pay attention to how they are feeling. So yoga experts may be more aware of their stress and better able to control their response to it. Finally, yoga is a form of exercise, which is known to decrease inflammation.
Kiecolt-Glaser et al., Psychosom Med. (2010)
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Cycling
Cycling = 45% lower risk of cancer
Cyclists who commute to work 30+ miles a week have a 45% reduction in all cancer incidence as compared to non-cyclists, according to a 2017 study in the BMJ.
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Cycling
Cycling = 45% lower risk of cancer
Cyclists who commute to work 30+ miles a week have a 45% reduction in all cancer incidence as compared to non-cyclists, according to a 2017 study in the BMJ.
This UK-based prospective population-based study investigated the association between active commuting and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and all-cause mortality. The study included 263,450 participants (106, 674 (52%) women; mean age 52.6) from 22 sites across the UK. The exposure variable was the mode of transport used (walking, cycling, mixed mode v non-active (car or public transport)) to commute to and from work on a typical day. The study found that commuting by cycling was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and adverse CVD and cancer outcomes, in a dose dependent manner and independent of a range of confounding factors.
Celis-Morales et al. BMJ (2017)
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Quiz Results