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Movement and lifespan

How much each movement habit raises, or lowers, the odds of dying. Tap a pill, answer yours.

Your movement score

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of 100

Answer the 24 habits below to see your Movement Score, your combined risk of dying, and which habit is your biggest drag and your biggest lift.

Movement: What Matters?

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Movement: What Matters?

100%75%50%25%0%25%50%75%100%← more risk · % change in risk · less risk →Factors, ranked by biggest effect444%#196%#287%#384%#480%#570%#662%#753%#847%#941%#1039%#11≈37%#1236%#1335%#1433%#1531%#1631%#1727%#1824%#1924%#2020%#2118%#2217%#239%#24Everythingelseno single number

Scroll sideways to see every factor →

Tap a pill to answer yours.

Where you sit

0 of 24 answered

Answer the 24 factors above to see which ones raise your own risk, which sit at the reference, and which the studies have no number for.

Relative mortality versus each factor’s reference group; above the line is lower risk, below it higher.

Sources (27)Leong et al., Lancet 2015 · García-Hermoso et al., Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2018 · Mandsager et al., JAMA Netw Open 2018 and 24 moreShow all
  1. [1]L. B. Brito et al. Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 21(7):892-8, 2014. doi:10.1177/2047487312471759 Evidence: Low
  2. [2]K. M. Diaz et al. Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med, 167(7):465-475, 2017. doi:10.7326/M17-0212 Evidence: Low
  3. [3]A. J. Buffey et al. The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med, 52(8):1765-1787, 2022. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01649-4 Evidence: Moderate
  4. [4]C. G. S. Araújo et al. Reduced Body Flexibility Is Associated With Poor Survival in Middle-Aged Men and Women: A Prospective Cohort Study. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 34(8):e14708, 2024. doi:10.1111/sms.14708 Evidence: Low
  5. [5]C. G. Araujo et al. Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals. Br J Sports Med, 56(17):975-980, 2022. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2021-105360 Evidence: Low
  6. [6]K. Mandsager et al. Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing. JAMA Netw Open, 1(6):e183605, 2018. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605 Evidence: Low
  7. [7]S. Kodama et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness as a quantitative predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in healthy men and women: a meta-analysis. JAMA, 301(19):2024-35, 2009. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.681 Evidence: High
  8. [8]U. Ekelund et al. Dose-response associations between accelerometry measured physical activity and sedentary time and all cause mortality: systematic review and harmonised meta-analysis. BMJ, 366:l4570, 2019. doi:10.1136/bmj.l4570 Evidence: High
  9. [9]A. E. Paluch et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health, 7(3):e219-e228, 2022. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9 Evidence: High
  10. [10]P. Schnohr et al. Various Leisure-Time Physical Activities Associated With Widely Divergent Life Expectancies: The Copenhagen City Heart Study. Mayo Clin Proc, 93(12):1775-1785, 2018. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.06.025 Evidence: Low
  11. [11]C. A. Celis-Morales et al. Association between active commuting and incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 357:j1456, 2017. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1456 Evidence: Low
  12. [12]E. Stamatakis et al. Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality. Nat Med, 28(12):2521-2529, 2022. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-02100-x Evidence: Low
  13. [13]M. P. White et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep, 9(1), 2019. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3 Evidence: Very low
  14. [14]P. F. Saint-Maurice et al. Association of Leisure-Time Physical Activity Across the Adult Life Course With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality. JAMA Netw Open, 2(3):e190355, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.0355 Evidence: Low
  15. [15]G. O'Donovan et al. Association of "Weekend Warrior" and Other Leisure Time Physical Activity Patterns With Risks for All-Cause, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer Mortality. JAMA Intern Med, 177(3):335-342, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.8014 Evidence: Moderate
  16. [16]P. T. Katzmarzyk. Standing and mortality in a prospective cohort of Canadian adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 46(5):940-6, 2014. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000198 Evidence: Low
  17. [17]H. Arem et al. Leisure time physical activity and mortality: a detailed pooled analysis of the dose-response relationship. JAMA Intern Med, 175(6):959-67, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.0533 Evidence: High
  18. [18]A. García-Hermoso et al. Muscular Strength as a Predictor of All-Cause Mortality in an Apparently Healthy Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Data From Approximately 2 Million Men and Women. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 99(10):2100-2113.e5, 2018. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2018.01.008 Evidence: High
  19. [19]D. P. Leong et al. Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. Lancet, 386(9990):266-73, 2015. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62000-6 Evidence: Moderate
  20. [20]U. Ekelund et al. Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women. Lancet, 388(10051):1302-10, 2016. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30370-1 Evidence: High
  21. [21]E. Stamatakis et al. Self-rated walking pace and all-cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality: individual participant pooled analysis of 50 225 walkers from 11 population British cohorts. Br J Sports Med, 52(12):761-768, 2018. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-098677 Evidence: High
  22. [22]C. K. Kramer, S. Mehmood, and R. S. Suen. Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes, 12(10):e005554, 2019. doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554 Evidence: Moderate
  23. [23]N. Wang et al. Associations of Tai Chi, Walking, and Jogging With Mortality in Chinese Men. Am J Epidemiol, 178(5):791-796, 2013. doi:10.1093/aje/kwt050 Evidence: Low
  24. [24]P. Coenen et al. Do highly physically active workers die early? A systematic review with meta-analysis of data from 193 696 participants. Br J Sports Med, 52(20):1320-1326, 2018. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-098540 Evidence: Moderate
  25. [25]H. Momma et al. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Br J Sports Med, 56(13):755-763, 2022. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061 Evidence: High
  26. [26]M. A. Sanchez‐Lastra et al. Stair climbing and mortality: a prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, 12(2):298-307, 2021. doi:10.1002/jcsm.12679 Evidence: Low
  27. [27]B. Cillekens et al. Should workers be physically active after work? Associations of leisure-time physical activity with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality across occupational physical activity levels-An individual participant data meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci, 14:100987, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2024.100987 Evidence: High

Every factor, one by one

One quick question each. The charts above follow your answers.

  1. #1Sitting down on the floor and getting up[1]+444%

    The sitting-rising test scores you out of 10, 5 for sitting down and 5 for standing up: you lose a point for every hand, forearm, knee or side of the leg you use for support, and half a point more if the tester sees an unsteady move (a partial loss of balance) [1].

    Sit down on the floor cross-legged and stand back up. How much support did you need?

    reference
    +84%
    +244%
    +444%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  2. #2Breaking up sitting[2, 3]+96%

    How the sitting hours are arranged matters as well as how many.

    When you sit for a long time, how often do you get up and move?

    reference
    +22%
    +96%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  3. #3Flexibility[4]+87%

    The newest and least settled pill on this page.

    Sit on the floor with your legs straight and reach toward your toes. How does your flexibility compare with others your age?

    +87%
    reference

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  4. #4One-leg balance, 10 seconds[5]+84%

    A ten-second test that predicts death.

    Can you stand on one leg for 10 seconds, no support, eyes open? Try it now.

    reference
    +84%
    no number

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  5. #5Measured cardio fitness (VO2 max)[6]−80%

    This is the directly measured version of the jogging-ability pill above: an actual treadmill exercise test rather than a guess at your own pace.

    If you know your cardio fitness (VO2 max) from a lab or treadmill test, or a fitness watch estimate, how does it compare with others your age and sex?

    reference
    ≈−74%
    −80%
    no number

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  6. #6How fit you are[7]+70%

    The one number a treadmill test gives.

    Right now, without stopping, which of these could you do?

    +70%
    ≈+21%
    reference

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  7. #7Hours of light activity[8]−62%

    Movement that never counts as exercise, counted by a device.

    How many hours a day are you up and doing light things (housework, cooking, shopping, pottering, slow walking)?

    reference
    −40%
    −56%
    −62%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  8. #8Daily steps[9]−53%

    Counted steps, not remembered workouts.

    How many steps do you take on a typical day?

    reference
    −40%
    −45%
    −53%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  9. #9The sport you play[10]−47%

    What you play, not just how much.

    What kind of sport or activity do you do most?

    reference
    ≈−12%
    −28%
    −47%
    −39%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  10. #10How you get to work[11]−41%

    Exercise you cannot skip because it is how you get there.

    How do you mostly get to work?

    reference
    ≈−9%
    −24%
    −41%
    reference

    Same number, 2 answers: The study compared commuters by mode; someone who does not commute has the same non-active-transport exposure as a car or public-transport commuter, so the two share this reference rather than one going unplaced.

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  11. #11Vigorous bursts in daily life[12]−39%

    For people who never exercise, the bursts still count.

    How often does everyday life get you properly out of breath for a minute or two (stairs at pace, running for a bus, carrying heavy shopping)?

    reference
    −25%
    −39%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  12. #12Time outdoors in nature[13]≈−37%

    Not a mortality study like the rest of this page, but a large one on how you feel day to day.

    About how much time do you spend outdoors in green or natural space in a typical week (parks, trails, gardens, woods, the coast)?

    reference
    ≈−37%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  13. #13When you got active[14]−36%

    It is not too late, in numbers.

    Looking back over your adult life, which is closest?

    reference
    −36%
    −35%
    ≈−18%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  14. #14How your week is arranged[15]−35%

    The weekend warrior question.

    How is your exercise spread across the week?

    reference
    −34%
    −30%
    −35%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  15. #15Hours standing[16]−33%

    The standing desk question, from before standing desks.

    How much of your day do you spend on your feet, standing?

    reference
    −21%
    −21%
    −27%
    −33%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  16. #16Weekly exercise dose[17]−31%

    The largest pooled dose–response study of leisure-time exercise and death: 661,137 adults in six cohorts, 116,686 deaths over 14 years [17].

    How many days a week do you get 30+ minutes of exercise?

    reference
    −20%
    −20%
    −31%

    Same number, 2 answers: Both answers can sit under 150 minutes a week (1 to 2 days, or 3 to 4 days of about half an hour), and the study’s under-the-guideline band runs from a few minutes to 149; the question cannot tell them apart, so they share its number.

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  17. #17Grip strength[18, 19]−31%

    A cheap dynamometer reading turns out to predict death about as well as blood pressure.

    Compared with others your age and sex, how would you rate your grip and hand strength (a jar lid, a suitcase, a firm handshake)?

    reference
    ≈−17%
    −31%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  18. #18Hours sitting[20]+27%

    A million people, sitting time against activity.

    How many hours a day are you sitting?

    reference
    +9%
    +27%
    +27%

    Same number, 2 answers: The meta-analysis stopped counting at 8 hours: everything above it is one band, so 8 to 11 hours and more than 11 share its number.

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  19. #19Walking pace[21]−24%

    How fast, not just how far.

    When you walk, what pace do you usually go at?

    reference
    −20%
    −24%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  20. #20Living with a pet[22]−24%

    The walk you cannot skip.

    Which pets live with you? Tick every one that applies.

    reference
    −24%
    not enough research yet
    not enough research yet
    not enough research yet
    not enough research yet
    not enough research yet
    not enough research yet
    not enough research yet

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  21. #21Tai chi, qigong or yoga[23]−20%

    Slow movement, counted.

    Do you practise tai chi, qigong or yoga regularly?

    reference
    −20%
    ≈−10%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  22. #22A heavy physical job[24]+18%

    The physical activity paradox: movement at work does not pay like movement for pleasure.

    How physical is your work?

    reference
    ≈+9%
    +18%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

  23. #23Strength training[25]−17%

    Lifting, bands, body weight: a benefit independent of cardio.

    How often do you do strength training?

    reference
    −17%
    −15%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  24. #24Flights of stairs at home[26]−9%

    The smallest number on the chart, and an honest one.

    How many flights of stairs (about 10 steps each) do you climb at home on a typical day?

    reference
    no number
    −9%
    −8%
    −7%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.

Keep going

The deep dives behind this chart, and the quizzes that score it.

Take the exercise quiz →All quizzes →All deep dives →