Exercise – every bit of it – contributes to a longer life

Exercise, even a little of it, can lengthen your life, a new study suggests. The researchers also found that too much sitting was associated with a higher risk of early death.

Developing ways to limit sedentary time and increase activity at any level could considerably improve health and reduce mortality, the study authors concluded.

A steep decline in death rates was associated with increasing amounts of light physical activity up to about 300 minutes (five hours) a day, and moderate-intensity physical activity of about 24 minutes per day.

The largest difference in early death risk (about 60 to 70%) was between the least and most physically active, with about five times more deaths among inactive people than among those who were most active, according to the report. Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week.                 

Source: HealthDay