photo courtesy freedigitalphoto.net
A recent study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise suggests even being a little more fit
may improve longevity. New research on 4,384 middle-aged and older Americans finds that physical activity boosts longevity – even beyond exercise’s cardiovascular benefits and effects on weight.
Participants were divided into five groups based on fitness level assessed from treadmill tests. They were then followed for an average of nine years. After adjusting for factors like obesity, hypertension and diabetes, the least-fit group was still more than four times as likely to die during that period than the most-fit group. Even being just a little more fit was associated with a big longevity improvement: While 25% of the least-fit group died during the study period, only 13% of the next-least-fit participants died. Researchers noted that overall exercise habits among participants didn’t vary much during their adults lives – but recent activity did.
Take home message: “Live active. Since it is recent activity that offers protection, it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”
