Regularly engaging in a variety of physical activities could add years to life by lowering the risk of death, according to research published in BMJ Medicine.
Varied exercise lowers mortality risk regardless of total activity volume
Researchers analyzed data from the Nurses‘ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, tracking over 111,000 participants for more than 30 years. Participants who reported different types of physical activity had a lower risk of death even when total exercise volume remained the same.
Activity variety matters more than simply increasing exercise volume
The study found that benefits of physical activity level off after a certain point, suggesting an optimal amount of activity exists. However, mixing activities such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, weight training, yoga and household tasks provided additional mortality benefits beyond total volume.
Walking was the most common activity, with gender differences in vigorous exercise
Walking was the most frequently reported form of leisure exercise across both studies. Men were more likely than women to report jogging or running, while higher overall activity levels correlated with lower rates of smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
What types of activities were included in the study?
The study tracked walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, callisthenics, tennis, squash, racquetball, weight training, resistance exercise, yoga, stretching, toning, lawn mowing, maintenance, gardening, digging, chopping, and daily stair climbing.
How was physical activity measured in the research?
Researchers used MET scores, calculated by multiplying the average time spent on each activity per week by its metabolic equivalent value, which indicates energy use relative to resting.
