A Few Hours Of Walking Every Week Could Slash Your Risk Of An Early Death, New Study Suggests
A good workout can help you build muscle, get a better night's sleep, and feel really good. But it might even help you live longer, a new study found.
You don’t even need to do anything drastic to reap the benefits. Here’s what researchers found, plus how to ramp up your own exercise routine to get the perks.
Meet the experts: Ryan Glatt, CPT, is a senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California. Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, is a personal trainer and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.
What did the study find?
The study, which was published in the journal Circulation, analyzed data from two U.S. cohorts of more than 116,000 adults on their exercise routines and overall health. (Data was collected from the participants 15 times over 30 years.)
Scientists found that people who did 300 to 599 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week had a 26 to 31 percent lower all-cause mortality and a 28 to 38 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. They also had an up to 27 percent lower risk of dying from something outside of cardiovascular disease. (Moderate physical activity is defined as walking, weightlifting, and other types of lower-intensity exercise, according to the American Medical Association.)
That, of course, goes far beyond the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise advised by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. But it appears as if working out more can raise your odds of living longer.
Can exercise make me live longer?
There are a lot of factors that go into how long you live, but plenty of research suggests that an exercise habit is linked with a larger life span.
For example, a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people over the age of 40 could live an extra 5.3 years if they were as active as the top 25 percent of the population. And an older scientific analysis concluded that people who are physically active are up to 35 percent less likely to die from any cause compared to their inactive counterparts.
“Physical activity is an essential, but underutilized, strategy for aging well,” says Ryan Glatt, CPT, a senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California. “Even minimal activity levels can provide substantial health benefits, including disease prevention and improved quality of life.”
What type of exercise will make me live longer?
In general, any kind of activity seems to help people live longer. However, research suggests that strength training can make you biologically younger, while kettlebell training can help you to age more smoothly.
If I’m not active, how can I get into exercise?
It’s important to start slowly, says Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, a personal trainer and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. “At different points in your fitness, different exercises are appropriate,” he says. Meaning, you shouldn't expect to be able to run a marathon if you're not even doing a walking routine right now.
You can start out small by doing things like going for regular walks at a higher intensity, then ramping up to going for jogs and runs. You can eventually add in things like HIIT classes and strength training.
When you do strength training, Matheny says it’s important to focus on big muscle groups, like your legs. “Body weight exercises—lunges, squats, planks—are great for most people,” he says.
If you want a more defined introduction to exercise, Women’s Health has a four-week beginner workout plan to guide you through.
Ultimately, Matheny says it’s important to come up with a routine you can follow consistently. “Just do the best you can,” he says.
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