Named Condition Under Which Exercise Reduces Risk of Early Death

Diversity of physical activity may reduce the risk of premature death more effectively than just a large volume of exercise. This conclusion was reached by scientists who analyzed data from long-term observations.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to BMJ Medicine, the study is based on data from two large long-term projects involving about 110 thousand people whose health was monitored for more than 30 years. Unlike many previous studies, scientists took into account not only the total volume of physical activity but also the diversity of its types - from walking and running to strength training, swimming, and gardening.

The results showed that people who regularly combined several forms of physical activity had a lower risk of premature death compared to those who performed a comparable amount of time but with a uniform set of exercises. Even with the same total level of movement, a variety of exercises provided an additional reduction in risk.

The relationship between physical activity and life expectancy turned out to be non-linear. The maximum protective effect was observed at approximately 20 MET-hours per week, which corresponds to several hours of moderate or intense physical activity. Further increases in activity volume no longer led to a noticeable increase in benefits.

The study authors emphasize that for maintaining health, not only the regularity of exercise is important but also the alternation of different types of movements - aerobic, strength, and moderate. This approach, in their opinion, better reflects the real lifestyle and can be more sustainable and beneficial in the long term.