A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has shown that increasing your level of physical activity at any point throughout your life will lower your risk of dying from any cause, particularly cardiovascular disease.
The study was a systematic review and meta-analysis that included 85 studies on the link between physical activity and mortality, including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cancer mortality. In particular, this review looked at how the long-term trajectory of exercise could influence mortality. While most studies look at a snapshot of exercise habits, this review only included studies that had two or more measurements of physical activity over time. The goal of the study was to see how patterns in exercise and the accumulation of physical activity over adulthood may affect mortality.
The results showed that, as expected, those who got the most physical activity had the lowest risk of dying from any cause. People who were consistently active over time had a 30–40% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to inactive people. However, people who transitioned from an inactive lifestyle to an active lifestyle also saw major health benefits; people who transitioned from inactive to active had a 20–25% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to people who remained inactive. While the benefits of exercise were greater surrounding cardiovascular mortality, benefits were also seen for cancer mortality. Consistently active people had a 40% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 25% lower risk of dying from cancer compared to people who were consistently inactive.
The authors of the study noted that being consistently active in adulthood had the greatest benefits, but there were also significant benefits for people who switched from being inactive to being active at any point in their adult lives. For the greatest longevity benefits, it is important for all adults to become and remain physically active.
Sources: British Journal of Sports Medicine, Science Daily
