Exercise more than the recommended amounts for the longest life, study says
Exceeding current exercise recommendations protects against premature death.
Most public health organizations recommend that adults of all ages engage in 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical exercise or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical exercise each week, or an equivalent combination of both. Most adults fall far short of these recommendations, however. Evidence from a recent study suggests that people who exceed current exercise recommendations are less likely to die prematurely than those who exercise less.
Exercise stresses the human body, eliciting a wide array of protective mechanisms that work together to condition the body for future stressors, a biological phenomenon known as hormesis. Hormesis is a compensatory defense response to a stressor that is disproportionate to the stressor’s magnitude.
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The study involved more than 116,000 adults enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, two ongoing studies focused on identifying risk factors that drive chronic disease. Twice a year for a period of 30 years, participants provided information about their lifestyles and physical activity, including the intensity and duration. The investigators tracked death rates and causes of death among the participants.
They found that approximately 47,000 of the participants died during the 30 years of follow-up. Compared to participants who didn’t exercise at all, those who met the moderate-intensity exercise guideline during their lives were 19 to 25 percent less likely to die prematurely. Those who met the vigorous-intensity guideline were 19 to 31 percent less likely to die prematurely.
However, exercising even more conferred greater protection against premature death. Participants who engaged in 300 to 599 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week (double the guideline) were 3 to 13 percent less likely to die prematurely, and those who engaged in 150 to 299 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week (double the guideline) were 2 to 4 percent less likely to die prematurely.
These findings suggest that meeting or exceeding current exercise guidelines markedly reduces the risk of dying prematurely and underscores the importance of regularly engaging in physical activity. Learn about the many health benefits of aerobic exercise in our overview article.