Here's yet another reason to exercise: Austrian researchers found higher levels of physical activity are linked to reduced mortality. And the more activity, the better.
For light- to moderate intensity activities of daily living—think housework, gardening, stair climbing, walking and bicycling for transportation—an increase of one hour per week compared to no physical activity was associated with a reduction in mortality of four percent.
Meeting the World Trade Organization's recommended level of 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity is associated with a reduction in mortality of 10 percent. And for vigorous exercise and sports, that reduction jumps to 22 percent.
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Five or more hours per week of moderate-intensity activities lends itself to a reduction in mortality risk of 19 percent, while vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and sports is associated with a 39 percent reduction.
This research comes from Guenther Samitz, researcher in physical activity and public health at the Centre for Sports Sciences and University Sports of the University of Vienna, who conducted a meta-analysis involving more than 1.3 million participants. Samitz collaborated with public health scientists at the Universities of Bern, Switzerland and Bristol, UK.
The researchers identified about 7,000 potentially relevant studies, of which 80 involved more than 1.3 million study participants from Europe, Canada, the United States and Asia.
At study onset participants were free of cardiovascular disease, cancer and other chronic conditions, and study participants were tracked a median of 11 years. The findings factored in cigarette smoking, alcohol, body mass index, blood pressure, nutrition, education and social factors.
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