Getting older is hard; our body slowly loses itself and breaks down, and we’re the ones left to try and support it. With age, our muscles tend to shrink, while our bones become less dense and more fragile. And if that’s not enough, finding time to exercise often becomes increasingly challenging as family life and work life demand more and more from you.
But it’s important to find time to fight against time. A new study from Australia published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine confirms the long-standing belief that physical activity is the key to a longer and healthier life. Physical activity has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles and bones, help manage weight, and improve mood.
Adults should aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week and at least two days of muscle-strengthening per week. In the published study, researchers from the University of Queensland linked consistent physical activity with a 30% to 40% reduction in the risk of death from any cause, especially from heart disease.
Early death is generally defined as death before the age of 75. “Our findings highlight the importance of physical activity throughout adulthood and suggest that starting activity at any point in adulthood may offer survival benefits,” the study authors said in a statement.
The research reviewed 85 different studies that emphasized physical activity patterns throughout adulthood, the benefits of different levels of activity, and the long-term effects of years of physical activity. The participant groups ranged from 357 people in the smallest study to 6.5 million people in the largest study.
Older adults who were unfit and began exercising at a relatively late age had a 22% lower risk of early death from any cause compared to those who remained inactive.
Older adults who were consistently active all the time or only during their leisure time had a 40% lower risk of dying from heart disease and a 25% lower chance of dying from cancer compared to those who avoided the gym. Any physical activity is better than inactivity. The evidence proves that gym lovers will outlast us all.