Exercising more than recommended could prolong your life: Study

Exceeding recommended weekly levels of exercise could reduce adults’ all-cause mortality risks, according to new research.

Experts recommend that adults complete 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity each week or 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity.

People who exceed that threshold are more likely to live longer, according to the research published in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Circulation.

The study also found no harmful cardiovascular health effects among individuals completing four times the minimum recommended physical activity levels. However, exceeding this threshold also did not result in any additional reduction in death risks.

While those who met the recommended levels of moderate and vigorous activity had a 20-21 percent and 19 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, respectively, participants who completed two to four times that amount exhibited even greater risk reductions.

Those in the latter group who completed more vigorous activity than recommended had a 21-23 percent lower risk of death, while those who completed more moderate activity saw a 26-31 percent lower risk.

Data were gleaned from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, from 1988 through 2018. The majority of participants assessed were white females, while average participant age was 66.

In general, physical activity at or above recommended levels was associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease-related death and all-cause death.

Source: The Hill

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