A new study adds to the evidence that becoming physically active can help middle-aged and older adults improve their longevity. Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK found that sedentary adults ages 40 to 80 who increased their physical activity level to 150 minutes a week were 24% less likely to die during the study period than those who remained inactive.
“Becoming physically active in mid-life can extend longevity,” I-Min Lee, an expert on physical activity and health who was not involved in the new study, said in a July 17, 2019 Reuters article. Lee, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, noted that previous studies have found that starting to exercise can help inactive people improve blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and inflammation, and reduce belly fat.
Read Reuters article: Maintaining or starting exercise in middle age tied to longer life
Learn more
Following five healthy lifestyle habits may increase life expectancy by decade or more (Harvard Chan School news)
Brisk walking may reduce early death risk in older women (Harvard Chan School news)