For Longevity, More Exercise is Better!
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends American adults complete 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity each week or 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity. Although a 2018 study found around 80 percent of U.S. adults and adolescents are insufficiently active, those who exceed HHS’ thresholds are more likely to live longer, according to new 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. In an effort to better understand whether exercise above recommended amounts led to benefits or drawbacks to individuals’ cardiovascular health, researchers assessed the physical activity and medical records of more than 100,000 people over the span of 30 years.
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.
Excerpted from The Hill
