People exercising at the park (Photo : Reuters/Soe Zeya Tun)
According to a new study published online in JAMA Internal Medicine, elderly people or middle-aged people who engage in some high-intensity exercise may decrease their chances of dying early by 13 percent, Doctor Lounge reported.
Scientists monitored 204,542 subjects aged 45 or older for more than six years. Participants who engaged in moderate activities, such as gentle household chores, social tennis and swimming, were compared with participants who engaged in some amount of vigorous activity, such as competitive tennis, aerobics and jogging.
Researchers divided the subjects into three groups based on their physical activity levels. One group consisted of participants who didn't engage in any vigorous activity, the second group consisted of participants who did vigorous activities for 30 percent of their time, and the third group consisted of participants who exercised vigorously for more than 30 percent of their time.
Scientists found that the participants who did vigorous activities for 30 percent of their time had a 9 percent reduction in mortality risk, while those who exercised vigorously for more than 30 percent of their time had a 13 percent reduction in mortality risk.
Klaus Gebel, lead author of the study, said that the benefits of vigorous activity applied to women and men and of all ages, and were independent of the amount of time spent being physically active. He further said that the results show that whether or not people are obese, and whether or not they suffer from heart disease or diabetes, if they can manage some vigorous activity it could offer benefits for longevity.
According to researchers, the study result contradicts the World Health Organization's recommendations about having 75 minutes of vigorous exercise and 150 minutes of moderate exercise for a healthy lifestyle, The American Register reported.
