Exercise boosts your health, keeps you fit, and helps you look your best. But rather than focusing exclusively on those juicy short-term gains, you should engage in activities that will benefit your health long term and maybe even add a few years to your life.
In this article, you’ll learn three science-backed activities that can improve your health, fitness, and longevity. You’ll also discover how long to exercise (because that’s important too).
How Long You Spend Exercising Matters
Of course, maintaining a high level of fitness benefits your overall health. But how much exercise do you really need to live longer?
A Danish study investigated how much exercise a week is best to extend the average person’s life. The researchers asked 8,697 healthy adults to complete questionnaires about their workout habits over about 25 years.
You might expect that the more you work out, the better your longevity. But, the results revealed that 2.6 to 4.5 hours of exercise per week was the sweet spot. Compared to the reference group who clocked in 2.6 to 4.5 hours of weekly exercise, participants who didn’t exercise at all had the most significant increase in mortality risk. This inactive group was 51% more likely to die than the reference group. People who only exercised for 0.1 to 2.5 hours weekly fared a little better, being 25% more likely to die than the reference group.
Most surprising of all, participants who exercised more than 10 hours a week didn’t increase their longevity. In fact, this workout-loving group had an 18% higher mortality risk than the reference group.
Next, let’s look at how you can boost longevity with three common types of exercise.
Play Team Sports
Rather than putting on your headphones and lacing up your trainers for a jog through the park, joining a sports team may be best if you want to live longer.
A Danish study analyzed which sports had the greatest benefits to participants’ longevity. The researchers monitored over 8,577 adults’ exercise habits for up to 25 years. They compared the longevity of active adults who participated in different sports to a group who weren’t regularly exercising.
The researchers found that participants who played team sports like tennis, badminton, and soccer tended to live at least five years longer than participants who weren’t active. The study identified tennis as the best sport for longevity, adding an impressive 9.7 years to players’ lives.
However, if you don’t have access to team sports, or it’s just not your thing, the researchers found that exercise of any kind is better than not exercising at all. Solitary sports like swimming, cycling, and jogging also improved longevity, but not as significantly as team sports. Cycling was the best solo exercise for longevity, adding 3.7 years to participants’ lives.
Walk Everyday
As remote working and food deliveries become the norm, getting out of the house is more a matter of choice than necessity. But venturing out helps you to keep moving, which has a positive effect on your longevity.
A Danish study found that walking 7,000 or more steps a day can add extra years to your life. The researchers tracked 2,110 adults for roughly ten years. They discovered that walking 7,000 or more steps per day lowered participants’ mortality risk by 50%.
Participants who managed 9,000 steps daily fared even better, with a 70% reduction in mortality risk. However, the longevity boost from increasing daily steps had an upper limit. Going over 10,000 steps a day didn’t help them live much longer.
The researchers also observed the intensity or speed participants walked at. Interestingly, they discovered that walking speed didn’t make any difference to people’s longevity.
Can yoga help you live longer?
Yoga can help you to remain healthy as you age. But can it extend your life?
One study explored whether yoga could extend longevity by looking at biomarkers (measurements of certain compounds in the body such as cortisol in the blood.) The researchers analyzed 96 healthy adults’ longevity biomarkers after 12 weeks enrolled in a “yoga and meditation lifestyle intervention,” which included physical yoga poses alongside breathing exercises and meditation.
The researchers recorded participants’ longevity biomarkers before and after the intervention. After 12 weeks of practicing yoga, the participants’ biomarkers improved, suggesting that yoga alongside meditation can be a life-extending activity.
Conclusion
Staying active is crucial for a longer life. Whether it’s a stroll to the store or a power walk through the park, accumulating more steps will benefit your long-term health.
What’s more, participating in team sports is a scientifically-backed option if you want to extend your life. However, research suggests that 2.6 – 4.5 hours of exercise a week is your best bet for longevity.