Scientists discover the exact exercise routine that reduces the risk of premature death by 50%
The exact amount of exercise needed to optimize your life expectancy has been revealed in a major study.
Researchers from Spain, Australia, Canada and Denmark examined medical records and survey responses. than half a million healthy Americans ages 18 and older.
They checked death records from 2019 to determine the optimal time and type of exercise to reduce the risk of dying from different things.
They found that the sweet spot for reducing the risk of premature death from any cause was a combination of moderate and intense cardio, supplemented by weight training.
The optimal combination was a weekly routine of one hour and 15 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, at least two and a half hours of vigorous exercise, such as running or swimming, and at least two bouts of muscle-strengthening activity, such as lift weights.
This led to a 50 percent lower risk of death from any cause.
To reduce the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, or cancer, experts recommend at least two bouts of muscle-strengthening activity, such as weight lifting, per week.
But getting some physical activity is still better than none at all, as a recent study suggested that brisk walking for just 11 minutes a day can cut your chances of dying prematurely by nearly a quarter.
In the latest study, the researchers drew data from 22 rounds of the US National Health Interview Survey, conducted between 1997 and 2018, in which participants were asked how many types of exercise they did.
The participants had an average age of 46 years and were primarily women and white.
The scientists calculated the participants’ total weekly minutes of moderate and vigorous aerobic physical activity by multiplying the frequency by the duration.
The participants’ causes of death were tracked and noted along with the amount of each type of exercise they had done.
They excluded people with current conditions such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and stroke, and people who died in the first two years of follow-up.
The researchers designed 48 categories that included all possible combinations of moderate aerobic exercise, vigorous aerobic exercise, and muscle-strengthening exercise.
They found that for all-cause mortality, “the highest statistically significant risk reduction was observed for the exposure category corresponding to more than zero to 75 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity combined with more than 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic physical activity.” and two or more sessions of muscle-strengthening activity per week.’
Currently, the World Health Organization suggests at least two and a half hours of moderate exercise, at least one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous exercise, and muscle-strengthening activity at least twice a week.
The new findings suggest that less moderate and more vigorous exercise is actually needed.
To reduce the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, the optimal mix found in the study was between two and a half hours and three hours and 45 minutes of moderate exercise, up to one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous exercise, and at least two sessions. of muscle strengthening per week.
This routine reduced the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke by 70 percent.
The weekly combination that most reduced participants’ risk of cancer death was more than five hours of moderate exercise, one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous exercise, and at least two muscle-strengthening sessions.
Reduced risk by 56 percent.
