According to the authors of the study, which was published by the professional journal BMJ Medicine, people who engage in a wider range of physical activities – such as walking, running, cycling or swimming – live much longer and healthier lives. It is more important to alternate different types of movement than to devote hours a day to just one type of exercise.
The authors claim that u people with the most varied composition of physical activities had a 19 percent lower risk of death from all causes. The risk of death from heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and other causes was 13 to 41% lower.
The analysis is based on data from two extensive long-term studies, in which the authors followed more than 111,000 people for more than 30 years. Since 1986, the participants have regularly indicated what physical activities they perform. In addition to walking, cycling, swimming or tennis, they also monitored daily walking up the stairs or less intensive activities, such as yoga.
The authors emphasize that any physical activity contributes to the reduction of mortality, but variety of movement brings additional benefits. According to the researchers, the findings support the idea that promoting a diverse range of types of physical activity, along with increasing the overall volume of movement, can help reduce the risk of premature death. At the same time, the scientists found that more physically active people smoked less often, had a lower body weight more often, had healthier eating habits and were more socially active.
