Nutrition & Fitness

Consistently engaging in a diverse array of exercises—from walking and weightlifting to gardening—was associated with a lower risk of premature mortality, even when total physical activity level was held constant, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The Science of Longevity

Published in BMJ Medicine, the comprehensive analysis examined health and lifestyle data from more than 111,000 adult men and women over the course of more than 30 years, collected by the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants reported their weekly time spent on activities ranging from jogging and bicycling to resistance training and moderate outdoor work.

"People naturally choose different activities over time based on their preferences and health conditions. When deciding how to exercise, keep in mind that there may be extra health benefits to engaging in multiple types of physical activity, rather than relying on a single type alone." — Yang Hu, Research Scientist, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

A 19% Reduction in Mortality Risk

The study found that participants who engaged in the highest variety of exercises had a 19% lower risk of premature death compared to those who engaged in the lowest variety. Crucially, this relationship between a high number of exercise types and a lowered risk of early mortality held true at every level of total physical activity. In other words, exercise variety contributed to longevity regardless of how much total time participants spent exercising.

Official Source

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