ISLAMABAD, Feb 11 (ABC): Regular participation in a variety of physical activities — including walking, cycling, running, strength training, and light outdoor work — may significantly reduce the risk of early death, according to new research reported by Medical News Today.
The study, published in BMJ Medicine, found that people who combined different forms of exercise had better survival outcomes than those who relied on a single type of workout. Researchers said exercise diversity, along with adequate overall activity, was linked to longer life expectancy.
Three decades of data analyzed
Scientists examined long-term data from more than 111,000 participants drawn from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Participants reported their physical activity habits for over 30 years. Activities included aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, cycling, tennis, rowing, and swimming, as well as yoga, stretching, weight training, gardening, and other moderate or vigorous outdoor tasks.
Researchers compared these habits with mortality records to assess the impact on longevity.
Higher activity linked to lower death risk
The findings showed that greater total physical activity lowered the risk of death from all causes. Most individual activities were associated with reduced mortality.
However, researchers noted that benefits plateaued after a certain level. Additional hours of exercise did not continue to lower the risk indefinitely.
“It’s common to see a limit of benefits for healthy lifestyle factors such as physical activity,” Yang Hu, ScD, research scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the study’s corresponding author, told Medical News Today.
“No additional benefits may be gained beyond certain amounts of exercise,” he added.
Exercise variety provides extra protection
The study also identified an independent benefit from exercise variety.
Participants who engaged in the widest range of activities showed:
• 19% lower risk of death from all causes
• 13–14% lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and other illnesses
Researchers said different forms of activity improve different body systems, including cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, balance, and flexibility. Combining these benefits may offer stronger protection against chronic disease.
“It means that although maintaining a high level of total physical activity is still most important, mixing different types of activities may be more helpful to prevent premature death,” Hu said.
Doctors welcome findings
Medical experts told Medical News Today the results support long-standing clinical advice that consistent and varied exercise improves health outcomes.
Zeeshan Khan, MD, chief of geriatrics at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, said the study adds evidence that variety matters.
“This study provides robust long-term data that adds a crucial new dimension to that advice: variety is just as important as volume,” he said.
Sports medicine specialist Bert Mandelbaum, MD, noted that combining endurance, strength, and balance exercises can improve overall physical resilience.
Further research planned
Researchers said future studies should focus more on older adults and identify the optimal mix of aerobic, strength, and flexibility training to develop clearer guidelines for longevity.
Medical News Today reported that experts consider physical activity one of the most modifiable lifestyle factors for preventing premature death.