People who maintain a moderate fitness level as they age, at least 30 minutes of modest activity five or more times per week, may live longer than those who do not exercise, a new study suggests.

The study of 4,384 healthy U.S. adults found that the 20 percent in the lowest physical fitness range were twice as likely to die over the next nine years than the 20 percent in the next lowest range.

The research factored in conditions like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, underscoring the importance of physical activity itself.

“Our findings suggest that sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain the two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit healthy individuals,” lead researcher Dr. Sandra Mandic, of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, noted in an email to Reuters Health.

“Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection,” Mandic added, “it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”

[Source: Reuters Health]

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