How Mixing Up Your Gym Routine Can Lead to a Longer Life

Walking for 15 to 20 MET hours per week was associated with a 17 per cent lower risk of early death, while ­racquetball, callisthenics, weight training and running followed shortly after. • Moderate exercise ‘as effective as therapy or drugs for depression’ The research included data from two large studies, which both used repeated physical activity assessments over more than 30 years. The final analysis covered 111,373 people, including 70,725 women and 40,648 men. Those taking part reported personal information, their medical history and ­lifestyle choices every two years, as well as information on exercises such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, tennis and squash, from 1986 onwards. The team then ­calculated an MET score, a measure of how much more energy is burned ­during an activity than when at rest, for each physical activity. The researchers wrote in the journal BMJ Medicine: “The finding that a greater variety of physical activities predicted lower all-cause mortality among individuals … indicated that ­engaging in multiple types of physical activities may exert additional health benefits independent of total physical activity levels.” They added: “Long-term engagement in physical activity is unequivocally associated with a reduced risk of multiple chronic diseases, improved mental health and a better chance of achieving longevity and healthy ageing.” However, their research suggested a “potential threshold for the beneficial effects of physical acticity” at about 20 MET hours per week. • Single ten-minute workout could halt progression of bowel cancer The analysis also found that people who did more exercise were less likely to take health risks such as smoking and were more likely to weigh less, eat more healthily and be more social. Last year, researchers found that as little as 15 minutes of fast walking a day could reduce the chance of an early death by 20 per cent. Regular walking, even at a relatively sedate pace, has been shown to offer several benefits, providing a boost to cardiovascular health, cognitive abilities and memory. The research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in July, found that more than three hours of slow walking per day, classed simply as “moving around, walking at work, walking the dog or engaging in light exercise”, can reduce the risk of dying early from a number of causes. Researchers found, however, that a greater benefit could be achieved from “fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day”. This was classed as “climbing stairs, brisk walking or exercising”.