Regular exercise raises life expectancy: Study

Published on Nov 07, 2012

Regular moderate exercise can raise life expectancy - even among people who are overweight, a study said Tuesday. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Regular moderate exercise can raise life expectancy - even among people who are overweight, a study said Tuesday.
The analysis, published in PLOS Medicine, pooled self-reported data on physical activities and body mass indexes (BMIs) - a ratio of weight to height - from some 650,000 people aged 40 and older enrolled in one Swedish and five United States studies.
"This result may help convince currently inactive people that a modest physical activity program may have health benefits, even if it does not result in weight loss," said a summary of the analysis headed by Mr Steven Moore of the US National Cancer Institute.
The researchers used the studies to calculate the boost to life expectancy linked to specific levels of physical activity and found that brisk walking for up to 75 minutes per week was associated with a gain of 1.8 years in life expectancy.