We already know that physical exercises, sports, bring us only benefits. Endorphins produced during movement improve our mood, stimulate the brain, keep our body strong and generally increase the quality and length of life.

New research confirms the effect of exercise on longevity and highlights how much exercise we need each week to live longer and be healthier.

Research: Movement Extends Our Lives

A new study published in the journal Circulation and funded by the American Heart Association looked at the exercise patterns of more than 116,000 adults over 30 years.

Their training was divided into two categories:

•Moderate physical activity. This applies to such exercises as: walking, cycling or light gymnastics (a system of exercises aimed at mastering the weight of one’s own body), yoga, light jogging or just walking.

•Intense, vigorous physical activity. This type of exercise increases your heart rate significantly, such as jogging/running or more intense cardio.

The researchers were interested in seeing the effect of physical activity on the risk of mortality (life expectancy) of the subjects who participated in the study.

The recommendations of the World Health Organization indicate that we should do 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, or a combination of both types of physical activity.

Scientists have found that regular exercise is closely related to longevity, even more so than previously thought.

Thus, a person’s risk of dying from a common age-related disease is much lower for those who regularly exercise. What’s more, those who did 300 to 600 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and 150 to 300 minutes of vigorous exercise, twice the recommended amount, lived much longer with fewer health problems.

How can you combine two categories of physical activity

There are several lifestyle factors to consider when thinking about longevity. Diet, sleep, social connections, stress levels and physical activity they all play an important role in our health and longevity. The good news is that it’s never too late to adopt healthy lifestyle habits that will benefit us in the long run.

When it comes to exercise, studies have shown that life expectancy can be increased if we do 2.5 to 5 hours of vigorous exercise each week and 5 to 10 hours of moderate exercise each week. It would be ideal to combine the two types of physical activity for optimal results.

Here are some examples:

• Walk 45 minutes every day

• Walking 20 minutes every day and 2 intensive training sessions of one hour per week.

• Cardio exercises 5 times a week for 45 minutes. If you’ve already incorporated physical activity into your daily routine, look to the results of these studies to keep you motivated. If not, find appropriate ways to squeeze as many physical activity options into your daily schedule as possible.

Even 45 minutes of daily exercise can give you maximum longevity benefits! Combine exercise with other healthy habits that extend your life.

Here are some suggestions: spend time with family and friends, eat a healthy diet (maybe even Mediterranean), support gut health (microbiome in general) by taking quality probiotics.

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