Although moderate physical activity, such as walking, jogging, swimming and tennis, is effective, a study found that tennis had the greatest reduction in the risk of death among older adults. JAMA Network Open It was published online on the 24th.
Eleanor Watts’ research team at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) collected data from approximately 273,000 people between the ages of 59 and 82 who participated in part of a diet and health study jointly sponsored by the AARP and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The study found that people who exercised, such as running, biking, swimming, other aerobic exercise, racquet sports, golf, and walking, had a 13% lower risk of death during the study period, compared to those who did not exercise.
Risk reduction varied by sport.
Also, the type of sport was associated with the risk of death from certain diseases.
Racquet sports, such as tennis, reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by 27%, and running reduced the risk of dying from cancer by 19%.
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults recommend 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise each week.
The researchers said that doing more reduces the risk of premature death, but the benefits are smaller.
Less than recommended activities are also beneficial.
Compared to those who never exercised, the researchers found that those who were physically active had a 5% reduced risk of premature death.
Send articles on social media