New research: How much exercise per week to live longer
Consistent exercise is good for a person's health and well-being – that's common knowledge. But how many minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity are needed to reduce the risk of premature death?
Current guidelines how many sports per week
The physical activity guidelines are that adults should do at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous exercise. Now, new research shows that if adults eat more than the recommended amount, it may help to live longer. Moderate physical activity is defined as walking, weight lifting, and lower-intensity exercise. Intense exercise, on the other hand, is categorized as running, cycling and swimming.
How often do you exercise per week? Research results
How much exercise per week really extends life? Two major studies published by the scientific Circulation (1) over 30 years of research have shown that people who exercise, train or exercise two to four times more than the recommended amount of exercise have a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. This applies to both moderate and intensive physical activity.
People who exercise more than the recommended amount have a lower risk of death from all disease-related causesn and by cardiovascular disease. Adding moderate or vigorous exercise can help reduce the risk of death, especially for people who are not currently active enough. In addition, long-term intensive physical activity does not appear to have a harmful effect on the health of the heart and blood vessels.
More sports and exercise than the current guideline
2 to 4 times more exercise, sports or training per week than the guideline reduces the risk of premature death
Adults who exercised two to four times more than the recommended amount of vigorous physical activity – about 150 to 299 minutes per week – had a 21% to 23% lower risk of death from all causes. They also had a 27% to 33% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 19% lower risk of death from non-cardiovascular causes.
In addition, the study found that “a significantly lower risk of mortality was observed among individuals who had adequate levels of both moderate and vigorous physical activity for long periods of time,” with higher levels of vigorous physical activity being associated with lower mortality among those who had inadequate levels of moderate physical activity per week.
However, this did not apply to those who already had high levels of moderate physical activity – more than 300 minutes per week.
With these findings, the study notes that “any combination of moderate to high levels” of vigorous (75 to 300 minutes per week) and moderate physical activity (150 to 600 minutes per week) “may provide nearly the maximum reduction in mortality,” about 35% to 42%.
Greater benefits for people who are not yet sufficiently active
Individuals who are insufficiently active – meaning less than 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise or less than 150 minutes of moderate physical activity – may see greater benefits in reducing mortality by adding modest amounts of both forms of exercise. This means 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous exercise or 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity. Doing this can reduce premature mortality by 22% to 31%.
There was an inverse association between long-term intensive and moderate physical activity and mortality, regardless of age. Although younger people often prefer vigorous activities, older adults choose moderate levels of exercise. Still, there was no evidence that one was better than the other in older people compared to younger people.
Instead, “long-term vigorous physical activity in generally healthy older adults may be an effective means of improving health,” the study said. This was one of the reasons I challenged myself for 100 day workout challenge
High intensity is not harmful
“Regular light to moderate physical activity is known to prevent cardiovascular disease,” the study says. “But previous studies also showed evidence that prolonged high-intensity exercise (e.g. marathons, triathlons, long-distance cycling) can have adverse effects such as myocardial fibrosis, coronary artery calcification and atrial fibrillation, as well as sudden cardiac death.”
Still, this latest 2023 study suggests there is no harmful effect of long-term intense physical activity on cardiovascular health. More research is needed to better understand the effects of high amounts of vigorous physical activity on cardiovascular outcomes and to identify the optimal amount and intensity of sustained exercise for health benefits. Always consult your doctor before engaging in prolonged physical activity and/or do so under supervision.
Did you know that by the way? training your calves has a positive effect on the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Conclusion: More sports and physical activity per week pays off
| Group of activity | Risk reduction of death from all causes |
|---|---|
| 2-4 times recommended amount of vigorous activity (150-299 minutes per week) | 21% – 23% |
| Combination of moderate to high levels of vigorous and moderate activity | Approximately 35% – 42% reduction in mortality with up to 300 minutes of intensive and up to 600 minutes of moderate exercise per week |
| Insufficiently active (less than 75 minutes of intensive exercise per week or less than 150 minutes of moderate activity) | 22% – 31% reduction in premature mortality with 75 minutes of intensive and 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week |
Source: how much exercise per week
(1) Circulation