‘Huff and Puff’ Exercises Lower Risk of Premature Death
May 3rd, 2024Via: StudyFinds:
People with high fitness levels had a 41 to 53-percent lower risk of premature death from any cause compared to those with low fitness. Each incremental increase in fitness of 1 MET (a measure of exercise intensity) was associated with a seven to 51-percent lower mortality risk, depending on the cause of death. The protective effects were applicable to deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and sudden cardiac events.
“The message is quite simple: if you do a lot of ‘huff and puff’ exercise, then your risk of dying early or developing diseases in the future is reduced. If you avoid exercise your health may suffer,” says senior study author Grant Tomkinson, a professor at the University of South Australia, in a media release.
High fitness was also linked to a 37 to 69-percent reduced risk of developing chronic conditions like hypertension, heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, dementia, and depression. Even in people already diagnosed with heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses, those who were more fit had a significantly lower risk of dying.