For the sake of your health, don’t just sit there, do something. Anything!

Published in JAMA Open Network, researchers using data from questionnaires about leisure activities from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study of 272,550 adults from the ages of 59 to 82 years old, investigated the effects of various exercises in association with lowering the risk of death. Activities included walking, running, cycling aerobic exercises, swimming, racquet sports, etc.

They found achieving any combination of these activities while meeting the recommended amount of physical activity per week led to a 13% lower risk of death from all-cause mortality compared to not doing any of these things.

When they investigated deeper into the activities, they found similar results such as racquet ball led to a decreased risk by 16% or running decreased risk by 15%.

Therefore, as part of healthy aging and to get the most out of life, exercise even into your older years. Do something, anything and meet the physical activity recommendation at a minimum.

E Watts et al. Associations of leisure time physical activity types and risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality among older adults. JAMA Network Open (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.28510