Why doing a mix of exercise could be the key to longer life
BBC • • health
Key Points:
- A 30-year US study of 110,000 adults found that engaging in a variety of physical activities weekly reduces the risk of death by 19% compared to focusing on a single exercise type.
- Combining different exercises, such as resistance training and aerobic activities, offers complementary health benefits and may be more effective than doing one type alone.
- The study identified six hours of moderate or three hours of vigorous exercise per week as the optimal amount for health benefits, with diminishing returns beyond that.
- NHS guidelines recommend adults do muscle-strengthening activities twice weekly plus 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise spread over several days.
- While the study shows strong associations, it cannot definitively prove causation due
