Mixed
Improving fitness from an 'unfit' status (<5 METs) to a 'fit' status (>5 METs) significantly reduces mortality risk, even in older adults.
If you are an older man with low fitness, you can significantly lower your risk of death by improving your physical capacity. You do not need to reach elite levels; simply moving from a low fitness level (below 5 METs) to a moderate level (above 5 METs) can reduce your mortality risk by 35%. This improvement can be achieved through regular, moderate-intensity physical activity.
Unfit individuals who improved their fitness status with serial testing had a 35% lower mortality risk (hazard ratio=0.65; confidence interval, 0.46 to 0.93) compared with those who remained unfit.
Why this rating
Based on a subgroup analysis (n=867) with repeated testing, which is smaller than the main cohort but still robustly adjusted.
Source
Exercise Capacity and Mortality in Older Men
Peter Kokkinos et al. · Circulation · 2010
DOI 10.1161/circulationaha.110.938852
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