Research

Mixed

Maintaining moderate or high levels of physical activity after age 50 significantly increases total life expectancy and cardiovascular disease-free life expectancy compared to a sedentary lifestyle.

If you are 50 or older, increasing your daily physical activity to moderate or high levels can add years to your life and keep you free of heart disease. You do not need to be an elite athlete; simply engaging in moderate activity (like brisk walking) provides significant benefits, while high activity provides even greater gains. Start by incorporating more movement into your daily routine.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Moderate and high physical activity levels led to 1.3 and 3.7 years more in total life expectancy and 1.1 and 3.2 more years lived without cardiovascular disease, respectively, for men aged 50 years or older compared with those who maintained a low physical activity level.
Oscar H. Franco · Archives of Internal Medicine · 2005

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort study (Framingham) with long follow-up and rigorous statistical adjustment, though observational design limits causal inference.

Source

Effects of Physical Activity on Life Expectancy With Cardiovascular Disease

Oscar H. Franco · Archives of Internal Medicine · 2005

cohort · n=9033Cited 437×
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