Daily exercise increases life expectancy of elderly men by five years, study finds
Elderly men can extend their life expectancy by five years if they exercise regularly, research has found.
Norwegian scientists said that half an hour of exercise six times a week has equal health benefits to quitting smoking and was linked to a 40% lower risk of death in elderly males.
Even doing less than an hour of light activity a week lowered the risk of death compared to sedentary participants, the study of 6,000 men found.
If the exercise was vigorous, the mortality risk could be reduced by as much as 37%.
The men who lowered their risk the most - by as much as 49% - carried out the most vigorous intensity activity, the results showed.
The study authors suggested public health strategies and campaigns aimed at the elderly should target physical activity to the same extent as smoking.
Doctors should also promote the wide range of health problems that could be prevented by exercise, the authors said.
The research, carried out by the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo, is published in the British Medical Journal.
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