AARP Hearing Center
Men, if just the thought of climbing on to a cardio machine makes you break out in a sweat, take heart. A new British study finds that even 30 minutes of very light activity each day, such as a gentle stroll, can reduce the risk of early death by 17 percent. The association held up even after taking other lifestyle factors into account.
Federal guidelines for adults typically call for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in spurts of 10 or more minutes at a time. But researchers from University College London say a gentler type of exercise, such as gardening or taking the dog for a walk, could work better for older men. And this is especially true if they suffer from arthritis or general joint pain.
Researchers also uncovered no evidence to suggest that racking up moderate to vigorous activity in exercise sessions of 10 minutes or more was any better than accumulating it in shorter periods of light activity.
“The results suggest that all activities, however modest, are beneficial,” the researchers wrote. “The findings that [low-intensity physical activity] is associated with lower risk of mortality is especially important among older men, as most of their daily physical activity is of light intensity."