Stay active and you’ll live longer. That applies to those of us packing more pounds than we should. Something as easy as a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day will help us live longer than couch potatoes with the same surplus poundage.
This is one of the findings from an ongoing review of seniors in an Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. Participants were grouped into five categories. The least fit group’s death rate was four times higher the men and women in the fittest group. In addition to lower fitness levels, those who died had more cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
The percent of body fat did not appear to be related to the risk of dying, according to Dr. Xuemei Sui, a University of South Carolina staff member, who reported on the results of the study. What did help the survivors included greater fitness, lower body mass index and lower waist circumference.
Sponsors of the study are the National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.