A new study has found that seniors who engage in regular physical leisure activities tend to live longer.
Doctors have long maintained that staying active in your senior years is a great way to stay healthy. Now a new study adds to the growing body of evidence that physical leisure activities such as biking, hiking, tennis, and even walking – can add years to your life.
The results of a study recently published in JAMA Network Open suggest that older adults who got the recommended amount of physical activity each week via a variety of leisure activities experienced a reduced risk of death. The study highlights the importance of finding ways to stay active that you enjoy, which are sustainable throughout your life.
Participation was recorded for 7 different recreation activities: jogging/running, swimming, golf, walking, cycling, racquet sports, and aerobic exercise. The most common activity was walking, followed by aerobic exercise, cycling, golf, swimming, running, and racquet sports.
Key Takeaways From This Study:
- Participants who did the above activities but enough to meet minimum guidelines of 2.5 to 5 hours of physical activity per week were found to have a 5% lower risk of death than those who were sedentary during this study.
- Those with at least the minimum of recommended activity had a 13% lower risk of death compared with those who were inactive.
- Racquet sports and running were associated with the greatest risk reductions.
- Although racquet sports and running were associated with the greatest risk reductions, all activities were found to have provided longevity benefits.
You can read the complete study by clicking on this link.