This Is the Least Amount of Exercise You Need to Live Longer

Exercise benefits, such as lowering cholesterol or boosting your mood, probably aren’t news to you. But if you need even more workout motivation, know that just a few minutes of exercise a day could help you live a longer life.

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How much should you exercise?

According to 2011 research published in The Lancet, people who had relatively low activity—they exercised 92 minutes a week or about 15 minutes of exercise a day—had a 3-year longer life expectancy compared to people who were inactive. Those in the low activity group also had a 14% lower risk of death from common causes like heart disease and cancer compared with completely sedentary people.

Other research published in PLOS Medicine found that 75 minutes of moderate exercise or walking per week—a little over 10 minutes a day—seemed to improve life expectancy by 1.8 years, as well as 300 minutes by 3.4 years, and 500 minutes by 4.5 years.

And a review in the Journal of Aging Research and found that, in general, physical activity adds years to your life. Still, Alexis Halpern, MD, an emergency medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, notes that more research is needed to pin down an exact number.

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Why does exercise improve life expectancy?

Although there might not be a definitive, magical amount of exercise that will give you a longer life, studies have found that it does reduce your risk for certain diseases, Carolyn Dean, MD, ND a medical advisory board member at the Nutritional Magnesium Association says. “One study found that only two-and-a-half hours of brisk walking a week cut the risk of [type 2] diabetes by 30%,” Dr. Dean says.

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Similarly, studies have found that exercise can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of stroke, ward off Alzheimer’s disease, and even reduce the risk of some cancers, according to Dr. Dean. Plus, staying active has psychological benefits since endorphins are released with exercise, leading to a better mood.

Bottom line: Possibly living longer is just another exercise benefit

If you are looking to add more physical activity to your life remember that something is better than nothing when it comes to exercise, Dr. Dean says. However, some workouts could be better life-boosters than others. For example, one study found the top exercises for longevity were tennis or racquetball, swimming and aerobics, according to Dr. Dean.

“Among the people who did 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each week, people who played racquet sports had a 47% lower risk of dying during the nine-year study than people who didn’t exercise,” she says. Walking, swimming, Tai chi and strength training are all excellent exercise options too, according to Dr. Halpern and Yasmine S. Ali, MD, an assistant clinical professor of medicine, at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. 

The lowest amount of exercise looked at seems to be 75 minutes per week, but current recommendations for adults from the U.S Government are 150 minutes of exercise weekly.

All-in-all, the best workout is simply the one you consistently enjoy the most. Because, as Dr. Halpern says, “If you don’t like it, you won’t do it.” 

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