Reduce early death risk by up to 40% by exercising

Summary: Exercise extends lifespan

A study reveals that consistent and increasing physical activity that has accumulated during "adulthood can reduce the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality." (1)

PA and lifespan

This study analyzed the effects of accumulated physical activity during adulthood on all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

It was a meta-analysis, that covered 85 studies with a statistical tool.

It found that "Overall, higher PA was associated with lower risks of all outcomes. Consistently and increasingly active individuals had around 20–40% lower risk of all-cause mortality and 30-40% lower risk of CVD mortality."

Regarding cancer, it reported that "the associations were weaker and less robust."

Complying with the recommended physical activity guidelines "suggested risk reductions in all-cause and CVD mortality... [and] consistent/increasing PA below the guidelines also provided health benefits."

The study pointed out that:

• Being consistently active is associated with around 30–40% risk reduction in all-cause mortality.
• Increasing PA is associated with 20–25% lower risk of all-cause mortality.
• In consistent and increasing PA patterns, the most substantial risk reduction occurred below the PA guidelines, while limited additional benefits were seen above the guidelines, particularly in increasing patterns.
• Initiating PA at any point in adulthood can provide health benefits.

References and Further Reading

(1) Yu R, Duncombe SL, Nemoto Y, et al. (2025). Physical activity trajectories and accumulation over adulthood and their associations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 10 July 2025. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-109122