Many of us exercise- but did you know that regularly engaging in a variety of physical activities could be one of the most effective ways to extend your lifespan? Recent findings indicate simply doing more exercise may not be as effective as doing a variety of activities.

People who participate in different types of physical activity tend to have a lower risk of death regardless of how much total exercise they do. Still, staying active overall remains important.

Why Exercise Variety Matters

Physical activity has long been linked to better physical and mental health, along with a reduced risk of death. However, it has been less clear whether certain types of exercise offer unique advantages, or whether mixing activities provides additional benefits beyond total volume.

Decades of Data on Movement and Lifestyle

A recent survey was taken from participants who reported a wide range of physical activities over time. Since 1986, this included walking, jogging, running, cycling (including stationary machines), lap swimming, rowing or calisthenics, tennis and squash or racquetball.

Additional surveys added more detail, covering weight training or resistance exercise; lower intensity exercise, such as yoga, stretching, and toning; vigorous tasks like lawn mowing; moderate outdoor work such as maintenance and gardening; and heavy outdoor work like digging and chopping.

The participants were also asked how many flights of stairs they climbed daily, based on the estimate that each flight takes 8 seconds to ascend.

Activity Levels, Habits, and Health Profiles

Walking

was the most common form of leisure exercise, while men were more likely than women to jog or run. People who reported higher overall activity levels were generally healthier. They were less likely to smoke or have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. They also tended to have a lower body weight (lower BMI), eat healthier diets, drink alcohol, maintain stronger social connections, and take part in a wider range of activities.

Higher levels of physical activity, along with most individual types of exercise except swimming, were linked to a lower risk of death from any cause. However, the relationship was not linear. The benefits of total activity appeared to level off after about 20 weekly MET hours, suggesting there may be a point beyond which additional activity provides less added benefit.

Which Activities Were Linked to Lower Risk

Walking showed one of the strongest associations, with those who walked the most having a 17% lower risk of death compared with those who walked the least. Climbing stairs was linked to a 10% lower risk.

Other activities were also associated with reduced risk when comparing the least active to the most active participants. Tennis, squash, or racquetball were linked to a 15% lower risk. Rowing or calisthenics showed a 14% reduction. Weight training or resistance exercises and running were each linked to a 13% lower risk. Jogging was associated with an 11% reduction, while cycling showed a smaller 4% decrease.

The Added Benefit of Exercise Variety

Engaging in a wider range of activities was linked to even greater benefits. After accounting for total exercise levels, participants who performed the most diverse set of activities had a 19% lower risk of death from all causes.

They also showed a 13-41% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and other causes compared with those who engaged in fewer types of activity.

Overall, the data from this survey supports the notion that long term engagement in multiple types of physical activity may help extend the lifespan.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash