New research suggests that exercise may not be the key to longevity, and in fact, excessive physical activity could potentially accelerate the aging process in our bodies, as indicated by findings from Scandinavian scientists, New York Post reported.
Although the comprehensive study on this frequently discussed topic has not undergone peer review yet, it recently secured a national sports medicine prize in Finland. The research, spanning a 45-year period, challenges the commonly held belief supported by multiple previous studies that increased exercise correlates with longer and healthier lives.
This time, researchers from the University of Jyvaskyla propose that physical activity may only play a small role in the broader spectrum and, in certain instances, could have adverse health effects.
For the study, over 11,000 Finnish same-sex twins were examined from 1975 to 2020.
Participants provided self-reported data on the duration and intensity of their daily physical activity, and they were classified into four groups: sedentary, moderately active, active, and highly active.
In general, the research revealed that individuals who engaged in the least amount of exercise were approximately 20 percent more likely to experience mortality over the 45-year period compared to those who maintained regular activity levels.
Yet, when accounting for lifestyle factors such as education, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and alcohol consumption, this likelihood significantly decreased. In this adjusted analysis, individuals in the sedentary group were only seven percent more likely to face mortality compared to those in the active group, with higher levels of exercise not yielding any additional benefits.
This underscores the wisdom of the age-old saying, "Everything in moderation."
The study demonstrated that biological aging experienced acceleration both for individuals engaging in insufficient and excessive exercise.
Individuals with the highest level of physical activity appeared to be approximately 1.8 years "older" than those who maintained a more moderate level of physical activity.
The researchers concluded that the potential longevity of those who exercise might not be attributed to their workouts but rather to the overall healthier lifestyle they tend to lead.
Although the specific duration of physical activity for each group was not immediately evident, the World Health Organization advises that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week.
