Exercise: The Amount You Put In Is The Key To Lowering The Risk Of Death

It's no surprise that exercise can help you live a longer life, but the amount you do can really make a difference.

To tell the truth, I'm not a big exerciser. I mean, I walk a lot during an average day and I try to eat pretty healthy. But, when it comes to a structured exercise routine, I don't have one, do you?

According to the American Heart Association, only about one in five adults and teens get enough exercise to maintain good health. Being more active can help all people think, feel and sleep better and perform daily tasks more easily.

Personally, I think it's time for me to make a change and the information in a recent study suggests it doesn't have to consume all of my free time.

In this study I found that exercising for two and a half hours or more a week can dramatically lower the risk of death. That breaks down to less than 30 minutes a day or to put it in more practical terms, it's less than watching a single rerun of Young Sheldon.

The more exercise, the better. If I get really motivated, two to four hours of moderate exercise each week was shown to reduce cardiovascular-related deaths by 40% and deaths of all causes by 30%.

"This finding may reduce the concerns around the potential harmful effect of engaging in high levels of physical activity observed in several previous studies,” said researcher Dong Hoon Lee.

Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.

Add moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights) on at least 2 days per week.