Higher midlife cardiorespiratory fitness is linked to a 3% longer life span, 2% longer health span, and 9% fewer chronic diseases, according to new research in the JACC.
Regular physical activity and fitness levels are important for overall health and well-being — but a new study suggests that your fitness level after 40 may be even more critical than previously understood. According to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), your level of cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife can not only help determine how long you live, but also how many of those years you spend in good health.
The study showed that adults with higher midlife cardiorespiratory fitness lived longer, developed fewer chronic diseases, and spent more years free from serious illness than those with lower fitness.
Higher Midlife Fitness Prolongs Life Span by 3%
Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to how well your heart and lungs supply oxygen during physical activity. The study followed 24,576 healthy adults aged 65 or younger — 25% of whom were females — from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (CCLS). Researchers tracked their health outcomes using Medicare data, measuring participants’ fitness before age 65 using a treadmill test.
The researchers identified major chronic diseases using 11 conditions: heart failure, ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer (females), and prostate cancer (males).
The results showed that males with higher fitness levels had a 2% longer health span, 9% fewer diseases, and a 3% longer life span than those with lower fitness levels. The results showed similar patterns among females.
Life Span vs. Health Span: What’s the Difference?
Life span refers to how long you live. Health span refers to how long you live free of any major chronic diseases. The study’s key finding is that cardiorespiratory fitness can not only affect life span but also health span — meaning fitter individuals don’t just live longer; they live better.
“This study confirms our understanding of cardiorespiratory fitness as a marker of future health outcomes, and should encourage all of us to make physical activity a part of our daily lives,” Cheng-Han Chen, MD, board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in California, told Healthline. Chen was not involved in the study.
‘Dose-Response Benefit’ Even With Modest Improvements
Mary Greene, MD, a board certified cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology in New York City, was not involved in the study but noted a “dose-response benefit” in the findings. “Even modest increases in cardiovascular fitness can lead to a 10–25% improvement in survival,” said Greene.
Robert Glatter, MD, attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was also not involved in the study, emphasized that the findings align with decades of research. “The findings are very much in line with decades of research showing that cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the strongest markers of long-term health,” Glatter told Healthline.
However, he added a note of caution: “The study does not prove cause and effect. It was an observational study, so it cannot prove that higher fitness directly caused the better outcomes. People with higher fitness may also have had other health advantages, such as better diet, less smoking, or more consistent access to care.”
Why Cardiorespiratory Fitness Matters
Strong cardiorespiratory fitness can help lower your risk of heart disease. Improving your cardiorespiratory fitness can also:
- Decrease cardiovascular and all-cause mortality
- Decrease the incidence of heart failure
- Decrease the risk of cardiometabolic diseases (diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease)
Tips to Improve Cardiorespiratory Fitness After 40
The main way to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness is to maintain regular physical activity. The good news? You don’t need to become an athlete.
“For most adults, the target is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle-strengthening exercise at least twice a week,” said Glatter.
Examples include:
- Brisk walking
- Cycling
- Jogging
- Swimming
- Water aerobics
“A useful rule of thumb is this: during moderate exercise, you can talk but not sing; during vigorous exercise, you can only say a few words before needing a breath,” Glatter said.
Chen agreed, adding: “I would encourage people to do at least 20–30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, on most days of the week. As their fitness increases, they can then increase either the length or intensity of the exercise.”
The Bottom Line
Glatter noted that some activity is better than none, and improving fitness at almost any age is a worthwhile investment in both longevity and quality of life. Whether you are in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, your fitness level after 40 can add years to your life and boost health — one brisk walk at a time.