Exercise Variety—Not Just Amount—Linked to Lower Risk of Early Death, Harvard Study Finds
When it comes to exercise and longevity, variety may be just as important as volume. A new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found that consistently engaging in a diverse range of physical activities—from walking and weightlifting to gardening and tennis—is associated with a significantly lower risk of premature death, even when the total amount of exercise remains the same.
The findings, published Tuesday in BMJ Medicine, add a novel dimension to the well-established link between physical activity and longevity. Researchers suggest that it may matter not only how much people move, but also how many different ways they move.
Variety Matters at Every Activity Level
The study analyzed health and lifestyle data from more than 111,000 adult men and women ove...