(CNN) — Do you want to live a longer and healthier life? Pick an activity you enjoy and get moving. You can choose almost anything: running, swimming, tennis, biking, golf, racket sports, or even walking for exercise.
All of these leisure activities appear to reduce the risk of premature death, as well as death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a new study published Wednesday. in JAMA Network Open Magazine.
The National Cancer Institute study analyzed the responses of more than 272,000 people between the ages of 59 and 82 who completed questionnaires regarding their leisure time activities as part of the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, a Longitudinal study of the relationship between diet and health.
Aerobic activity performed for the recommended amount of time per week was associated with a 13% lower risk of death from any cause compared to inactivity, according to the study.
The study researchers followed the participants for regarding a dozen years, combing health records for deaths from cancer, heart disease and any cause.
The US Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that US adults get 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity each week.
Any combination of aerobic activity performed for the recommended amount of time per week was associated with a 13% lower risk of death from any cause compared with none of the activities, the researchers found.
Playing racket sports had the highest return on cardiovascular problems: there was a 27% reduction in the risk of death from heart disease and a 16% reduction in premature death. The greatest reduction in cancer risk (19%) was associated with running, while this same activity reduced the risk of premature death by 15%, according to the study.
Walking for exercise was the most beneficial in reducing the risk of premature death following racket sports and running, the study found.
All of the activities studied were associated with some lower risks of death, the study found.
“Participation in any of the activities was associated with lower mortality compared to those who did not participate in each activity, including moderate-intensity activities,” wrote study author Eleanor Watts, a postdoctoral fellow in epidemiology at the National Institute of Cancer, part of the National Institutes of Health.
The study was only able to show an association, not full cause and effect.
