This Habit Could Slash Your Risk of Early Death in Half

“Most prior studies have measured physical activity at only a single point in time, which fails to capture how activity levels change over time, including in adulthood,” says the lead study author, Binh Nguyen, PhD, a research fellow at the University of Sydney in Australia. “Our study is unique in that it provides long-term evidence in women of the effects of different patterns of physical activity during mid-age on the risk of dying.”

Here’s what the study found, plus why doctors say these findings are worth paying attention to.

The Study Looked at Data Across 2 Decades

Published in the journal PLoS Med, the research utilized data from nearly 11,200 women born between 1946 and 1951 who enrolled in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. These women answered surveys about their health and lifestyle nine times between 1996 and 2019, or about every three years, starting in their fifties.

Researchers zeroed in on how regularly the women met the World Health Organization’s recommendation to get at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week. This amount aligns with the exercise guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the study period, about 5.3 percent of participants who consistently met the physical activity guidelines died, compared with 10.4 percent of those who did not meet the guidelines.

In other words, women who exercised regularly throughout midlife had about half the risk of death from any cause compared with those who did not meet activity guidelines.

This link seemed especially strong for deaths related to heart disease and cancer.

How Exercise Might Be Providing This Longevity Benefit

Cardiovascular health is a big reason, according to Kathryn J. Lindley, MD, an associate professor of medicine and the director of the Women's Heart Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Consistent exercise has been shown to boost cardiovascular health, including reduced blood pressure, and decreased frequency of heart failure, heart attacks, and stroke,” says Dr. Lindley, who wasn’t involved in the study.

“Given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in developed countries such as the U.S. and Australia, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease is likely a major reason for this effect,” she adds.

Exercise also reduces the chances a woman will develop other serious conditions that increase the risk of premature death, including cancer, dementia, and bone fractures, Lindley says.

Consistent exercise helps women build up the body’s capacity to function above its baseline — what researchers call physiological reserve — according to Loretta DiPietro, PhD, MPH, a researcher in the department of exercise and nutrition sciences at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health in Washington, DC.

A higher physiological reserve allows the body to more easily adapt to shifting physical demands — especially the heart and immune system, she says.

Regular physical activity can also improve insulin sensitivity, help with weight management, enhance mental well-being, and support stronger muscles and bones, Dr. Nguyen says.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Premature Death in Middle-Aged Women?

The reasons women die early can vary, and depend on many factors: where a woman lives, her socioeconomic status, and her race or ethnicity. But there are some general trends.

The Study Has Strengths and Limitations

Because this is an observational study, the researchers can’t prove that physical activity habits alone lowered the risk of death in active women — they simply found a link.

Information on physical activity was self-reported, leaving some room for inaccuracy. The study also focused only on middle-aged women in Australia, though Lindley says it’s likely the findings apply to middle-aged women in other countries, too.

“The study included a broad range of personal characteristics, such as weight, smoking history, and education, which increases the applicability of the results,” she says. “We have also previously seen the benefits of exercise on chronic disease in other studies performed globally.”

Dr. DiPietro agrees, “These findings apply to anyone, living anywhere,” she says.

It’s Never Too Late to Start Exercising

“This study identifies that either starting sooner or having more cumulative years of exercise participation increase the benefits of exercise to physical health,” Lindley says. “The great news is that even if you are in your fifties and you haven’t started exercising yet, this suggests you can still get significant benefits by starting now.”

“Staying active throughout midlife can make a real difference for women’s long-term health,” Nguyen says. “Our study shows that maintaining recommended levels of physical activity over multiple years notably reduces the risk of early death.”

For those who are starting an exercise routine or who don’t have a lot of time to spare, Lindley points out that even small amounts of exercise can lower blood pressure and reduce fracture and fall risk.

Doctors say the findings underscore the importance of being physically active throughout your life to support better health. While hitting the recommended amount of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week is ideal, Lindley stresses that something is better than nothing — a sentiment echoed by DiPietro.

“A rolling stone gathers no moss,” she says.