We’ve told you before… Inactivity kills.

Studies have shown being sedentary can increase your risk of cancer by 50%. Just sitting for too long can raise your risk. So the solution is simple… Stay active and lower your odds. Even just housework or gardening can get your blood flowing.

But if you really want to live a longer, healthier life, you’ll have to do more. Don’t worry, not much…

A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who got just 45 minutes of moderate exercise a week were up to 13% less likely to die over six years.

It was true across the board. Men. Women. Old. Young. Active. Inactive. It even extended to people with heart disease and diabetes.1 But you can do better. Increasing the amount of time—and effort—can make a big difference.

But now a new study revealed people engaging in vigorous—not moderate—exercise had even better results. They were 31% less likely to die after 14 years.2

And that’s not the most surprising part…

When people got five times the amount of recommended exercise, their chances of dying dropped to 39%. A paltry 8% difference…but at least triple the amount of time in the gym.

In other words, this under-the-radar study may have just revealed the exact amount of vigorous exercise you need to add years to your life—without wasting an extra minute of your time.

All it takes is 75 minutes a week.

It makes sense… You know just 10 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) a day can cut your risk of dying from heart complications in half. And like this new study found, 10 minutes of HIIT each day may also lower overall death risk by about 30%. That puts you right on par with that 75-minute sweet spot. But anything in excess of this could be more than a waste of your time…

In fact, Health Watch readers know too much exercise can take years off your life.

Just look at marathon running. Studies show this type of exercise can increase your heart attack risk. Researchers also found these runners had 32% more troponin in their blood. It’s a marker of heart damage that ER doctors use to help identify a heart attack. And it proves that more isn’t always better when it comes to exercise.

If you’re not exercising already, it’s time to start. Try going for a walk or a light jog every day. Stick with it and you can work your way up to a HIIT workout every other day. Just two weeks of HIIT training can raise your fitness levels by as much as one month of traditional running.3 Before long you may be on your way to enjoying a longer life—and spending more time outside of the gym.

In Good Health,

Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch

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References:
1http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11518002/Swimming-gardening-or-golf-not-enough-to-prevent-early-death.html
2http://www.livescience.com/50386-exercise-recommendations-longevity.html
3http://news.menshealth.com/the-fastest-workout-ever/2011/06/30