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A Daily Workout Could Add 4 Years to Life, Study Says
Fitness instructor Barry Jay, center, works with Dusty Gibson during a workout session at Barry's Bootcamp in Los Angeles. Boot camps are one of the top fitness trends of 2005, according to a study by the American Council on Exercise.
(Ric Francis - AP)
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"At the end of the day, this is more evidence that the sedentary lifestyle is the most devastating to health, longevity and chronic disease development," said James O. Hill of the University of Colorado at Denver, adding that he hoped it might motivate more people to exercise. "Putting it in terms of life expectancy is something that's relevant to people."
While adding one to four years may not sound like a lot to some people, Franco, Hill and others said exercising regularly also enables people to live healthier lives, free from a host of chronic illnesses that can make it hard for people to enjoy their later years.
In addition, recent studies have also found that exercise has payoffs for the mind, too. It has been shown to improve overall well-being, reduce stress and depression, and cut the risk of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, several experts said.
"The benefits of physical activity extend well beyond the effects on longevity," said JoAnn E. Manson of Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
The trouble is, many people seem to ignore the evidence, government recommendations and public health campaigns to be physically active.
Most Americans still fail to exercise regularly, and the number who exercise in their leisure time has been dropping, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Franco and others noted that this and other studies show that people do not have to be exercise fanatics to reap the benefits. Adding just a little activity to the daily routine can have major benefits.
"What we're talking about is small changes," Hill said. "We're telling people to get out and walk more. Fifteen, 20 or 30 minutes of walking each day is probably enough."
