New research found that elderly men who exercise for a just a small amount of time could modestly reduce their risk of death.
Norwegian researchers found that men in this age group reduce their risk of death over a 12-year period by 40 percent when they exercise 30 minutes for six days a week compared to their "couch-potato counterparts," Live Science reported.
"Even at the age of 73 years, physical activity is associated highly with [life span] between groups of sedentary and active persons," the researchers said in the study.
For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from nearly 15,000 men in their 60s and 70s. The study participants were born in Norway between 1923 and 1932. They were given health checkups, which began in 1973, that included "an assessment of the men's height, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking history, as well as how much they exercised on a weekly basis," Live Science reported.
Researchers examined how regular physical exercise impacted the study participants between the years of 2000 and 2011," CTV News reported.
"A mortality reduction of 40 percent was associated with a moderate use of time (30 minutes, six days a week) irrespective of whether the activity was light or vigorous," researchers said
The findings are detailed in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
