Does Exercise Keep You Alive Longer?

After a long day at work, it's easy to skip exercising in favor of living life in the moment. But skipping exercise could shave years off your life. There's no guarantee that any single life choice will make you live longer, but exercise is one of the best things you can do to improve your life expectancy, and a 2013 study published on the online journal "PLOS Medicine" found that every minute of exercise has the potential to lengthen your life by seven minutes.

Exercise Recommendations

• There's no upper limit to the amount of exercise you should do, as long as you don't have any serious health conditions or injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that adults should get at least two days of strength training that work all major muscle groups per week. You should also get at least 75 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular exercise or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week.

Cardiovascular Health

• Regular exercise improves cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, improving circulation, reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke, and improving lung function. A strong heart improves your overall physical fitness, making it easier to exercise and improving your endurance, so exercise tends to beget more exercise, which means you'll be able to reap even more benefits.

Disease Prevention

• Harvard Health Publications reports that exercise can reduce your risk of some cancers, including lung and colon cancer. You may also lower your blood sugar, reducing your risk of diabetes. Regular exercise can help you reduce your risks of obesity, which is associated with a number of ailments, and the "PLOS Medicine" article reports that regular exercise can even increase life expectancy in people who are obese.

Improved Strength

• Regular strength training improves muscle tone, coordination and balance, and it can reduce your lifetime risk of osteoporosis. It will also help you become stronger, making everyday tasks easier and potentially reducing aches and pains. As you age, muscle mass tends to decrease, but exercise can slow down or even reverse this trend.

Better Mental Health

• If you suffer from depression or anxiety, exercise could be the key to reducing these feelings. Exercise can help reduce depression, improve your mood and alleviate stress. This won't just make you feel more emotionally stable. It can also lengthen your life. Chronic stress is associated with a number of health conditions, including infections, heart problems, obesity and cancer, and by improving your mental health, you can lengthen your life and improve its quality.