Get moving! Doing more than recommended amount of daily exercise lowers risk of death, study

MIAMI - The results of a new study may encourage some of us to go above and beyond when it comes to regular exercise.

We know getting regular physical activity can lower a person's risk of cardiovascular disease and dying early. Now a new study in the journal "Circulation" finds adults who get more than the recommended amount of daily exercise each week have the lowest risk of death.

Under the current American Heart Association guidelines, adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, or some combination of both each week.

The new study looked at data and medical records of more than 100,000 people over 30 years. Adults who engaged in double the recommended amount of either moderate or vigorous physical activity had the lowest long-term risk of death. In the study walking, lower-intensity exercise, weightlifting, and calisthenics were considered moderate activity. Jogging, running, swimming, bicycling, and other aerobic exercises were considered vigorous.

The National Institutes of Health funded the study.

Researchers found no harmful cardiovascular health effects among adults who performed more than four times the recommended minimum activity levels. They say this finding may reduce concerns of previous studies about the possible harms of engaging in high levels of physical activity.