Logging regular miles in your 40s and 50s may get you something no drug can: more years lived without serious disease. A new study of nearly 25,000 adults, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, tracked people who had treadmill tests in midlife, then followed their Medicare records into old age. Those with the best aerobic fitness in midlife--who likely engaged in brisk walking most days--developed major illnesses, including heart disease, kidney disease, certain cancers, and dementia, about 1.5 years later than the least-fit group—and lived roughly two years longer overall, per the Washington Post.
Specifically, highly-fit men gained 1.3 healthy years, with 9% fewer major diseases after 65, and lived 2.3 years longer, per Earth.com. There were similar indications for highly-fit women, though their results were less clear as they made up only 25% of the study group. The gains work out to a modest-sounding 2% bump in both lifespan and "health span," but researchers note no drug has yet matched that in real-world data. Those in the "moderate" fitness range also fared better than the least active. The findings are observational, so fitness can't be named the sole cause; genetics, income, diet, and luck matter, too. Still, lead author Dr. Clare Meernik of Texas Tech University points to a simple takeaway: moving more appears to push both disease and death a bit further down the road.
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