Moderate physical activity can extend your life, no matter what age you start and regardless of your fitness level at the time you begin exercising, research shows. A study, published online Aug. 9, 2010, in the journal Circulation, found that exercise capacity is inversely associated with all-cause mortality in older men. The survival benefit was observed in individuals who could participate in moderate exercise, such as brisk walking. A persons fitness level or exercise capacity is how much physical work a person can accomplish measured in metabolic equivalents (METs), says Michael Crawford, manager of Cleveland Clinics Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.
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