Taking up regular physical exercise after the age of 50 is as beneficial for men as quitting smoking, a Swedish study published Friday on the website of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) showed.
Men who began exercising after the age of 50 had the same life expectancy after 10 years as men who had always exercised, the researchers from Uppsala University said.
Health Hazards of Smoking Cigarettes
Smoking causes many diseases and affects the overall health of smokers.
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It showed that starting to exercise after the age of 50 was as beneficial as giving up smoking, but it had to be a regular regimen for five to 10 years for the positive effects to be observed.
"Increased physical activity in middle age is eventually followed by a reduction in mortality to the same level as seen among men with constantly high physical activity," the study said.
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The study noted that around half of middle aged men in Western countries do not exercise regularly.
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