Varying your exercise routine could add years to your life | CNN

Editor’s note: Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain. Interested in boosting your longevity? All you may have to do is vary your exercise. Switching between activities such as walking, swimming, yoga, gardening and pickleball could result in a whopping 19% decrease in your chance of death from all causes, according to recent research. “A 19% decrease is a big deal,” said Dr. James Voos, chief of orthopedics at University Hospitals in Cleveland, who was not involved in the study. “When you look at the literature, anything that has that significant of a response should encourage us to take a look at our habits.” An international team of scientists pored over data from two large cohort studies involving more than 110,000 people whose physical activity was assessed over 30 years. The findings, published in the journal BMJ Medicine in January, showed that those who had the largest variety in their physical activity lived the longest. Engaging in many different forms of movement could also be more beneficial than doing the same activity for a longer amount of time, the researchers found. “That was the most sur