How fit you are in midlife may help determine not just how long you live, but how many of those years are spent in good health, according to a new study published today in the JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The study found that adults with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife lived longer lives, developed fewer chronic diseases and spent more years free from serious illness compared with those who were less fit.
Cardiorespiratory fitness - how well the heart and lungs supply oxygen during physical activity - is known to reduce the risk of heart disease and early death. This study extends prior research by showing that fitness also plays a meaningful role in healthy aging, defined as years lived without major chronic disease.
The findings indicate that higher fitness in midlife is strongly associated with later onset of chronic disease, lower overall disease burden and longer life expectancy. These benefits were observed in both men and women.
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