Want To Live Long? Check Out What You Must Do To Live Up To Age 90
Exercising for half an hour a day boosts the chances of living to 90 by up to a third, a study suggests.
Spending that time gardening, cleaning the house or doing DIY may also make a long life more likely.
Researchers analysed the height, weight and activity levels of 7,807 people aged 68 to 70.
They were monitored until they died or until they reached 90 – whichever came first.
Some 17 per cent of men and 34 per cent of women lived to 90.
Men who were physically active for 30 to 60 minutes a day were 34 per cent more likely to live that long than those who were active for less.
The figure for women was 21 per cent, boffins at Maastricht University, in the Netherlands, found.
Being active for more than 90 minutes a day increased men’s odds of living to 90 by 39 per cent but women got no additional benefit.
Women who were tall, slim and put on less weight as they aged were also more likely to live to 90.
But these measurements made no difference to fellas.
Women more than 5ft 9in tall were 31 per cent more likely to reach 90 than those less than 5ft 3in.
The difference between the sexes is thought to be due to hormones and lifestyles.
Study leader Lloyd Brandts said: “This study indicates body size and physical activity are related to the likelihood of reaching 90 years of age and that these associations differ by s*x.”
The findings are published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.