Nine years.
That’s the amount more time you may add to your life by being regularly active compared with those less so. Individuals who exercise regularly have longer telomeres—the protein endcaps of our chromosomes associated with a longer life span—than those who are sedentary, according to a recent study out of Brigham Young University.
The fact that frequent exercise leads to a longer life has long been common knowledge. But this study is one of the first to reveal a solid number or amount of time that workout out adds to your lifespan. The more physically active we are, the less biological aging takes place in our bodies,” exercise science professor Larry Tucker said.
The study noted that in order to make a real difference as far as your lifespan goes, you’ll want to work out regularly and at high levels.