Journal: Nature communications
This prospective study pooled 231,488 U.S. health professionals from three long‑running cohorts with up to 32 years of repeated physical activity assessments. Investigators evaluated how long‑term patterns of physical activity—overall volume, consistency over time, and specific trajectories—relate to incidence of type 2 diabetes, major cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
Key findings:
- Maintaining physical activity at guideline‑recommended levels consistently over time was associated with greater risk reduction for major chronic diseases than patterns characterized by intermittent periods of high activity interspersed with inactivity, even if total activity volume appeared similar.
- Trajectory analyses showed that individuals who remained physically active throughout middle adulthood had about a 10–28% lower incidence of major chronic diseases after age 60.
- The data suggest that continuity and stability of physical activity across adulthood confers additional protection beyond the cumulative volume of activity alone.
Implication: For long‑term prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, sustained, regular physical activity across middle adulthood is more beneficial than irregular or episodic high‑volume exercise patterns.