THE BIG ISSUE

XERCISING throughout adulthood slashes the risk of early death by up to 40 per cent - but any activity is better than none, a study has found.

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While long-term good habits reap the most benefits, switching to a more active lifestyle at any point in adulthood extends life, suggesting it is never too late to get healthy, researchers said.

Overall, physically active people are less likely to die from a range of conditions, including heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Experts reviewed 85 existing studies on millions of people for their research. They found that people who were consistently physically active had around a 30 per cent to 40 per cent lower risk of dying from any cause, while those who increased their levels of exercise (from below recommended amounts) had a 20 per cent to 25 per cent lower risk.

Notably, people who switched from being physically inactive to being active were 22 per cent less likely to die from any cause than those who remained inactive.