Per ScienceDaily “Cardio-fitness cuts death and disease by nearly 20%”.

“Running, cycling, or swimming – if you regularly exercise, you’re well on track for a long and healthy life, as groundbreaking new research from the University of South Australia finds that an increased cardio fitness level will reduce your risk of death from any cause by 11-17%.

Published in BJSM, the study found that for every 1-MET increase in cardiorespiratory fitness – the amount of energy used for quiet sitting – a person can reduce their risk of death by 11-17%, and specifically, their risk of heart disease by 18%.

Comprising 26 systematic reviews with meta-analysis representing more than 20.9 million observations from 199 unique cohort studies, it is the first study to collate all the scientific evidence that looked at the prospective link between" cardiorespiratory fitness and health outcomes among adults.“

Cardiovascular fitness or aerobic fitness measures how well your heart, lungs, and blood vessels supply and deliver oxygen to your muscles and organs during sustained physical actiivy. Aerobic exercise(running, swimming, cycling, brisk walking, aerobic exercise classes) maintains cardiovascular fitness. The study reinforces the fact that you need to get in that physical activity….. remember something is better than nothing.