Study says failure to exercise may be more of a health risk than smoking

The results showed that a better cardiorespiratory condition was related to a longer life, while an extreme aerobic form had the best benefits, especially for patients over 70 years old and hypertensive patients.

The study also indicated that the risk of not exercising was equal to or greater than traditional risk factors such as smoking or diabetes.

"Most patients can control aerobic fitness," said Wael Jaber, MD, a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic and lead author of the study, in a statement. "And we found in our study that there is no limit to the amount of exercise, that's too much."

The study was published Oct. 19 in the "Journal of the American Medical Association Open Network".

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Many studies have not only touted the benefits of regular physical exercise, but have also shown that people around the world did not have enough. Last month, a World Health Organization study found that 1.4 billion people worldwide are physically inactive, putting them at risk for diseases such as diabetes.

In June, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that only 23% of Americans were physically active. The CDC guidelines suggest that Americans do 150 minutes of moderate aerobics a week, as well as muscle building activities twice a week.

But even exercising two days a week could offer benefits. In May, a study from the Institute of Exercise and Environmental Medicine at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital and the Southwestern Medical Center of the University of Texas revealed that physical exercise two to three days a week could minimize the stiffening of medium-sized arteries.