Overview

• Adults meeting World Health Organization recommendations of 150–300 minutes of moderate or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity per week show a 30–40% lower mortality risk from common diseases.
• Individuals who increase activity without reaching full guidelines still reduce their risk by 20–25% compared with those who maintain prior levels.
• Switching from an inactive lifestyle to regular exercise at any adult age is linked to a roughly 22% drop in mortality risk relative to remaining inactive.
• The review finds the strongest protective effect against cardiovascular disease, with smaller but still significant reductions in cancer mortality.
• Authors note that most source studies rely on self-reported activity measures, which may affect the precision of the quantified benefits.