Finnish researchers from Yuvayskul University examined the connection between physical activity and lifespan and found that the picture is not as clear as once thought. The work used data from more than 22,000 twins, a design that helps separate environmental influences from genetic factors when estimating how activity might shape longevity. By focusing on twin pairs, the researchers hoped to disentangle lifestyle effects from inherited risk, offering a sharper view of how movement patterns relate to life expectancy. The results challenge the assumption that any amount of more activity automatically translates into a longer life, suggesting instead a more nuanced relationship that depends on how much and how intensely people move. The study adds to a growing body of evidence that staying active matters, but the benefits may level off beyond a certain point and interact with individual biology in meaningful ways.
In detail, the researchers followed a sizable Finn twin cohort, numbering twenty-two thousand seven hundred fifty individuals, with activity levels tracked from the mid 1970s into the early 1990s. They incorporated epigenetic clocks based on DNA methylation patterns to estimate biological aging, a method that captures the cumulative effects of lifestyle and physiology on the body beyond calendar age. In addition to activity, they assessed inherited susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and blood pressure, recognizing that genetics may shape how the body responds to exercise and how quickly aging signs appear. The combination of behavioral data, epigenetic aging markers, and genetic risk provided a multifaceted view of how lifestyle and heredity interact to influence aging trajectories.
Analysis pointed to a sweet spot: moderate physical activity emerged as the most protective pattern for longevity. When people shifted from a sedentary existence to a regimen of moderate movement, the hazard of death declined noticeably, with about a seven percent reduction in risk over the follow-up period. Importantly, increasing activity beyond this moderate level did not show additional long-term gains for life expectancy. In other words, more is not always better when it comes to extending lifespan, at least not in a simple, linear way. The data suggest that the balance between activity and rest, plus individual biology, matters for how long someone is likely to live.
In the near term, higher levels of activity did reduce the risk of death, aligning with common wisdom that exercise improves immediate health. Yet when the observation window extended across roughly three decades, the difference between those who were extremely active and those who maintained steady, moderate activity diminished and often disappeared. The long-term pattern indicates that extreme activity does not guarantee a larger extension of life compared with balanced routines, at least for the general population represented in this dataset.
The relationship between activity and measures of biological aging appears U-shaped. Faster aging showed up in individuals who were exceptionally active as well as in those who practiced very little movement. That pattern echoes a broader view in aging science that both underuse and overuse of physical activity can coincide with less favorable aging profiles. Earlier researchers noted a life stage when aging accelerates most quickly, a reminder that timing and intensity matter. Taken together, the findings imply that a steady, moderate approach to movement, aligned with personal health status, may provide the most reliable path to healthier aging.