JAKARTA - Not long ago, researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health found an interesting relationship between a simple habit and the potential for longevity. The habit is related to a certain exercise strategy.
Quoted from the New York Post, on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, researchers studied how the diversity of sports affects mortality rates. They analyzed data from more than 111 thousand adults over three decades.
In the study, participants reported how much time per week they spent doing various types of exercise. From walking, jogging, cycling, rowing, racket sports, weight lifting, endurance training, yoga, other low intensity, as well as outdoor work with moderate to heavy intensity.
After accounting for health and lifestyle variables, the researchers found that those who did the most variety of exercise had a 19 percent lower risk of premature death, compared with those who did the least variety of exercise.
The relationship is consistent across levels of intensity. This suggests that diversity of exercise contributes to longevity, regardless of how much time is spent exercising.
"People naturally choose different activities over time based on their preferences and health conditions," said one of the researchers, Yang Hu.
"When deciding how to exercise, remember that there may be additional health benefits from doing various types of physical activity, rather than relying on just one type," he added.
However, this research team also admitted that there were some limitations in their research, one of which was related to the exercise data reported by participants. Even so, they hope that this study will provide useful guidance for those who want to live a long life.
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