Varied exercises are important to staying fit and healthy, with a major Harvard study now suggesting mixing up weekly workouts could be the secret to living longer.
Scientists reached this conclusion after tracking the exercise habits of 110,000 American men and women over three decades.
Those who enjoyed the widest range of physical activities were 19 per cent less likely to die during the study period compared to people who stuck with just one type of exercise.
That is a bigger benefit than focusing solely on individual sports like walking, tennis, rowing or jogging.
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Mixing up your workouts could add years to your life
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And the health benefits went even further for those who embraced a varied fitness routine.
People with the most diverse exercise habits saw their risk of dying from cancer drop substantially. Heart disease and lung illness deaths were also much lower in this group.
Overall, those mixing things up had between 13 per cent and 41 per cent lower chances of dying from these conditions compared to others.
While the total amount of exercise you do still matters enormously, experts say picking activities you genuinely enjoy brings extra rewards.
Being physically active is already known to boost both mental and physical well-being while protecting against cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
The lead author of the study from Harvard School of Public Health, Dr Yang Hu, said: "It's important to keep a high level of total physical activity, and on top of that, diversifying the types of activities may be more beneficial."
He added: "Combining activities that have complementary health benefits [such as resistance training and aerobic exercise] can be very helpful."
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The research, published in BMJ Medicine, followed more than 70,000 nurses aged 30-55 and 40,000 health professionals aged 40-75.
Participants completed questionnaires every two years about their weekly activities, including walking, cycling, swimming, weight training, yoga, and even gardening.
The study found six hours of moderate activity weekly was the sweet spot, with benefits levelling off after that point.
Alternatively, three hours of vigorous exercise achieved similar results.
NHS guidelines recommend adults aged 19 to64 aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, each week.
Britons are encouraged to get 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week
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Strengthening exercises targeting all major muscle groups should be done at least twice weekly.
Aerobic activities that get your heart pumping include brisk walking, cycling, dancing and hiking.
Muscle-building options range from yoga and tai chi to lifting weights and energetic gardening.
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