RIO DE JANEIRO: Researchers have found the people who had the lowest levels of physical activity had higher rates of death compared to people with higher levels of activity, adding that nine percent of all premature deaths are caused by not getting enough physical activity.

Physical activity is known to reduce deaths from heart disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and mental illness.

For the findings, the research team from the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil looked more carefully at the relationship between death and physical exercise among older adults in Brazil (where the number of older adults grew 40 percent between 2002 and 2012).

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

During the study, from January to August 2014, researchers conducted home interviews with 1,451 adults older than 60. Of these, 971 participants were given wrist monitors to measure their physical activity.

Researchers also asked participants about their smoking habits and how they would rate their health.

(Agencies)