Mix of exercise to cut risk of death the most

What's the news: A mix of aerobic exercise and strength training was linked to the greatest reduction in mortality risk.

Why should we believe it: This news is based on a new study published earlier this month by a team of scientists from Spain, Canada, and Australia. The scientists looked at data from a whopping 500,705 individuals, who were tracked for over 10 years.

The scientists had data on each person's self-reported exercise habits. They crunched the numbers, and looked at connections of different types of exercise to reductions in death from all causes, from cardiovascular disease, and from cancer.

And while the numbers were slightly different for each cause of death, the following exercise profile was linked to the greatest drop in death from all causes:

• A mix of moderate aerobic exercise, vigorous aerobic exercise, and strength training

• 75 minutes or more of moderate aerobic exercise per week

• 150 minutes or more of vigorous aerobic exercise per week

• 2 or more strength training sessions per week

But what do these numbers tell us? This is a classic cross-section study. In other words, we cannot say for sure, based on this study, that mixing up your exercise will cut your risk of death. We cannot say it, but we sure can strongly suspect it, and that's what I personally do.

So what specifically can you do now: If you're exercising, make sure to mix it up. All types of exercise seem to be important - walking, some strenuous aerobic exercise, strength training.

And if you're not yet exercising, then start by doing anything. While this particular study is about the optimal combination of exercise for longevity, any kind of exercise, compared to none, will have a huge and positive impact on your longevity, and very likely, on other aspects of your health as well.