One thing any physician will tell you: regular exercise is key in maintaining your health. But when it comes to the type of exercise, are some forms better than others?

In a recently completed study, medical scientists sought to determine whether vigorous physical activity — when compared to less-intense, moderate physical activity — is associated with additional life-extending benefits. The results may just change the way you work out forever.

The Study

In the study, "Association of Physical Activity Intensity With Mortality, A National Cohort Study of 403,681 US Adults," five medical scientists from around the globe set out to discover whether a higher proportion of vigorous physical activity to moderate-to-vigorous activity is associated with reducing all-cause mortality (death from all causes associated with a population in a given time period), as well as cancer and cardiovascular deaths.

The study included 403,681 adult participants who self-reported data on their daily physical activity, taking place over an average of 10.1 years of follow-up.

The Findings