Swedish researchers from Uppsala University wrote:...the men were put into three groups - high levels of activity, moderate levels and sedentary.
High levels was classed as those who did at least three hours of sports or heavy gardening each week.
Moderate was said to be the equivalent of several hours of walking or cycling, while people who were classed as sedentary spent most of their free time watching TV.
Their exercise habits were then reassessed at the age of 60.
The team found that those who were doing high levels of activity at the age of 50 lived 2.3 years longer than sedentary men and 1.1 years longer than those who reported medium levels of activity - once a range of factors such as weight, alcohol intake and smoking was taken into account...