Exercise Extends Life For Women After Menopause

A new study finds that women who exercise after menopause tend to outlive sedentary women, and as little as one long walk a week can make a difference.

The more older women exercise, the better their chances of a long life, researchers added in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

Findings in the seven-year study of more than 40,000 postmenopausal women parallel earlier research in men, researchers said.

Women who engaged in moderate activity - such as bowling, gardening or a long walk - four or more times a week were 33 percent less likely to die during the study than women who were never physically active, researchers found.

Women who engaged in moderate activity just once weekly were 12 percent less likely to die.