Study: Exercise Extends Life Expectancy

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - What is the best form of exercise?

Any form of exercise is good for you, and according to a report from the National Institute On Aging, essentially, any kind of exercise will help extend your life.

The Institute has based these views on a six-year study of people between 70 and 82. It is very interesting. When people exercise, they produce carbon dioxide which can be excreted in the urine. The researchers had volunteers drink water containing two harmless isotopes, oxygen 18 and hydrogen 2. Oxygen 18 is eliminated from the body in water while hydrogen 2 is eliminated not only in water, but also in carbon dioxide. This is how they were able to measure carbon dioxide.

After six years of research, they found death rates went down as daily energy expenditure went up.