India, July 13 -- Getting regular exercise in adulthood can cut your risk of early death in a big way - and even small steps can help. That's the takeaway from a major global review of studies, released in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Researchers at the University of Queensland pulled together findings from 85 studies worldwide. What they found: adults who stayed physically active - or even picked up the habit later - had significantly lower chances of dying early from any cause.

The biggest drop in death risk was among people who kept up regular physical activity throughout their lives. Their chances of dying from any cause were between 20 and 30 per cent lower than those who stayed inactive. When it came to heart disease, th...