Studies show 15 minutes of daily exercise can help

By ALICIA CHANG
AP Science Writer

LOS ANGELES - A large new study has found even a little bit of daily exercise has health benefits.

Exercise guidelines by the World Health Organization and many government health agencies recommend that adults get at least a half-hour of moderate workout most days of the week.

A large study done in Taiwan found that even doing half that can be beneficial.

Researchers found those who exercised just 15 minutes a day - or 90 minutes a week - cut their risk of death by 14 percent and extended their life expectancy by three years compared with those who did no exercise.

Results were reported online Monday in the Journal Lancet.

Scientists not involved in the work said this may convince people that it's possible to incorporate a little exercise into their busy lives.

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