In 1964, E.C. Hammond of Yale University published a paper on lifestyle and health complaints among 1,064,004 people. The study began in 1959, and most of the respondents filled out a second round of questionnaires after a year or two (some of the respondents had died in the meantime). Among the many factors identified, the influence of physical activity on early death was a very pronounced finding. For example, even a year after the study had begun, the mortality rate among people aged 45–49 years was 1.06%, and 22.13% among the 85+ group. For people within these age groups who regularly engaged in strenuous physical activity mortality decreased by a factor of 5 and 9, respectively.
In 2016, M.R. Godoy from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and D. Triches from the University of the Bells’ River Valley (Unisinos) published a paper that traced the impact of physical activity on people’s earnings. The study was conducted on Brazilian workers between the ages of 30 and 50. It turned out that physically active workers not only had improved socioeconomic status but literally earned more. Their income was on average 15–31% higher.
S. Kolovos et al. from the University of Oxford published a 2019 paper on the various contributing factors to excess weight. The survey was conducted among 6,419 Mexicans, most of whom were overweight. It turned out that people suffering from obesity spent an hour per day longer than others in front of screens (TV or computer). They also slept almost an hour less and were almost half as likely to exercise or even walk.
S.R. Chekroud et al. of the University of Oxford published a 2018 report on the effects of physical activity on people’s mental health. The data was based on a survey of 1,237,194 Americans over the age of 18. The study showed that physical activity reduced the number of days per month during which participants experienced poor psychological wellbeing by 1.5 times. Likewise, mental problems manifested themselves 12–22% less frequently, especially in people who engaged in team sports, cycling, aerobic exercise, and gym training.