Study reveals exercising is more beneficial than not smoking or drinking

A new study shows fitness is not only good for you, but it leads to longer life. CNN's Kim Hutcherson explains how those with a sedentary lifestyle are at a 500% higher chance of premature death than those who are extremely fit.

Exercising could be the most important factor in living a long and healthy life.

The notion that a sedentary lifestyle is bad for you has been around for a while, spawning adaptions like standing desks and even treadmills at work stations in the office.

But now, authors of a study published in the Journal Jama Network Open, found avoiding aerobic exercise and fitness is actually worse for you than smoking, diabetes, and even heart disease.

Researchers studied just over 122,000 patients who underwent exercise treadmill testing between 1991 and 2014, to chart the mortality benefits of fitness and exercise.

The results were shocking.

"Ultra" exercisers, or the extremely fit, weren't putting themselves at a higher risk for death due to excessive work-outs.

In fact, researchers found out quite the opposite. That there is no limit to the benefits of exercise.

They also learned just how bad a sedentary life and being unfit can be for you.

Those who performed poorly on the treadmill, had almost double the mortality risk as someone on dialysis.

The good news is that anyone, no matter what age, can start walking, or running, to a longer life.