We all know that regular exercise is one of the best ways to live a long and healthy life. From walking to strength training and mindful movement, getting active is simply a non-negotiable when it comes to disease prevention and improving longevity.

Despite that, women are still lagging behind our male counterparts when it comes to exercising, with research showing that girls and women do less activity than boys and men. And that’s a shame for many reasons, not least because new research has found that women gain greater benefits than men from doing any kind of exercise.

The new observational study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that we reap the rewards of working out sooner, too. The scientists hope that these findings will encourage more women to get active and improve their health.

“We hope this study will help everyone, especially women, understand they are poised to gain tremendous benefits from exercise,” says report co-author Dr Susan Cheng, cardiologist at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles. “It is an incredibly powerful way to live healthier and longer. Women on average tend to exercise less than men and hopefully these findings inspire more women to add extra movement to their lives.”

Women benefit more than men from same amount of regular exercise, study reveals