A brisk bout of spring cleaning may make you happier, while regular exercise in middle age can stave off the negative effects of ageing, research published today says.

Two new studies have added to the evidence on the benefits of taking exercise. The first showed how only 20 minutes of housework or gardening a week can reduce feelings of psychological distress.

Those who managed even more exercise each week or who took part in sports had their spirits lifted even further, the study showed. Although exercise is known to boost mental health, researchers from University College London wanted to find how long people should exercise, and what type was best.

They asked 19,842 men and women taking part in the Scottish Health Survey how much exercise, and what kind of activities, they did every week. People were also quizzed about their state of mind, with 3,200 members of the group – 16 per cent – found to be suffering stress or anxiety according to a commonly used mental health scale.

The study discovered that any form of daily physical activity was linked to lower levels of distress even when factors such as age and long-term health problems were taken into account.

The range of activities shown to improve mood included housework, gardening, walking and sports. Taking part in sports each week lowered the risk of distress the most, by 33 per cent, the study found. But even walking and domestic tasks such as housework and gardening reduced distress by up to 20 per cent.

Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the authors conclude: “Mental health benefits were observed at a minimal level of at least 20 minutes each week of any physical activity, with greater risk reduction for activity at a higher intensity.”

The authors also noted that exercise cut the risk of developing diseases such as heart disease and cancer, and also depression and dementia.,

A second study published in the same journal found that regular aerobic exercise could slow down so-called “biological ageing” by 10 or 12 years.

People may also be able to retain the ability to live independently for far longer if they exercise throughout middle age and into retirement, it found.

More than 20 years ago, experts from the University of Toronto suggested that one of the most vital factors influencing the quality of life in the very old was having enough “aerobic power” to allow independent living. Their new study examined how much influence aerobic training has on a person’s risk of becoming dependent. They said: “Aerobic training can boost aerobic power . . . potentially delaying the loss of independence by as much as 10 to 12 years.”

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