Household activities like folding laundry or washing dishes may contribute to a longer life.

“Doing something is better than nothing, even when at lower-than-guideline recommended levels of physical activity,” said University at Buffalo researcher Michael LaMonte, PhD.

Dr. LaMonte and his team tested more than 6,000 women ages 63 to 99. Participants wore accelerometers to measure their physical activity.

Those who did 30 minutes of light physical work each day had a 12 percent lower risk of death compared to inactive women. Risk of death was 39 percent lower among women who did 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity.