Men who exercise have a reduced risk of dying from both cardiovascular disease and cancer.

And, according to a new report from researchers in Finland, being out of shape increases the risk of premature death as much as commonly known risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and smoking.

These findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on a 10-year study of nearly 1,300 men.

At the start of the study, none of the participants, whose average age was 52, had cardiovascular disease, lung disease or cancer.

Researchers found that those who performed well on a maximum oxygen uptake test and could exercise longer were more likely to be alive at the end of the study.

Conversely, men who performed poorly were three times more likely to die from any cause.