Exercising for just 10 minutes a week is linked to a longer life, according to a new study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Several recent studies have found that even low-intensity exercise, done for a short amount of time, can have a meaningful impact on health.

Still, the idea that exercising for just 10 minutes a week may be enough to increase your lifespan is novel.

It's also somewhat controversial, since the federal physical activity guidelines recommend getting at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.

The study was based on data from more than 88,000 U. S. adults who participated in the National Health Interview Survey between 1997 and 2008.

Contrary to some research that has found an upper limit to the amount of exercise that is healthy, the researchers found that there was seemingly no limit to the longevity benefits of exercise.

Even the small group of people who got 10 times the amount of exercise recommended by the federal government had a 46% lower risk of death than the least active group.

Still, observational studies like this one cannot prove cause and effect; they can only find patterns.

The researchers also were not able to adjust for certain lifestyle factors that could affect lifespan, including dietary habits and changes in physical activity over time.

Despite these limitations, the study's results are yet another indication of the power of physical activity, even in small amounts.