Do you want to exercise your options for better health? Well, it turns out that women and men have been making quite different choices, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers looked at data on leisure-time physical activity for more than 400,000 U.S. adults for 22 years. They found that around one-third of women engaged in aerobic activity, while 43% of men did. And that wasn't the only difference they noticed.

Guys needed 300 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise weekly to gain the maximum survival benefit. They reduced their risk of dying by 18% during the study period.

Women needed only 140 minutes for the same risk reduction.

Men who got half the required amount of physical activity weekly (150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise) lowered their risk of death by 15% compared to sedentary guys.

Strength-building exercise also exposed differences: Men who did strength-building regularly saw their risk of death fall by 11%; for women, it was reduced by 19%.

The best protection for men came from three sessions weekly; for women, this study showed one session offered the same benefits, but we think women get more benefits from more strength training.

Despite the differences, one thing is crystal clear. Getting 300 minutes of exercise weekly offered peak survival for both sexes.

So get your heart pumping and your muscles flexing for a longer, happier life.