FIGURE.

The risks of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease decrease linearly in association with increasing percentiles of physical activity. In contrast, there is a precipitous decrease in risk when comparing the lowest to the next-lowest category for aerobic capacity. Beyond this demarcation, the reductions in risk parallel those observed with increasing physical activity but are essentially twice as great for aerobic capacity (cardiorespiratory fitness). Data from Med Sci Sports Exerc.¹