HEART attack victims can more than halve their risk of dying young by taking up exercise, a study reveals.

Even lifelong couch potatoes can boost long-term survival chances, with experts saying it is never too late to become active.

3 Heart attack victims who exercised daily saw their risk of dying fall by 59 per cent Credit: Alamy

Swedish researchers followed more than 22,000 patients in one of the first ever studies looking at the impact of exercise after a heart attack.

It shows the greater levels of activity after a deadly episode, the more likely participants were to be alive four years on.

Those who exercised daily post-heart attack saw their chances of dying young slashed by 59 per cent.

Lead researcher Dr Örjan Ekblom, from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, said: “It is well known that physically active people are less likely to have a heart attack and more likely to live longer.

3 Around 200,000 Brits are year suffer a heart attack but it's never too late to start exercising, a new study found Credit: Getty - Contributor

“But we did not know the impact of exercise on people after a heart attack.

“Our study shows that patients can reduce their risk of death by becoming physically active after a heart attack.”

Around 200,000 Brits are year are rushed to hospital following a heart attack.

Dr Ekblom said regular exercise should be automatically prescribed to all these patients.

3 Even those who did a little exercise had a 37 per cent lower chance of dying in four years Credit: Getty - Contributor

The findings were presented at the EuroPrevent 2018 congress in Ljubljana.

The team examined data on 22,227 patients aged between 18 and 74 who had a heart attack between 2005 and 2013.

They also recorded their level of physical activity in the weeks after and then again a year later.

Couch potatoes were labelled “constantly inactive”. Those who did exercise were placed into three groups based on frequency - “reduced activity”, “increased activity”, or “constantly active”.

Flower to the people - pick the right plants and give your health a boost HAVING the right indoor plants could prevent cancer and heart disease by combating pollution, research suggests. But most people pick the wrong ones, such as tropical species. Their big leaves reduce air-purifying quality, as they are poor at sucking up matter in the air that is hazardous to humans, Italian scientists said.

After adjusting for lifestyle and health factors, scientists found compared to inactive patients, even those that did a little exercise had a 37 per cent lower chance of dying young.

And for the two most active groups, their risk fell by more than half.

Dr Ekblom added: “Exercising twice or more a week should be automatically advocated for heart attack patients in the same way that they receive advice to stop smoking, improve diet, and reduce stress.

“Our study shows this advice applies to all heart attack patients.”

MOST READ IN HEALTH NEWS 'A DISASTER FROM START TO FINISH' Parents furious at hospital after their daughter is left with an inch-long scar after 'surgeon SLICED her head during C-section' Sex Secrets Prostitute who earns £2,000 a week reveals the average penis size ... and how much she enjoys work AVO LAUGH? This is why eating avocado is not as good for you as you might think KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF CANCER Dr Keith Hopcroft explains the ten signs that suggest you DON'T have cancer HEALTH BOOST Think vitamin pills are a waste of time? This is the one you really SHOULD take, says the government

Myleene Klass on body core exercises: ‘Tighten your body, bring in your hips and ultimately strengthen your back’

Emily McGrath, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Being physically active is great for heart health in both healthy people and people who have had a heart attack.

“After someone has a heart attack, being active can strengthen their heart and aid recovery.

"One of the most important elements of heart attack aftercare is cardiac rehabilitation, which introduces physical activity gradually and helps people to get back on their feet after a potentially life-changing event.”