According to a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins and Henry Ford Health System, exercise increases the chances of survival after the first heart attack, Latinos Health reports. 

The new study was published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings on Feb. 1. 

The study revealed that patients with high levels of physical activity have increased chances of survival after first heart attack, according to a report from Medical Daily.

"We knew that fitter people generally live longer, but we now have evidence linking fitness to survival after a first attack," Medical Daily quoted Dr. Michael Blaha, director of clinical research for Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in a press statement released.

"It makes sense, but we believe this is the first time there is documentation of the association", he added.

For the study, Blaha and his colleagues studied medical data collected from more than 2,000 men and women, who were at an average age of 62 with 38 percent female and 56 percent Caucasian, according to Philly. 

The researchers used the Henry Ford Exercising Testing Project, also known as FIT Project, which included individuals who have performed the treadmill stress test before they suffered their first heart attack.

The researchers used patients' achieved metabolic equivalent (MET) score as a quick measure of energy consumption at rest and during physical activity.