Lead investigator Dr Scott Lear, from McMaster University in Canada, said: "By including low and middle-income countries in this study, we were able to determine the benefit of activities such as active commuting, having an active job or even doing housework."
He added: "Going to the gym is great, but we only have so much time we can spend there. If we can walk to work, or at lunch time, that will help too."
The Pure (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) study found that if everyone was active for at least 150 minutes per week, 8% of global deaths over seven years would be prevented.
It also showed there appeared to be no ceiling to the health benefits of taking exercise.
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People who did more than 750 minutes of brisk walking per week reduced their risk of death by 36 per cent.
Professor Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "In an age where we're living increasingly busy but often sedentary lives in the west, weaving physical activity into our daily routines has never been more important, not only to improve our physical health but also overall well-being.
"Increased physical activity could have an even greater beneficial impact in lower income countries, due to its low its cost and the high incidence of heart disease in those countries."
