Exercise Is Not “enough” for Heart Health
According to the American Heart Association and other organizations, 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week, is the standard recommendation for heart health. But new research shows that there is nothing special about this limitation. If you want to be healthier, you only need one rule: the more, the better.
A new analysis, published last month in the journal Circulation , details the dose-response relationship between leisure exercise and the risk of heart failure: the more you exercise, the better you are. In more than 12 studies involving 370,460 people, those who exercised at the recommended minimum level had 90% more cases of heart failure than those who were sedentary. But with twice the amount of exercise, the risk dropped to 81%, and with four times – only 65%.
The researchers measured exercise in terms of intensity as well as timing, so heavier exercise could replace exercise for longer to some extent. “Moderate” exercises, recommended at the minimums, include brisk walking and ballroom dancing, so if you are running up hills or doing any sophisticated water aerobics this is more important.
While any exercise is better than nothing, if you already have risk factors for heart disease, researchers say you should aim for a lot more than 30 easy minutes a day.
Dose-Response Between Physical Activity and Risk of Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis | Distribution via the Washington Post
Photo by Dave Wright .
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