New York, Feb 1 (Online): A recent study suggests women may benefit more from exercise than men, Just one weekly strength training session for women equals three for men in terms of longevity benefits.
Experts however don’t agree with the study. There are times when we don’t want to go to the gym, and we often procrastinate a workout.
However, a new study might come as a sigh of relief for women, who, according to a new study, can reap the benefits of working out more than men.
The study, released in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, states that men who engaged in approximately 300 minutes of aerobic exercise each week experienced an 18% reduced risk of mortality compared to inactive men.
For women, on the other hand, approximately 140 minutes of weekly exercise resulted in a similar benefit.
Dr Gulati, a contributing doctor in the study, explains that women typically possess less muscle mass than men, suggesting that they may derive greater benefits from smaller doses of strengthening exercises due to their initial lower muscle mass.
Additionally, sex-based physiological differences, such as variations in lung and cardiopulmonary function, may also contribute to these outcomes.
To arrive at their conclusions, Dr Gulati and her team analysed self-reported exercise behaviours from over 4,00,000 US adults who participated in the National Health Interview survey spanning 20 years from 1997 to 2017, correlating this data with mortality records.
However, the experts who participated in the study also admitted that the study had limitations, including its reliance on self-reported exercise data, which may not always be accurate.
Moreover, the survey specifically enquired about leisure-time exercise, potentially overlooking physical activity occurring at work or during household chores, which emerging research suggests can significantly enhance health outcomes.
Given these constraints, Dr Gulati suggests that further research is necessary to validate these findings.
Meenal Pathak, a celebrity fitness coach and founder of Mee Studio, Noida, explains that since women are more prone to diseases due to hormonal changes, women should exercise more, including strength training, to build muscle mass and improve bone density.
“I don’t know where these claims are coming from,” she says.
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