ISLAMABAD, FEB 20 (ONLINE): Most everyone benefits from regular exercise, but women may see bigger cardiovascular benefits than men \u2014 and in less time, too, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
\nIn their study, researchers looked at a group of 400,000 men and women in the United States over the course of two decades.<\/p>\n
They reported that women who exercised regularly were 24% less likely to die from any cause during the study period and also had a 36% lower risk of fatal heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event compared to women who did not exercise regularly.
\nAt the same time, men who exercised regularly were 15% less likely to die and had a 14% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular event compared to sedentary men.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeart disease is the leading causeTrusted Source of death for women in the United States and can affect women at any age [and it\u2019s] responsible for about one in every five female deaths, but research has shown that only about half (56 percent) of U.S. women recognize that heart disease is their number one killer,\u201d said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a clinical associate professor at the University of Southern California and chief medical advisor for Garage Gym Reviews who was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe study shows that women who regularly exercise have a lower chance of premature death and fatal cardiovascular events compared to men who have similar exercise habits, underscoring the importance of getting regular exercise for women\u2019s longevity and highlighting the potential for changing preconceived health outcomes,\u201d Dasgupta told Medical News Today.
\nWhat is the right amount of exercise?
\nSo, how much exercise is enough exercise?<\/p>\n
For men, the researchers reported that around 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 110 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week does the trick.
\nThe dose-response relationship of activity to benefit also differed for men and women. For women, at least, it appears a little exercise goes a long way.
\nThe researchers reported that women who engaged in 140 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly saw an 18% reduced death risk while just 57 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise a week produced a 19% reduced death risk.<\/p>\n
Men had to exercise twice as much for the same benefit, reaching the 18% mark with 300 minutes of moderate aerobic weekly exercise and the 19% mark with 110 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.
\n\u201cWe hope this study will help everyone, especially women, understand they are poised to gain tremendous benefits from exercise,\u201d said Dr. Susan Cheng, a study co-author and a cardiologist and the chair of Women\u2019s Cardiovascular Health and Population Science in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, in a press releaseTrusted Source. \u201cWomen, on average, tend to exercise less than men and hopefully these findings inspire more women to add extra movement to their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Strength training matters, too
\nThe benefits of regular exercise weren\u2019t limited to aerobics.
\nStrength training also appeared to have significant benefits and women were once again the bigger beneficiaries.
\nFor instance, women who did regular strength training exercises saw a 19% reduced risk of death while men saw an 11% reduced risk compared to their inactive peers. That also includes a 30% lower risk of a cardiovascular event for women and an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular events for men.
\nAs to why those results might be, it comes down to the differences in men\u2019s and women\u2019s bodies.<\/p>\n
\u201cFemales exhibit greater vascular conductance and blood flow during exercise, with females having a higher density of capillaries per unit of skeletal muscle when compared with males,\u201d said Dr. Tracy Zaslow, a primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles and a team physician for Angel City Football Club and LA Galaxy.
\n\u201cAccordingly, although females have generally lower muscle strength at baseline, when both males and females undergo strength training, females experience greater relative improvements in strength, which is a stronger predictor of mortality than muscle mass,\u201d Zaslow, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today.<\/p>\n
Some recommendations on daily exercise for men and women
\nZaslow applauded the efforts of the researchers to fine-tune recommendations for exercise and healthy habits between the sexes.
\n\u201cCurrent recommendations are agnostic,\u201d she said. \u201cSex-specific considerations could enhance individual risk assessments and tailored exercise prescriptions in the effort to increase engagement in physical activity.\u201d
\nZaslow also provided some tips for women \u2014 and men \u2014 looking to work more daily exercise into their lives. These include:
\n\u2022\tStart with small amounts of exercise and slowly add more as strength and endurance are built.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tFind a partner to exercise with to help hold you accountable and make it more enjoyable.
\n\u2022\tIf time permits, try walking to do errands instead of driving between stops.
\n\u2022\tChoose the stairs instead of the elevator.
\n\u2022\tListen to music or a fun podcast during workouts.
\n\u2022\tMix it up! Don\u2019t do the same workout every time. Switch between strength and endurance, and try different activities, such as walking, yoga, hiking, pickleball, and others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, FEB 20 (ONLINE): Most everyone benefits from regular exercise, but women may see bigger cardiovascular benefits than men \u2014 and in less time, too, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In their study, researchers looked […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":102230,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9821],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-health-news"],"yoast_head":"\n