 |
A brisk walk instead of sitting down: Just ten minutes a day makes a difference |
It is not the amount
of time spent sitting still that matters. Instead it is the extent of physical
activity that is essential in reducing the risk of elderly women developing
cardiovascular disease, as shown in a new Örebro study published in PLOS ONE.
"We have studied
women over 65 as they are among the least active groups of the population, at
the same time as they run a high risk of developing cardiovascular
disease," says Fawzi Kadi, Professor at Örebro University.
A sedentary lifestyle
is associated with health risks such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
But the Örebro study shows that it is the daily amount of physical activity
that is crucial to a person's health.
"The study shows
how important it is to encourage more physical activity. We are not talking
slow everyday pace, but at least one brisk walk or other physical activity
requiring some exertion," says Andreas Nilsson, researcher at Örebro
University.
120 women took part in
the Örebro study. They had a medical examination and over the course of one
week, their physical activity was measured using an accelerometer.
The results may well
apply to other
groups since they are in line with a meta-analysis of previous
research based on a million adult men and women, which indicated that physical
activity rather than sedentary behaviour affects the risk of mortality.
"Our study points
in the same direction -- that the negative health effects of a sedentary
lifestyle decrease with the extent of physical activity," says Fawzi Kadi.
This means that if one
person is jogging while another is only doing less strenuous activities, the
first person runs a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than the
second -- regardless of the extent of their sedentary activities.
"Getting up once
in a while is naturally a good thing, but doing more exercise is better for our
health," concludes Andreas Nilsson.
Source:Örebro Universitet
Story
Source:
0 comments:
Post a Comment