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The Importance of Physical Activity for Heart Health

A new study suggests that any activity, even standing or sleeping (since most of the mind and body’s functions are active), is better for heart health than sitting.

New evidence reinforces why sedentary behavior can be deadly, showing that just a few minutes of exercise a day can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The Benefits of Replacing Sedentary Behavior with Exercise

Scientists have suggested that replacing time spent sitting with exercise improves cholesterol levels, helps maintain a healthy weight, and leads to a smaller waist circumference.

The findings, published in the European Heart Journal and supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), found that when “at least four to 12 minutes a day were reallocated (from sedentary behaviour) to moderate or vigorous physical activity” there were benefits to both of these measures.

“A greater proportion of time spent inactive was detrimentally associated with all outcomes,” the scientists noted.

Examples of Moderate and Vigorous Activities

Examples of moderate activity can include very fast walking (4 mph or faster), cleaning chores such as washing windows or mopping, cycling at 10-12 mph, and other similar activities.

Examples of vigorous activities include hiking, running at 6 miles per hour or faster, cycling fast, or playing soccer, basketball, or tennis.

Results of the Study

The new study included 15,253 people in five countries who wore tools to measure their activity levels for 24 hours a day. The results suggest that there is a hierarchy of what is good for health, with moderate to vigorous exercise being the most beneficial, followed by light exercise, sleeping, or standing.

The study also found that replacing 30 minutes of sitting daily with 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise had the greatest effect on those with low body weight. Modeling showed that blood cholesterol levels also improved when at least six minutes of sedentary behavior was replaced by exercise, although more exercise was better. Blood sugar levels were also lower if people spent more time exercising, standing, or sleeping than when sitting.

Calculations in the study indicate that for a 54-year-old woman with an average BMI of 26.5, replacing 30 minutes of sitting or lying down daily with moderate or vigorous exercise could also translate into a 2.5 cm, or 2.7%, reduction in waist circumference and a lower body mass index.

Importance of Intensity of Movement

Dr. Joe Blodgett, first author of the study from University College London (UCL), said: “The big takeaway from our research is that although small changes in how you move can have a positive impact on heart health, the intensity of movement is important. The most beneficial we’ve noticed is replacing sitting with moderate to vigorous activity, which could be running, brisk walking, climbing stairs, or any activity that gets your heart rate up and makes you breathe faster, even for a minute or two.”

The researchers noted that although time spent doing vigorous activity was the quickest way to improve heart health, small changes can also have an impact if done for a longer period. James Leeper, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, added: “We already know that exercise can have real benefits for cardiovascular health, and this encouraging research shows that small adjustments to your daily routine can reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.” “Cerebral.”

He continued: “This study shows that replacing a few minutes of sitting with a few minutes of moderate activity can improve your body mass index, cholesterol, and waist size and has many physical benefits. Being active is not always easy, and it is important to make changes that you can stick to in the long term.” “And you enjoy it. Anything that gets your heart rate up can help.”

Source: Independent