For years, adults have been encouraged to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week. New research suggests this remains a useful target – but doing more may offer additional protection against cardiovascular disease.
An observational study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine followed 17,088 UK Biobank participants whose activity was measured using wrist-worn devices.
Over an average of 7.8 years, 1,233 cardiovascular events were recorded, including heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
Meeting the recommended 150 minutes of weekly activity was associated with around an 8 – 9% lower cardiovascular risk. However, those doing approximately 560 – 610 minutes a week had a risk reduction of more than 30%.
These findings don't mean 150 minutes is inadequate – or that everyone should aim to exercise for ten hours a week.
Instead, they suggest the recommended amount may be better viewed as a useful minimum associated with cardiovascular benefit, rather than a point at which the benefits of exercise stop.
The study was observational, so it cannot prove that exercising more directly caused the lower cardiovascular risk. The researchers also noted that participants may have been healthier and fitter than the general population.
For people who can safely increase their activity, there may be additional benefits from doing more. For others, reaching 150 minutes may already be a significant achievement.
But perhaps the most useful message is not that we all need to exercise more, but that the benefits of movement don't necessarily stop when we reach a recommended number.
Guidelines give us somewhere to start, but looking after our health isn't about chasing numbers. It's about doing what we reasonably can, consistently, in a way that works for us.
Source: Sciencedaily.com
