- A new study confirms that aerobic exercise can substantially reduce the risk of premature death from any cause, especially heart disease.
- The meta-analysis, which includes more than 20 million observations, shows that increased physical activity reduces the risk of mortality.
- Cardiovascular health affects the health of your whole body, and exercise is the best way to promote it.
A major new study shows that people who do regular aerobic exercise are significantly more likely to live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease.
The meta-analysis, led by Grant Tomkinson, PhD, research professor at the University of South Australia, analyzed the results of 26 systematic reviews of 199 single cohort studies.
These trials investigated the links between exercise, all-cause mortality and cardiovascular health. In total, they involved 20.9 million researcher observations.
The researchers measured the energy expenditure of cardiovascular fitness with METs or a metabolic equivalent of tasks.
The amount of energy spent sitting quietly is 1-MET. The results show that for each additional 1-MET exerted through aerobic exercise, the risk of death from all causes is reduced by 11% to 17% and the risk of heart failure is reduced by up to 18%.
The results of this study are published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Cardiorespiratory fitness is an important measure of overall health.
Cardiovascular fitness, often called cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) or aerobic fitness, reflects the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to deliver oxygen during sustained physical activity, said lead study author Justin J .Lang, PhD, Research Analyst. at the CHEO Research Institute in Ottawa, Canada.
Aerobic exercise, Lang said Today’s Medical Newsis the key to maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness.
There are many ways to strengthen your cardiorespiratory fitness through aerobic activities. Some examples of common aerobic exercises that get the heart pumping include:
Jayne Morgan, MD, a cardiologist and executive director of Community Health and Education at Piedmont Healthcare Corporation in Atlanta, GA, who is not involved in the study, told MNT:
The heart supplies oxygen to all the organs and tissues of the body. This allows the body to perform optimally. As heart function declines, other organ systems are at risk from both decreased blood flow and decreased oxygen uptake and delivery. The stronger the heart, the more efficiently it pumps blood, keeping other tissues healthy and performing optimally.
Lang noted additional reasons why a strong, healthy heart is key to overall health and longevity. He noted that robust circulation can help prevent heart attacks, strokes and hypertension, which are the leading causes of early death worldwide, he said.
Exercise can also help keep cholesterol, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, under control, and a strong heart can help respond to life’s many stressors and demands, Lang added.
In addition, physical activity has been linked to a reduced risk of some cancers, dementia, depression, kidney disease and type 2 diabetes, but the mechanisms are not as well understood, Lang said.
According to Lang, there are several ways to assess your cardiovascular fitness level, though he recommends, when possible, trying a field measure of cardiorespiratory fitness to get a more accurate assessment.
For children, youth and fit adults, Lang said the most commonly used field event is a 20-meter shuttle run.
This involves running back and forth between two parallel lines at the accelerated pace of an audio recording [designed for this purpose]. The longer the person lasts, the higher their cardiorespiratory fitness score, he explained.
For people who may have lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, there is an alternative: a walking test that measures the distance covered in six minutes of continuous walking.
Lang cited fitness wearables that monitor heart rate after exercise. He also recommended a self-diagnosis questionnaire. He also warned that:
It is important to note that although self-assessment methods can provide valuable information about cardiorespiratory fitness levels, it is advisable to consult a health care provider or fitness professional for a comprehensive assessment and personalized recommendations, especially for people with pre-existing health conditions or for those new to exercise. .
It’s always a good idea to talk to a doctor before starting a new exercise regimen. A clinician may ask for self-reports of weekly amounts of exercise or implement formal tests using treadmills, cycling, or bench testing.
An annual symptom-limited CRF measure may be clinically useful for both guiding and encouraging wellness activity, Lang said.
Another good reason to devise a heart-healthy exercise regimen with an expert is that different individuals may receive different benefits from the same physical activities.
Many factors are important to consider when trying to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, including genetics, age, sex, general health status and lifestyle factors, Lang said.
A very fit athlete may require a high frequency of exercise throughout the week, at high intensity and for longer sessions to improve cardiorespiratory fitness. Someone just starting out could benefit substantially from brisk, low-intensity walking for 2,030 minutes a few times a week, Lang added.
Morgan noted that the study specifically excluded athletes with extremely high performance levels, as well as those with weaknesses at the other end of the spectrum. And while 1-MET is the measure by which mortality is reduced, even those who achieved less than 1-MET saw benefits in all-cause mortality and death.
Lang said not everyone responds to exercise in the same way. As a result, it’s important to explore options and find out what works best for you, he suggested.
The important thing to keep in mind when embarking on a physical activity journey is that something is better than nothing, Lang said.
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