Just 3 Minutes of Daily Moderate Activity Can Enhance Heart Health in Seniors
Click to start listening
Synopsis
A recent study suggests that just three minutes of moderate activity each day can significantly improve heart health in older adults, emphasizing the importance of incidental physical activities like household chores.
Key Takeaways
- Three minutes of daily moderate activity can enhance heart health in seniors.
- Physical inactivity increases cardiovascular risk in older adults.
- Incidental activities like cleaning and shopping are beneficial.
- Moderate incidental activity is linked to lower cardiovascular disease risk.
- Short-duration activities can be integrated into daily routines.
New Delhi, April 26 (NationPress) Engaging in just three minutes of moderate physical activity each day may significantly improve heart health among older adults, as revealed by a recent study.
Prior research has indicated that many individuals tend to decrease their physical activity levels with age, which raises their risk of cardiovascular issues.
In this latest investigation, researchers from the UK and Australia discovered that routine tasks such as household chores or grocery shopping, termed incidental physical activities, can also contribute positively to health. Incidental physical activity (IPA) includes daily living tasks that fall outside leisure time, such as cooking, cleaning, mowing the grass, or gardening.
According to the researchers from the University of Sydney, “Any daily IPA amount of vigorous or moderate-intensity was linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in a dose-response manner.”
They further emphasized, “Our results underscore the cardiovascular health benefits of incidental physical activity, particularly for those who find it challenging to engage in structured exercise.”
The findings, published in the journal Circulation, were based on data collected from 24,139 individuals who wore wrist monitors to track their activity levels and identified themselves as non-exercisers.
This group was compared to individuals who regularly performed moderate activities, assessing differences in activity levels.
The analysis indicated that individuals who participated in routine moderate incidental activities had a decreased risk of suffering from cardiovascular events or mortality related to such events.
More specifically, the study found that individuals who were moderately active for at least three minutes on a regular basis lowered their risk of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular incidents.
As per the researchers, the key is to incorporate several short-duration activities into daily routines.
