A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that women may see greater health benefits from exercising regularly than men. The study found that women who engaged in 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly were 24% less likely to die compared to women who didn’t exercise regularly within the same time period. In contrast, men who exercised for the same amount of time each week had only a 15% lower chance of dying than those who didn’t.
The study, involving over 400,000 U.S. adults spanning from 1997 to 2017, relied on self-reported exercise habits. The findings suggest that women reap the same longevity benefits as men with half the amount of exercise, as it took only 140 minutes of weekly exercise for women to see equivalent benefits. The risk of death was 24% lower among women who engaged in about 300 minutes of movement per week, compared to inactive women.
Dr. Martha Gulati, the co-author of the study and director of preventive cardiology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, highlighted the encouraging news for women, emphasizing that “a little goes a long way” in terms of exercise. However, for both sexes, the study noted that the longevity benefits seemed to plateau beyond 300 minutes of weekly exercise, indicating the importance of a balanced approach to physical activity.
The senior study author, Dr. Susan Cheng, director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, also emphasized the significance of the findings. The study suggested that women may need less exercise to gain the same health benefits as men, challenging the conventional understanding of the relationship between exercise and longevity.
These findings highlight the importance of regular physical activity, particularly for women, in enhancing overall health and longevity. The study’s results could have significant implications for public health initiatives and exercise recommendations, encouraging individuals, especially women, to prioritize moderate physical activity or vigorous exercise for improved health outcomes.
In conclusion, while exercise remains beneficial for both men and women, the study suggests that women may derive greater health benefits from regular exercise, with less exercise needed to gain the same longevity benefits as men. This underscores the importance of promoting an active lifestyle, especially for women, to improve overall health and reduce the risk of premature death.
