Although we have been exhorted to exercise for much of the twentieth century, researchers and scientists continue to examine the world of fitness and exercise to determine the true impact of too much exercise, too little exercise, and the wrong and right types of exercise. Two recent studies cast an interesting light on exercise benefits for individual health.
The first, a study of 2,428 adults over a six-year period, examined the risks that those of us who are out of shape face when we suddenly decide to don exercise clothes, lace up the shoes, and hit the exercise trail. The research team studied heart-rate changes in the first minute after exercise among patients who had previous symptoms of heart disease. They found that people whose hearts took longer to slow down, or recover, after exercise were nearly four times more likely to die during the sixyear study period than were participants with normal recovery times. While just 26 percent of all people in the study had abnormal recovery times, these people constituted 56 percent of all deaths during the course of the study. In addition, the study indicated that people who demonstrated good heartrate recovery are more likely to benefit from heart surgery and other corrective procedures in the event of cardiovascular problems.
Results of the study indicate that people who have high blood pressure, are obese, take heart medications, and are out of condition physically face significant risks of heart failure when they begin unsupervised, strenuous physical activity. For someone out of shape, getting back into shape should be viewed as a serious behavioral change. Efforts to lose weight, reduce blood pressure, and work up to high-energy expenditures should be done gradually and under a doctor’s supervision. Although this has long been the recommended plan of action, this study confirmed the importance of following that plan. Most important, however, the study helped identify heart-rate recovery as a significant indicator of benefits and risks.
The second of the landmark studies was an epidemiological study of the exercise behavior patterns of over 14,000 female participants in the Nurses’ Health Study Although physical activity has long been associated with the reduced risk of coronary heart disease, little has been known about the benefits of certain types of exercise, particularly for women. Walking, in particular, has long been believed to be highly beneficial and often has been recommended as part of a rehabilitation program for people recovering [rom heart problems and other serious illnesses, but questions still arose about its specific benefits. Until the Nurses’ Health Study, the role of walking in the battle against heart disease had not been carefully analyzed, despite being the most common form of exercise among women.
In the Nurses’ Health Study, women’s risk factors and exercise behaviors were assessed every two years for a period of 14 years. Results of the study provide compelling evidence of the benefits of walking. It indicated that brisk walking may, in fact, be just as beneficial for the reduction of cardiovascular disease as vigorous exercise. Results suggested that a regimen of brisk walking for a total of three or more hours per week(an average of 30 minutes per day) could reduce the risk of coronary events by 30 percent to 40 percent. Increasing this time provided even greater benefits. This is in line with the most recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Col1ege of Sports Medicine, and the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health.
The implications are clear. What we have long suspected is true: Walking makes good sense! It is relatively available to everyone, requires no special equipment, can be done alone or in groups, and may be less damaging to joints over time than repetitive running or other strenuous activities. So put on those walking shoes, and let’s get going.
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