A new study has suggested that current exercise targets may be insufficient for significantly reducing the risk of heart disease, and people may benefit from exercising up to 90 minutes daily for better heart health.
Adults are generally advised to perform at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. However, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by Chinese researchers, higher levels of exercise can reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure much more effectively.
The study was conducted by experts at Macao Polytechnic University and included data from 17,088 participants.
Participants had an average age of 57 years, and their physical activity was monitored for one week using wrist-worn devices. Researchers also measured their VO2 max, an important indicator of heart and lung fitness.
During nearly eight years of follow-up, 1,233 participants developed cardiovascular diseases, including 874 cases of irregular heartbeat, 156 heart attacks, 111 cases of heart failure, and 92 strokes.
Researchers found that people exercising 150 minutes per week had an 8–9% lower risk of heart disease. However, those exercising between 560 and 610 minutes weekly saw their risk reduced by up to 30%.
The study also noted that individuals with lower fitness levels may need more exercise to gain the same benefits that fitter individuals achieve in less time.
Although the research was observational and does not directly prove that exercise alone reduces disease risk, experts said the current recommendation of 150 minutes per week remains effective, while some individuals may benefit from increased physical activity.
Experts explained that moderate exercise involves a faster heartbeat, quicker breathing, and a warm body, while vigorous exercise causes breathing to become so intense that speaking more than a few words requires a pause.
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