A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals that women require only half the amount of exercise as men to achieve the same benefits in longevity. This research, led by Dr. Martha Gulati of Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, suggests that even minimal exercise can significantly impact women’s health and lifespan.
The study’s findings are a boon for women who find it challenging to maintain a regular exercise regimen. According to Dr. Martha Gulati, even a small amount of physical activity can have a profound effect on women’s health. The research compared the effects of aerobic exercise on men and women, showing that while men needed about 300 minutes of exercise per week to lower their risk of death by 18%, women achieved a similar 24% reduction with only 140 minutes of weekly exercise. The benefits for both genders plateaued beyond 300 minutes of exercise per week.
Further analysis on muscle-strengthening exercises like weight training revealed that women could gain comparable longevity benefits from just one session per week, as opposed to men who needed three. This difference is attributed to women’s lower muscle mass and possibly other physiological differences between the sexes.
The study analyzed over 400,000 U.S. adults’ self-reported exercise habits from the National Health Interview Survey spanning 1997 to 2017, correlating these with death records. While the study’s observational nature means it can’t definitively prove causation, it strongly suggests that active lifestyles contribute to longer life spans. However, the reliance on self-reported data and the focus on leisure-time exercise might limit the study’s accuracy.
Why It Matters: This research underscores the importance of tailoring health and exercise recommendations to account for gender differences. It challenges the one-size-fits-all approach to physical activity guidelines and highlights the need for more nuanced public health policies.
Potential Implications: The study could lead to revised exercise guidelines that are more achievable for women, potentially improving public health outcomes. It also emphasizes the need for further research into sex-based differences in health and fitness, encouraging a more personalized approach to exercise and wellness.
Source: TIME
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