A study has found that working out for 20 minutes daily could help older adults in their 70s maintain their cardiac health. The researchers found that older adults in their 70s who would work out moderately or vigorously were less likely to have heart disease in their 80s.
While scientists agree that exercise could reduce the risk of developing heart problems and increase lifespan, few studies have examined its impact on the elderly population. This new study shows that it isn’t too late to exercise since older people could benefit tremendously.
How researchers conducted the study
The researchers looked into 3099 Italians from the Progetto Veneto Anziani research. They considered results from several tests that researchers carried out from 1995 to 1997. These tests included scans, physical examinations, medical history, and blood tests. Moreover, the team carried out more studies after four years and after seven years.
At the beginning of the study, the researcher realized that women had a higher likelihood of developing four diseases simultaneously. They realized that chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis were issues more women developed. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes.
The team categorized exercise into vigorous and moderate. Examples of moderate exercise were fishing, aerobic exercise, and walking. The vigorous types of exercise were gardening, swimming, dancing, cycling, and going to the gym. Using these examples, the team told the volunteers to answer questions about the exercise they did.
Active lowered the risk of heart disease
The researchers classified the people who exercised for twenty minutes a day as more active. They also found that the women were typically less active. Researchers categorized the participants into four. The first group was active during the entire experiment duration, and the second was active in the beginning but lost momentum. A third group would start with no activity but slowly became active, while the last group was inactive throughout the study.
The findings indicated that women and men who were more active were less likely to develop heart disease. Furthermore, it seemed to lower the risk of heart failure and coronary heart disease. However, it did not reduce the likelihood of stroke.
