Go for a short “energetic” to walk each day is more likely to reduce the risk of heart disease than taking longer, more leisurely walks, according to a new study.
Those who walk at a faster pace for seven minutes a day reduce their risk by a greater percentage than those who walk at a slower pace for 14 minutes.
This is because exercise it does not prevent cardiovascular conditions if it is not of moderate intensity, experts say.
The study looked at data from 88,000 people who wore an activity tracker on their dominant wrist for a week.
The experts collected data on the amount of physical activity they engaged in and how much of it was moderate or vigorous.
The number of cardiovascular events, including coronary artery disease and stroke, was then recorded among the participants, who were followed for an average of 6.8 years.
The analyzes showed that when participants exercised more overall but the amount of moderate-to-vigorous exercise remained the same, they saw little improvement in their heart health.
When their activity levels doubled but the amount of vigorous activity stayed the same, their heart health also stayed the same.
However, when the level of vigorous activity increased by 20 percent, the risk of heart disease fell by 23 percent.
Additionally, when the level of vigorous activity increased by 40 percent, the risk to heart health also dropped by 40 percent.
The findings, published in the european journal of the heartIt means that activities like washing the car or doing the laundry, which were previously considered exercise, may not have any benefit in preventing cardiovascular disease.
The researchers said heart disease rates were 14 percent lower when moderate-to-moderate physical activity accounted for 20 percent of overall physical activity, even in those who don’t exercise regularly.
This difference is the equivalent of taking a brisk seven-minute walk instead of a 14-minute walk.
Professor Tom Yates from the University of Leicester, lead author of the study, commented: “Our analysis confirms that increasing the total amount of physical activity can reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, but we also found that achieving the same total amount of physical activity through higher intensity activity has a substantial additional benefit.
“Our findings support simple ‘every move counts’ behavior change messages to encourage people to increase their overall physical activity and, if possible, incorporate moderately intense activities.”
“This could be as simple as turning a leisurely walk into a brisk walk, but a variety of approaches should encourage and help people find what is most practical or enjoyable for them.”
