“The earlier you adopt a more physically active lifestyle, the bigger the rewards will be on your heart”, the British Heart Foundation advises. Scientists from the University of Ulm and University of Heidelberg, Germany, interviewed 312 coronary heart disease patients and 479 people without the disease, all aged between 40 and 68. The volunteers were quizzed about their exercise habits throughout their lifetime. The researchers found that those who had remained active throughout their lives were about 60% less likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease than those who had led very inactive lives. But the team also revealed there was still hope for people who had done very little exercise in their 20s and 30s. The volunteers who had become very physically active at the age of 40 were 55% less likely to develop heart disease than their sedentary peers. According to their report, coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death in the UK. About one in five men and one in six women die from the disease. They also pointed to recent government figures which revealed only 37% of men and 24% of women met the current guidelines of undertaking 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days. This therefore suggests the urgency that physical activity needs to be encouraged. Please, a little exercise might just just be what you need for you to look healthier, feel younger and live longer.

via bbc

Share on Facebook