Women benefit more from exercise than men.
Study results show that women benefit significantly from exercise, with a reduced risk of death and cardiovascular events.
Regular physical activity benefits everyone's health, but women can reap even greater benefits than men, and in less time. According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, women who exercise regularly are less likely to die prematurely from all causes, including cardiovascular events, compared to those who are sedentary. Additionally, women seem to benefit more from exercise than men. It is therefore essential to promote regular physical activity for the health and well-being of women.
The benefits of physical activity for women
The study looked at a group of 400,000 men and women in the United States over a period of two decades. The results showed that women who exercised regularly were 24% less likely to die from all causes during the study period. Additionally, they had a 36% lower risk of death from heart attack, stroke or any other cardiovascular event compared to sedentary women.
As for men, those who exercised regularly were 15% less likely to die and had a 14% lower risk of a fatal cardiovascular event compared to sedentary men.
Heart diseases are the leading cause of death among women. Therefore, regular exercise can play a vital role in preventing these diseases and improving the longevity of women.
The recommended amount of exercise
According to researchers, men should do about 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 110 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week to benefit from the positive effects on their health. In contrast, women seem to achieve significant results with less exercise.
The study found that women who performed 140 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week had an 18% reduced risk of death. Similarly, just 57 minutes of intense aerobic exercise per week results in a 19% reduction in the risk of death.
Men need to exercise twice as much to achieve similar results. They achieved an 18% reduction in the risk of death with 300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week and 19% with 110 minutes of intense exercise per week.
It is important to emphasize that aerobic exercise is not the only beneficial form of exercise. Muscle strengthening exercises also have significant positive effects. Women who regularly engage in muscle-strengthening exercises reduce their risk of death by 19%, while men have their risk reduced by 11% compared to their sedentary peers. Additionally, women have a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular events, while men have an 11% lower risk.
Why women benefit more from exercise
The researchers explain that the results are linked to physiological differences between men and women. Women have better vascular conductance and blood flow during exercise, with a higher density of capillaries per unit of skeletal muscle compared to men. Therefore, although women generally have lower muscle strength at baseline, they experience greater relative improvement in strength through training, which is a better predictor of mortality than muscle mass.
Recommendations for daily exercise for women
For women and men who want to increase their daily physical activity, here are some tips:
Start with small amounts of exercise and gradually increase based on the strength and endurance gained.
Find an exercise partner to help you stay motivated and make exercising more enjoyable.
If the weather permits, choose walking to carry out your daily tasks instead of taking the car.
Choose the stairs rather than the elevator.
Listen to music or a fun podcast during your workouts.
Vary your physical activities to avoid monotony. Alternate between muscle strengthening exercises and endurance exercises and try different activities such as walking, yoga, hiking, pickleball, etc.
Regular physical activity is essential for women's health and well-being. The results of this study show that women benefit significantly from exercise, with a reduced risk of death and cardiovascular events. It is therefore important to promote regular physical activity among women and provide specific recommendations to maximize the benefits of exercise.
By following these tips and incorporating exercise into their daily lives, women can improve their health, longevity and quality of life.