Fitness Over 40
Even if you don't start a fitness regime until you're over
40 the health benefits are impressive.
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No Such Thing as Too Late?
By Jessica Sutton
WLR Staff Member
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It is widely accepted that many of us do not get enough
exercise. In fact, new government figures suggest that as few as
37% of men and 24% of women manage to do the 5
sessions of moderate physical activity weekly, recommended for
fitness.
However, despite these figures, most people also acknowledge
the benefits that regular physical activity can bring. Serious
diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease have
frequently been linked to sedentary lifestyles in the past.
For many of us, facts and figures like these can make for
depressing reading. However, recent research has unearthed some
encouraging findings. Experts in Germany interviewed 312
coronary heart disease patients as well as 479 people living
without the disease about their exercise habits throughout their
lifetime. All participants were aged between 40 and 68 years.
The researchers found that those with the lowest risk of
coronary heart disease were those who had led active lifestyles
throughout their childhood and adult lives. This group were
found to be at 60% lower risk.
However, those who had led sedentary lifestyles until the age
of 40, and then become more active, were 55% less likely to be
diagnosed with the disease than those who didn’t change their
lifestyles at all.
Scientists said, in reference to this data that it “provides
evidence that changing from a sedentary to an active physical
activity pattern, even at an older age, may result in a strong
reduction of coronary heart disease risk.
Alterations to daily activities don’t have to be drastic in
order to achieve reductions in the risk. Activities such as
moderate walking for 30 minutes a day can be just as effective
as vigorous sporting activities. |
