Exercise is good, if you double the time spent relaxing even better, but no exaggeration, because it does not bring benefits. This is the suggestion of a study conducted in the United States and published in the journal Circulation.
According to the World Health Organization, there are about 3.2 million deaths every year from diseases related to sedentary lifestyle, while regular exercise is proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. has a positive influence on mental health.
The study took as its baseline the U.S. Department of Health Physical Activity Guidelines, published in 2018, which suggest a minimum of 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week or, for the more athletic, 75-150. minutes of intense activity, or an association of the two, depending on the time available and physical fitness. Among the adults observed during the research, those who reported doing twice as much physical activity as suggested by the guidelines had a lower risk of long-term mortality. On the other hand, those who have exceeded the recommended levels by four times have not obtained any more benefits but not even damage to the body. So doubling the suggested times is fine but without overdoing it.
116,221 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, between 1988 and 2018, completed up to 15 questionnaires on their health and leisure physical activity, updated every two years. . 96% of the respondents were white, 63% female, and the mean age and BMI during follow-up were 66 years and 26 kg / m2. Over the past 30 years, 47,596 deaths have occurred.
The results
Those who met the guidelines for long-term strenuous physical activity (75-150 min / week) reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 31%, from other causes by 15%, and as a percentage , for all causes 19%, compared to those who did not. Those who doubled the recommended minimum (150-299 min / week) had a lower risk of 27% -33% CVD mortality, 19% non-CVD mortality and 21% -23% mortality. for all causes.
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On the other hand, those who trained the minimum “moderate” recommended, ie 150-300 minutes per week, lowered the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease by 22 percent and by 20 percent for all other causes. The mortality benefit appeared to increase with 600 min / week of moderate physical activity.
A much more intense training does not seem to have further reduced the risk of mortality, in fact the percentages have remained the same for cardiovascular diseases (32% lower risk) and for all the others (22%).
The guidelines? They are the minimum
“The guidelines always represent a minimum, physical activity is like a drug, a lower dosage has no benefit, if you overdo it, however, there can be damage” – says the professor. Gianfranco Beltrami, Deputy Vice President of the Italian Sports Medical Federation. “The exercise, the movement, must be personalized. It is the sports doctor who must prescribe the correct level of activity, based on the patient’s medical history, age, sex. Then, it can be increased”.
What emerges clearly from the study is that any type of physical activity is important. Even doing just one hour of exercise decreases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 13 percent and all other causes by 19 percent. Intense training can bring benefits in a shorter time, but they are not greater. It remains essential to do it under control. Mothers generally turn to pediatricians to find out what kind of sport for their children to do. And we should continue like this even as adults.
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“Registered non-competitive sportsmen are subjected to an annual visit, but I would recommend it to everyone because physical activity must be done correctly so as not to encounter problems – adds the professed Beltrami – back pain, bruises, even wear of muscles and tissues . Not to mention the so-called ‘failure to recover after a workout, which can also be a long bike ride. In these cases, especially for a person who is no longer young, it is necessary to stop for the right amount of time because fatigue must be recovered “.