A study published in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine looked at the relationship of physical activity and BMI (weight for height) on coronary heart disease (CHD). There’s been an ongoing debate as to how much weight truly mattered if someone was fit and active and this study gets us a little closer to the answer.
Data gathered over 11 years on 39,000 women in the Women’s Health Study was analyzed. Physical activity, BMI and CHD risk factors were studied. Women who reported 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily had significant reductions in CHD risk. However, while being physically active did greatly reduce the risk of CHD, it did not eliminate it. The authors suggest that more than 30 minutes of daily moderate activity would further reduce risk of CHD and other chronic diseases.
Being overweight comes with its own set of health risk factors that can only be eliminated by losing weight. The bottom line is that being fit at any weight does make you healthy, but don’t fool yourself into believing that you’ll take all the risk away with activity alone.
Use exercise to help reduce your weight and maintain those losses. Beginning can be as easy as taking a walk. Look at what you’re currently doing and think about small ways you can start boosting that up. Here are a few activities that would qualify for your 30 minutes of moderate activity:
- Walking 2 miles in 30 minutes
- Gardening for 30-45 minutes
- Biking 5 miles in 30 minutes
- Dancing (fast) for 30 minutes
- Swimming laps for 20 minutes
Not up to these levels yet? It all starts with that first step. Start by walking 5 or 10 minutes tonight after dinner. In a few days, add another 5 minutes. Bring your kids, your dog, a friend, or just your iPod to keep you company. Before you know it, you’ll be walking a mile or two and will be picking up the pace for a better aerobic workout.
For a more detailed analysis of the study: CNN (FIT)Nation Report. You can also go here to see what your BMI is
Related articles: 7 Most Effective Exercises
- Renee
Labels: Exercise, Health, Healthy Planet, Lifestyle Change, Mind-Body Connection, Physical Activity, Recent Research, Renee, Weight Loss
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