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HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS ENOUGH.

Assuming that if some is good, more is better, many people pursue vigorous exercise programs to decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease. This randomized, controlled trial evaluated the impact of exercise intensity on cardiovascular risk factors, and found that mild exercise is as beneficial as vigorous exercise.

Researchers randomly assigned 102 sedentary premenopausal women to one of four programs: aerobic walking, brisk walking, strolling, or no exercise. The three exercise groups walked for a stretch of 4.8 km at rates ranging from 4.8 to 8 km per hour, 5 days per week for 24 weeks. Fitness, as measured by maximum oxygen uptake, increased significantly with exercise and was greatest in the women who exercised most vigorously. However, HDL cholesterol levels rose by similar amounts in the women who strolled at 4.8 km per hour and those who walked at 8 km per hour.

Although vigorous exercise can improve women's cardiovascular fitness, these data suggest that mild exercise can still improve their cardiovascular risk profile.

— THL

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine December 24, 1991

Citation(s):

Duncan JJ et al. Women walking for health and fitness: how much is enough. JAMA 1991 Dec 18 266 3295-3299.

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