Moderate level of physical exercise prevents heart disease and prolongs life. The benefits increase as the level of physical activity increases. Though the benefits of physical activity are widely recognised, but it is still unclear whether the level of physical activity significantly affects the life expectancy or a long life free from heart disease. Researchers from the Erasmus MC University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands evaluated data on a group of people who were more than 50 years old. The study followed 5,200 residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, over the past 46 years. After adjustment for smoking status, co-illnesses, and other relevant factors, it was found that subjects who participated in moderate physical activity starting at the age of 50 lived 1.3 years longer, and 1.1 year longer free of heart disease as compared to sedentary subjects. Those who participated in high levels of physical activity lived 3.5 years longer overall and had 3.2 years longer free of cardiovascular disease. The differences were similar for both genders. In another study, researchers from the University of Florida in Gainesville analysed the impact of doctor's advice to exercise at various frequencies and intensities on exercise behaviour in 492 healthy but sedentary men and women ages 30 to 69 years. According to the records that the subjects kept, the amount of exercise they actually completed was lower than the levels prescribed. It was observed that when a doctor prescribes exercise to people, they don't do as much as prescribed. They do about 60 percent of the amount they are asked to do. The implications are that doctors have to encourage people to aim high both in terms of frequency and pace when using walking as an exercise to achieve observable benefit. The studies suggest that following an active lifestyle is an effective way to achieve healthy aging.
Archives of Internal Medicine,
November 2005