Australian researchers suggest that cardiorespiratory exercise, such as running or cycling, would be the most effective physical activity to ward off the risk of death and disease, particularly heart disease.
- According to one study, “prolonged cardiorespiratory exercise” is consistently associated with a reduced risk of dying prematurely, including from diseases such as heart failure, depression, diabetes, dementia and even cancer.
- For every increase of 1 MET (the amount of energy used in normal sitting), a person can reduce their risk of death by 11 to 17%, and more specifically their risk of heart disease by 18%.
- “People can see significant improvements just by doing, for example, 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking,” according to the researchers.
Running, swimming, cycling, squash… If physical activity, whatever it is, is a condition almost sine qua non To hope to live a long and healthy life, nothing beats the regular practice of an endurance sport, which specifically strengthens cardiorespiratory capacity. This is the conclusion of a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Cardiorespiratory exercise, the best activity to stay healthy
To arrive at this observation, researchers from the University of South Australia, located in Adelaide, relied on a meta-analysis including nearly 21 million observations from 199 distinct cohort studies. They found that “prolonged cardiorespiratory exercise” was “strongly and consistently associated with a reduction in the risk of dying prematurely from any cause”, including diseases such as heart failure, depression, diabetes, dementia and even cancer. What makes cardio “probably the most important type of physical activity” to be and stay in good health, we can read in a communicated.
In detail, the study reveals that for each increase of 1 MET (for Metabolic Equivalent of Task, a measure of energy expenditure associated with the intensity of physical activity), that is, the quantity of energy used while sitting. Normally, a person can reduce their risk of death by 11 to 17%, and more specifically their risk of heart disease by 18%. Conversely, people with low levels of “cardiorespiratory fitness” are “much more likely to die early or develop chronic diseases” during their life.
At least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week
No need to become a marathon runner to benefit from cardio, according to researchers: “People can see significant improvements just by doing, say, 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking.” To boost the cardiorespiratory system, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that adults ages 18 to 64 should spend at least 75 to 150 minutes per week doing sustained-intensity endurance activity (such as running). , and between 150 and 300 minutes at moderate intensity activity. As a reminder, the more intense the physical exercise, the more your heart will thank you later.
The authors of the study finally plead for public authorities to promote the benefits of sport. “The burden should not only fall on the individual, but should also be assessed regularly by doctors and sports professionals”so that regular physical activity becomes more of a public health standard, with programs at school, at work, etc.