Exercise & Fitness Archive

To help stave off cardiovascular disease, you may not need to run very far, very fast—or even very frequently.

Jogging and running rank among the most popular forms of exercise in this country. But how fast and how long do you need to run to reap the cardiovascular rewards of this activity? A recent study suggests that for both questions, the answer may be less than you think (see "The latest research on jogging and running").

"The main takeaway message is that running even just once a week seems to offer some cardiovascular benefits," says Dr. Adam Tenforde, director of the Running Medicine Program at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. It's heartening news for people who enjoy running but can't do it more frequently, either for logistical reasons or health issues such as knee arthritis, he adds. These findings might also inspire people who do brisk walking to add a few minutes of running to their exercise regimen.

Following five healthy lifestyle habits has been shown to extend life expectancy. Better still, a recent study suggests the added years are more likely to be free of illness or disease.

There is a lot you can do to lower your chances of having a stroke. Even if you've already had a stroke or TIA ("mini-stroke"), you can take steps to prevent another.

Controlling your weight is an important way to lower stroke risk. Excess pounds strain the entire circulatory system and can lead to other health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obstructive sleep apnea. But losing as little as 5% to 10% of your starting weight can lower your blood pressure and other stroke risk factors.

Lifestyle changes have been shown to reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event, but can they also help those with diabetes? A recent study found a positive association between healthy lifestyle choices and reduced cardiovascular risk for those with type 2 diabetes.

Exercises that promote strength and flexibility can help you improve your stance over time.

Chances are you do a lot to sabotage your posture during the course of an average day: reading a good book with your head down, sitting at a computer, or scrolling on your phone.

Activities like these can get your body in the habit of hunching or slouching. Over time this may lead to physical changes that make it harder to stand up straight and cause a curvature in your upper back, which doctors refer to as kyphosis.

Research we're watching

People who run — even in small amounts — are less likely to die during a given period compared with those who don't run, according to an analysis published online Nov. 4, 2019, by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The benefit appears even among people who run for less than 50 minutes once a week, at speeds below 6 mph.

Researchers began their review of 14 studies, involving more than 200,000 people, in hopes of determining whether running can stave off deaths from heart disease, cancer, and other causes. They also sought to find out how much running people need to do to benefit. The studies tracked participants for periods ranging from five-and-a-half to 35 years. Over the course of these studies, 25,951 of the participants died. When comparing those people to those who lived until the end of the study, the researchers found that people who ran, no matter the amount, were 27% less likely than nonrunners to die from any cause during the study period. Runners also had a 30% lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and a 23% lower death rate from cancer. While running was linked with longer life and less disease in these studies, this doesn't necessarily prove that it was the running that actually caused better health. But the results suggest that lacing up those sneakers and going for a quick jog might improve your health.

Research we're watching

People living in rural areas of the country appear to be more likely to die from preventable causes compared with people in more urban locations, says a CDC report. The report looked at deaths from 2010 to 2017 and found that people in rural locations were more likely to die from preventable conditions, including cancers and heart and respiratory diseases. In 2010, about 29% of cancer deaths in rural areas were potentially preventable, compared with 18% of cancer deaths in urban areas. In addition, 45% of heart disease deaths in rural locations were deemed preventable, compared with 24% of heart disease deaths in urban areas. The authors suggested several strategies to reduce disparities, including better screening programs and initiatives to encourage better eating and exercise habits, as well as smoking cessation.

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Even short stints of structured exercise may improve your heart health — and it's never too late to start.

Are you one of those people whose typical day includes doing chores around the house and yard, running errands, and caring for a spouse, grandkids, or pets? Having a busy, active life is one reason people think they don't need to set aside time devoted solely to exercise, says Gisele Bousquet, program director at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in Foxborough, Mass.

"People say, I'm very active, I'm always on the go," she says. Being physically active is good, she tells them. But doing regular moderate exercise — ideally for at least 30 minutes most days of the week — can lower your blood pressure and many other risk factors linked to heart disease. Even if you've never done formal exercise, starting in the second half of life can still make a difference (see "Exercise: Even starting after 60 can help").

An international study of apes and of people from different walks of life reveals how the human heart responds to physical activity.

A unique study that compared the hearts of African great apes, native Central Americans, and American athletes sheds new light on the evolution and adaptability of the human heart. But the findings also have a practical message.

"They reinforce the importance of regular brisk walking or jogging throughout life to stay healthy as you age," says the study's senior author Dr. Aaron L. Baggish, director of the cardiac performance lab at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Research we're watching

Listening to up-tempo music during interval training may not only make your workout more enjoyable, but also elevate your performance, new research suggests.

Interval training involves short, repeated sessions of intense exercise separated by periods of less vigorous movement. It's an efficient but somewhat challenging strategy to improve fitness. However, music may make these workouts a bit easier, according to a small study in the November 2019 Psychology of Sport and Exercise.