Regular physical activity supports a healthy heart. Researchers are also finding that adults who take steps to move more throughout the day often have better long-term health outcomes. A new study adds to this research by showing that people who sat less were less likely to develop heart failure or die from events like having a heart attack or stroke.
To reach these findings, investigators assessed health data from more than 89,000 adults who were between ages 40-69 at the start of the analysis. During this time, the adults shared information about their regular activities. They wore a wrist-based watch that tracked how much they exercised, moved, or slept throughout a week. They also shared updates about their health for about 10 years. After reviewing these outcomes, researchers found that adults who got regular physical activity and moved more throughout the day were less likely to develop heart failure or an irregular heart rhythm, have a heart attack, or die from cardiovascular disease. The strongest connections emerged with regular physical activity and daily movement being linked to reduced risks for heart failure or from dying from cardiovascular disease.
Therefore, the authors recommend that adults prioritize ways to stay active. This could include a range of activities, like brisk walking or bicycling, that get the heart rate up for about 20-30 minutes a day, or 150 minutes a week. In addition, they noted the importance of finding ways to break up long periods of sitting or lying down. This might include taking short walking breaks or doing light chores. The study was supported by NHLBI and the findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.