If only there weren’t that weaker self to overcome, many people would probably do more sports. Because the positive aspects for body and mental health are well known. A large study from the USA now provides another reason to exercise more: Whether running, swimming, cycling, playing golf, playing tennis or other racquet sports – they all have in common that they are at risk of death from cancer or heart -Reduce cardiovascular disease in the elderly. This is the result of a study published in the journal “Jama Network Open”.
The researchers evaluated the health data of 272,550 people. The participants were between 59 and 82 years old. They were asked about their weekly activities. The researchers observed the subjects for an average of twelve years and analyzed the health records for deaths from cancer, heart disease and other causes.
The scientists classified those test subjects as active who exercised 7.5 to 15 hours a week. The researchers compared their mortality rates with those participants who moved less than 7.5 hours a week. The result: the mortality risk was 13 percent lower in the active group than in the less active group.
The researchers therefore make the following recommendations for older people: 2.5 to five hours of endurance sports or brisk walks per week and 1.25 to 2.5 hours of intensive training such as cycling per week. The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise.
The researchers created different movement profiles and differentiated between these sports: walking, golf, swimming, running, cycling, tennis or other ball sports with rackets and aerobic sports.
Anyone who plays tennis or another ball sport with a racket is best protected against cardiovascular diseases. It reduces the risk of premature death from heart disease by 27 percent. Running reduced the risk of death from cancer the most – by 19 percent.
However, if you want to integrate more exercise into your everyday life or start exercising, you should not force yourself to do a certain sport because it can prolong life or is most effective at helping you lose weight. Because: “Everyone has to find the right sport for themselves. It’s always about personal motivation and enjoying exercise. Jogging is a good endurance sport, but if I don’t enjoy running, I can do it for maybe three weeks “It’s better to do the sport that I enjoy in the long term, even if it doesn’t offer the best endurance training. Regular exercise throughout life is the key to health,” said sports scientist Stefan Schneider in an interview with the star.
The researchers explain why ball sports with racquets or running protect against cancer and cardiovascular diseases as follows: In both sports, many muscles have to work synchronously in order to be able to perform the movement. The hand-eye coordination and sudden movements involved in tennis improve physical functioning.
The results of the study indicate an association between a lower risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease and physical activity. This means that the researchers can observe the inactive and active people and their mortality risk. But it is not possible to prove by this type of investigation that the physical activity is really the cause of the lower risk of death.
Quelle:Studie in Jama Network Open, WHO
