Walking Reduces Women's Risk of Heart Disease
Can a leisurely nine-minute stroll once a day reduce a woman's risk of coronary heart disease? A five-year study of some 40,000 women found that a little exercise, such as walking one hour a week, halved the risk of heart disease compared to women with no reported physical activity.
Women with other risk factors, such as smoking, high cholesterol levels and obesity, greatly benefited.
According to the authors of this study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, these results should encourage women who have no leisure-time physical activity, as the benefits are great and the effort is minimal. It was the amount of time spent walking, not the pace, that counted, the study found; women who strolled benefited as much as those who walked more rigorously. A brisk walk is more effective, but any kind of walking appears to be beneficial.
So keep that body in shape! You'll look better, you'll feel better, and you'll be protecting your heart against disease. Ask your doctor of chiropractic for more information.
Lee IM, Rexrode KM, Cook NR, et al. Physical activity and coronary heart disease in women. The Journal of the American Medical Association 2001:285(11), pp. 1447-1453.
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