FEEL THE BURN
The intensity of exercise matters far more than the duration.
Those who went on a fast walk daily reduced their chances of having a heart attack or stroke by 50% compared to those who didn’t. Jogging daily cut the odds by 40 per cent.
But those who said they walked for an hour at a leisurely pace had just the same risk as those who were largely inactive. It was also discovered that, light physical activity and even more than one hour of walking daily did not confer protection against metabolic syndrome.”
The research compared the likelihood of developing what is termed metabolic syndrome - a cluster of conditions including high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure - among 3,968 people aged 21 to 98.
People with metabolic syndrome have a much higher risk of heart disease and stroke in middle and old age.
Maureen Talbot, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study reminds us that it is only physical activities that leave us feeling warm or breathing more heavily that are good for our health.
“Jogging or walking briskly makes the heart beat faster - exercising the heart muscle - and we should all try to do activities each day which get the blood pumping.
“So if you want to make the walk to work or to the shops part of keeping your heart healthy then try turning it from a leisurely stroll into a power walk to get the benefits.”
