Women can achieve greater long-term health benefits than men with less exercise, according to a groundbreaking study by Schmidt Heart Institute in California. Examining data from over 400,000 adults in the United States spanning from 1997 to 2019, researchers compared physical activity levels and health outcomes among male and female participants.
Despite engaging in less physical exercise than men, including brisk walking, cycling, and weight training, female participants still experienced significant health benefits.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Women who engaged in at least some physical activity each week reduced their risk of all-cause mortality by up to 24%, compared to a 15% reduction for men.
DIFFERENTIAL EXERCISE REQUIREMENTS
The study suggests that men and women require different doses of muscle strengthening and cardiovascular exercise to maximize health benefits and life expectancy.
Male participants reached peak survival benefits after five hours of cardio per week, while female participants achieved the same benefits with just over two hours of moderate to vigorous cardio.
IMPACT OF WEIGHTLIFTING
For weightlifting or core body work, men reached their peak survival benefit after three sessions per week, whereas women achieved similar gains from just one session.
Researchers speculate that physiological differences, such as vascular conductance and blood flow during exercise, may contribute to women’s ability to derive greater health benefits from physical activity.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
These findings underscore the importance of tailoring public health recommendations for physical exercise based on gender-specific differences in physiological responses.
Contrary to popular belief, the study challenges the notion of a significant gender gap in exercise habits and its implications for public health.
