If you are above 60, don’t get lazy. It is good that you engage in more physical activity or do exercise. It can reduce the heart problems.
According to a study done in South Korea, those who reduced their levels of exercise over time had a 27% greater likelihood of developing heart and blood vessel issues. Those who became more active reduced their risk by as much as 11%.
The study — led by Kyuwoong Kim, of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, at Seoul National University, in South Korea — is based on data from 1,119,925 men and women 60 years or older.
The researchers defined moderate physical activity as 30 minutes or more per day of dancing, gardening, or brisk walking. Twenty minutes or more of running, fast cycling, or aerobic exercise daily counted as vigorous exercise.
The study’s analysis revealed that people who had increased their levels of activity from continuously inactive to moderately or vigorously active three to four times a week had lowered their risk of heart attack and stroke by 11%.
Those who had been active one or two times per week at the first check then increased to five or more times per week by the second check had lowered their risk by 10%. Participants with chronic conditions such as hypertension or diabetes saw a 4–7% reduction in their chances of experiencing a heart problem or stroke.
The risk of cardiovascular problems had increased by 27% among participants who had reduced their levels of exercise between screenings.