Ten Minutes of Exercise A Day Reduces Cardiovascular Risk 50%
posted 11/26/03

According to researchers from Tokyo, Japan regular aerobic exercise, just 1 hour of exercise per week, halved the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In an 8-week exercise intervention study, the investigators examined the dose-response relation of exercise training and blood pressure in 207 people with untreated high blood pressure. The people were divided into five groups depending on duration per week of exercise: sedentary controLs,30-60mm/week, 61-90 min/week, 91-120 min/week, and more than 120 min/week.

No changes in blood pressure were observed in people in the non-exercising control group. However, all of those in the exercise groups experienced significant reductions in systolic (on each heartbeat) and diastolic (between heartbeats) blood pressure. The average exercise duration in the 61-90 min/week group was 75 min/week. The reduction in systolic pressure was about 12 mmHg, and the drop in diastolic pressure about 8 mmHg. There were no significant differences in the size of reductions in diastolic blood pressure between the exercising groups. Interestingly, no obvious associations were found between exercise frequency per week, and the size of reductions in blood pressure with exercise training.

Source: Diabetes In Control.com: Am J Hypertens 2003; 16: 629-633.

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