Themoderate physical activityfor at leasthalf an hour for 5 days a week, or intense exercise for at least 20 minutes performed 3 times a week, reduces the risk of mortality by 31 percent. Also, staying active is helpful forprevent up to fifteen diseases, including ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, colon and breast cancers, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome or depression.
These are the conclusions of the Transfronterizo de Puigcerdà Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Girona, published in ‘Medicina Clínica’ and the result of a systematic review of nearly 1.5 million individuals followed for about 11 years. What’s more,the incidence of cardiovascular disease drops 33 percentamong those who practice moderate activity five days a week, according to a review with about 726,000 participants and a 14-year follow-up. “Some studies show that even lighter activity can reduce cardiovascular risk. Walking for an hour a week reduced the risk of coronary heart disease by 50% and a single weekly session of intense exercise reduced cardiovascular mortality by 39% in men and 51%. in women “, the authors point out.
Add to that the risk of stroke decreases 31 percent with moderate exercise, according to a review of nearly 480,000 participants followed for 13 years. In relation to cancer, in a review with 1.4 million patients followed up for 10 years, a 30 percent reduction in the incidence of colon cancer was observed within the most active group. Another review, this time on 1.8 million patients followed up for 10 years, showed a reduction in the incidence of breast cancer from 20 to 40 percent in the group that practiced more exercise.
On the other hand, the exercise achieved a42 percent reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetesin a systematic review of 624,000 patients followed for about nine years. It is also useful forprevent metabolic syndromeand moderate exercise helps to maintain weight, not so much to lose it. Similarly, moderate physical activity reduces the prevalence ofosteoporosis and in 17 percent the incidence of fractures.
Also, exercisereduces the risk of dementia and cognitive declinein those over 65 years of age. Also, any form of daily physical activity reduces the risk of psychological disorders by 41 percent, according to a review of 19,800 patients.
