December 7, 2024, 10:04 am | Read time: 3 minutes
If you are neither registered at a gym nor do intensive training at home, there is no need to worry. When it comes to preventing heart attacks, exercise is generally important – and this includes everyday activities such as climbing stairs. A study has now found that just a few minutes of exercise a day can reduce the risk of a heart attack by half.
It is a well-established fact that heart attack symptoms in women differ from those in men. While men often experience chest pain that radiates to the left arm, it manifests itself in different ways in women. They can be affected by pain in the upper abdomen, neck, and back, among other things. Yet, a comprehensive study demonstrates that women can significantly reduce the risk of a heart attack with minimal daily exercise.
Overview
Heart Attacks Manifest Differently in Women
Jaw pain, extreme exhaustion, and feeling light-headed: Would these symptoms prompt you to think of a heart attack? For a long time, the symptoms that women experience during this health emergency were misdiagnosed. Consequently, the severity of heart attacks was frequently underestimated, leading to devastating outcomes.
Recent research has delved into the specific symptoms that female heart attack patients experience. Although women may experience the “typical” symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath, “atypical” symptoms such as shakiness, discomfort in the upper abdomen, and a feeling of weakness are more common.
How Many Minutes of Exercise Improve Heart Health
A study now reveals how women can reduce their risk of heart attack by 45 percent with just a few minutes of exercise a day. That’s almost half! Using data from the UK Biobank of over 13,000 women, researchers led by Emmanuel Stamatakis, cardiologist and professor at the University of Cambridge, have investigated the extent to which intensive bursts of exercise in everyday life have an impact on heart health.
The study found that as little as 3.4 minutes of this type of exercise can cut the risk of heart attack by half. It also prevents heart failure. Here, the risk is reduced by as much as 67 percent with 3 minutes and 24 seconds of intensive – yet everyday – activity. These associations were less pronounced in men, allowing the study to uncover gender-specific differences.
What Counts as Everyday and Intensive Exercise?
The study refers to “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity” (VILPA), i.e., intensive physical activity in short, embedded periods of time in everyday life. This includes, for example:
- Climbing stairs
- Carrying heavy objects
- Gardening
- Household chores
- Fast walking or running
- Uphill or rapid cycling
It’s crucial for these activities to be performed with intensity, meaning they should demand a certain level of strength. Steady, relaxed cycling, for example, does not count. It is also important to climb stairs quickly.
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Preventing Heart attacks in women as part of your routine
The study highlights the simplicity of taking proactive steps to benefit your heart health. Just 3 minutes and 24 seconds of exercise a day is enough to significantly prevent cardiovascular disease. It is advisable to integrate these activities into your everyday life – if you are not already doing them.
Opt for climbing stairs over taking the elevator, embrace the challenge of cycling uphill with vigor, and choose to walk with your groceries instead of driving short distances. Your heart health will thank you if you integrate these changes into your routine.