The widely recommended target of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week — about 22 minutes a day — was associated with an 8% to 9% lower risk of cardiovascular events, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The researchers found that people who exercised for roughly 1.5 hours a day, or 560 to 610 minutes per week, had more than a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular events.
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Researchers from the Macao Polytechnic University in China analyzed data from more than 17,000 participants in the UK Biobank, with an average age of 57. Participants wore wrist-worn activity trackers continuously for one week and also completed exercise bike tests.
To account for other factors that could affect cardiovascular health, the researchers considered participants’ weight, blood pressure, diet and unhealthy habits.
Nearly 1,200 cardiovascular events recorded
During the nearly eight-year follow-up period, researchers recorded 1,233 cardiovascular events among participants in the control group. These included 874 cases of atrial fibrillation, 156 heart attacks, 111 cases of heart failure and 92 strokes.
The study found that adults who met the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week had an 8% to 9% lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Those who exercised for approximately 1.5 hours a day — 560 to 610 minutes per week — had a risk reduction of more than 30%.
The researchers also found that people with low physical fitness needed an average of 30 to 50 additional minutes of physical activity per week to achieve health benefits comparable to those of people with adequate physical fitness.
Researchers call for personalized recommendations
The researchers noted that the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week should be viewed as a universal minimum rather than necessarily the level associated with the greatest reduction in cardiovascular risk.
Future medical guidelines could benefit from more personalized recommendations that distinguish between a minimum level of activity for basic cardiovascular protection and higher levels aimed at achieving greater risk reduction.
