Everybody knows that in order to stay healthy, you have to exercise a lot and to maintain a fit body. Apparently, weight loss is not the only solution for helping people with heart problems. Seniors that have such problems should focus more on exercising than on losing weight.
This new research found out that people who exercise more have a healthier heart when compared to those who lost weight but don’t exercise regularly. The researchers observed that weight loss is important for seniors’ heart but an active lifestyle is better.
The experts mentioned that any type of physical activity is great for the heart. Elder people should focus on having an active lifestyle by walking and doing housework or practicing an easier sport. This study was led by Dr. Klodian Dhana.
The leader of the study along with her team tracked more than 5,000 people for 15 years. All of the participants were healthy at the beginning of the study and none of them had any heart diseases. At the end of the study, 16% of the participants developed heart conditions.
The team of researchers found no link between the BMI and heart diseases. This means that there is no connection between the weight of a person and the risk of developing heart diseases. The study found out that an active lifestyle is better for the heart. They observed that people who are active (no matter their BMI) have a lower risk of developing heart diseases.
Despite the fact that obesity is associated with cardiovascular diseases, elder people experience muscle loss when they lose weight. This means that older people should focus on exercising and having an active lifestyle, not on losing weight.
Of course, older people should start off with simple exercises and then try out more intense ones. It is important for their heart to exercise at least 150 minutes every week. They shouldn’t try intense workouts because that can do more harm than good. Older people should also avoid bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol if they want to decrease the risk of developing heart diseases.
What is your opinion about this study? Do you think that an active lifestyle is the best option for elder people?
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