CELEBRATE NATIONAL HEART MONTH WITH A LITTLE EXERCISE!

Everyone knows that exercise promotes better health. Now, here are a few studies that proves it does:

1. A seven-year study from the University of Minnesota, involving 12,000 men, found that those who walked or did similar exercise for an average of just 20 minutes a day were 37 percent less likely to die of coronary disease than those who exercised less than that. The study suggests moderate exercise protects the heart by helping to prevent or decrease several risk factors for coronary disease: high blood pressure, a low level of the “good” HDL cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes.

2. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Associationfound a different group of Minnesota researchers followed 40,000 post-menopausal women for seven years. Those who regularly engaged in moderate activities, such as bowling, golf, gardening, or walking, had a 41 percent lower death rate than those who did easier exercise or none at all. Even those who did those activities just once a week had a 29 percent lower morality rate than those who seldom or never exercised.

3. Norwegian researchers evaluated physical fitness in some 2,000 men over a 16 year period. Those who exercised regularly and were in mediocre shape had a 41 percent reduction in deaths from coronary disease or stroke. Those in good shape had a 55 percent reduction, and those in excellent shape had a 59 percent reduction.

4. Researchers from the Cooper Institute, for Aerobic Research in Dallas found that men who improved from poor to moderate fitness reduced their overall death rate by 44 percent, while those who worked up from moderate to good shape reduced their mortality by an additional 22 percent.

In conclusion, moderate exercise reduces the risk of coronary disease, stroke and helps you live longer.

SOURCE: As reported in Consumer Reports on Health, April 1998.