Staying physical fit is known to reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease. But, until now, it has not been known if it is nature – in the shape of your genes – or nurture – in the shape of exercise habits honed over the years – that determine if staying fit also keeps your heart healthy.
Now a study by American researchers has come firmly down on the side of nurture, concluding that all physical activity, regardless of your genes, is good for heart health.
Our genetic make-up will decide if we are someone who can exercise regularly but don’t get faster or stronger or if we are someone who follows the same fitness regime but does get faster and stronger. So the researchers set out to explore if those who are predisposed to being physically fitter enjoyed better heart health than those whose genes do not help them physically.
They examined the data of more than 23,000 women participating in the Women’s Genome Health Study who had been followed for an average of 14.4 years, looking for incidences of heart disease. They checked all physical activity so included housework and gardening as well as exercise such as walking or running in their research.
And their study concluded that any physical activity has a positive effect on heart health, lowering the risk of coronary heart disease. Fitness was not as important as actually simply moving on a regular basis to raise the heart rate. The study suggests that no matter their genetic make-up, women who are physically active reduce their risk of heart disease.
The study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, certainly seem to offer good news to those who are inclined to give up exercise when they don’t see the results they want. Knowing that even gentle activity is good for your heart is certainly a welcome boost to many.
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