A new study released this week finds that everyday activities like gardening, do-it-yourself projects and even housework may be just as good as formal exercise for reducing the risk of a stroke and heart attacks, according to Swedish researchers.
People over the age of 60 can reduce their risk of cardiovascular issues by almost 30% and extend their life simply by staying busy with daily activities, as just being active cuts into the time that would otherwise be spent sitting around.
Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic, which offers cardiovascular care in Palm Beach, Florida, points to this research as an easy way for seniors and people of all ages to do something everyday to improve heart health. A spokesperson for the clinic added, "This just shows that you don't need to push yourself to work out every day or do anything strenuous to keep your heart healthy. Sometimes it's the simplest things that keep us healthy in the long run."
The clinic spokesperson also pointed to other long-term studies that find that sitting around increases not only the risk of cardiovascular disease but also the risk of diabetes and premature death.
For this study, researchers collected information on over 3,800 people in Sweden born between 1937 and 1938. Study participants were asked information about their lifestyle, diet, whether they smoked or drank and their activity level, as well as how often they performed daily activities like gardening, car maintenance and even picking blueberries and regular, intentional exercise.
To measure heart health, researchers took blood samples to assess fat and sugar levels, and they checked for high levels of blood-clotting factor, which has been linked to an increased risk of stroke and heart attack.
Individuals whose daily activities kept them busy reduced the risk of heart attack or stroke by about 27%, and the risk of dying from any cause was decreased by 30%, when compared to the individuals who spent the least amount of time activity.
The Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic spokesperson says this research is especially important for older people who tend to spend more time doing non-exercise activity and find it harder to reach recommended exercise intensity levels due to health issues.
Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic offers cardiovascular care in South Florida for adults of all ages, including including EKG, EECP, stress tests, diagnostics ultrasound and diagnostic nuclear imaging to guide patients on healthy preventative measures to maintain cardiovascular health. Their website offers additional education on heart health.
